The plan
The Sika
Trail into Wareham
Who Turned Up
Wendy,
Trudy H, Diane and Tony R, David
The Walk
It wasn’t
the brightest of days – we had one of those only yesterday – but it was dry and
that was a blessing. Last week’s attempt at this same walk ended in a washout. This
week we began at the Sika Trail car park, near the Silent Woman pub. From there
we crossed the main road and walked out across Carey Heath, passing by Carey
House. We had some doubts about the going underfoot at Ferncroft Farm but, in
the event, the ground was dry and solid. We crossed the River Piddle at West
Mills and came into Wareham town by the hospital. A short walk along the
Wareham Walls took us into North Street and the pub.
What can
I tell you about Wareham? Well, there was once a Roman settlement here but no
one knows what it was called. Come the Anglo Saxon occupation, it was called Werham,
a name drawn from the old English. Wer,
meaning ‘fish trap,’ and hamm meaning
‘homestead enclosed by water’. Well, it is sited between two rivers, the Frome
and the Piddle. It’s thought that the walls or ramparts were built by Alfred
the Great in the ninth century. In the year 1015, the town was attacked by
Canute – the guy who didn’t hold back the sea - and it was left in ruins. By
the end of the Saxon period, Wareham had become an important town with not one
but two royal mints. Enough of that.
After
lunch, we walked up past the railway station to Northmoor Park and then out
into the forest. A pleasant walk through the woodland brought us back to the
cars. We finished off with tea and cake at Wendy and Lou’s house. Thanks go to
Wendy for the very welcome cup of tea and to Trudy for the delicious cream cake. Thanks also to Trudy and Diane for the photographs.
The Pub
The King’s
Arms, Wareham. We’ve eaten here before and found the atmosphere convivial. This
week they advertised an authentic Cornish pasty on the specials board. Three of
us opted for it. Your blogmaster was in eager anticipation of a dish from his
birthplace. Well, it was a good try, guys, but no Cornishman would ever call it
authentic. A real Cornish pasty has (pastry) knob handles at each end and
overhangs the plate at both ends. However, the insides were tasty and formed
from the correct ingredients.
Next Week
Meet at
Beatrice and Tony’s at 0945 for a walk at Sturminster Newton
