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The Plan
An
Upton Heath walk
The Leader
Wendy
Who Turned Up
Wendy,
Sue, Trisha. Diane and Tony R, Beatrice (and Tony from lunch onwards) David
The Walk
Another
beautiful day for walking. After the fine day we had last week, we count
ourselves lucky.
Today
we met in the car park at the entrance to Upton House and set off across the
heath in bright sunny - albeit chilly - weather. No raincoats, but several
fleeces were used. We arrived at the Holmbush pub - approaching down Beacon Hill
- at about 1145, with the intention of eating there. The plan was changed when
we discovered the landlady was not yet in attendance. Instead we walked up to
Corfe Mullen.
After
lunch, with Tony now joining our group, we walked out onto the heath again,
pausing at the glorious view of the harbour from the Upton Heath Viewpoint.
With the help of a heath ranger, we trotted on along paths sandy and narrow until
we came back to the old disused railway line and another trail leading down
towards Upton.
The Pub
The
Dorset Soldier in Corfe Mullen. This was the first time we have eaten here and we were
pleasantly surprised. A three-course meal cost £8. Good value for money and no
complaints about the food or the service.
Next Week
Meet
at Sue’s at 0945 for a Claypipe walk.
The Plan
A
walk around the Blashford Lakes
The Map-Reader
Wendy
Who Turned Up
W
endy,
Brian, Diane and Tony R, David
The Walk
The
BBC weather forecaster said it would stay dry through the morning and we could
expect showers after 1pm. He got it wrong. It stayed dry from the start to the
end of this week's walk. We parked in the picnic/walks area between Kingfisher and
Northfields Lakes. We then took the path past the sailing club to the Lakes Study
Centre. After a brief comfort stop, we continued to the Alice Lisle Pub. It was
a pleasant morning walk.
After
lunch we took a detour up the hill to the top of Rockford Common.. rather a
steep climb in places but it got our hearts working effectively. Our route
brought us, eventually, back to the Alice Lisle, from where we retraced our
morning steps back to the car. We were driving away from Ringwood when it
started to rain. How glad we were that the forecaster got the timing wrong!
All-in-all it was a very pleasant day out.
The Pub
The
Alice Lisle. The food was good, except that they had no pies. However, the
alternatives were very tasty.
Next Week
Meet
at the car park near the entrance to Upton House at 1030.
A
Studland walk
The Leader
Trisha
Who Turned Up
Trisha,
Beatrice, Tony R, David, Trudy H, Trudy B
The Walk
What an enormous difference to the wet weather we experienced last week. If
this is summer, we’d like some more of it please. Blue skies and sunshine
followed us throughout the day and this weather is forecast to stay with us for
the next three or four days. Four of us met at the White Cliff car park and
bundled into Trisha’s car for the short trip down to the ferry area. We were
just in time to get aboard a ferry as it was about to leave and we were pleased
to see the two Trudys aboard a bus already on board. At the Studland side of
the crossing, we joined up as a group of six and headed down to Bramble Bush Bay and walked around the shore.
There was a little breeze but nothing to spoil our enjoyment of the weather.
When we came to the main road, we crossed over and took a path down towards the
nudist beach. Just before we reached the total exposure area we
turned off along a sandy track that led us across the heathland. A very pleasant
walk, it took us straight to the Knoll Beach NT café.
After
lunch we elected to take the bull by the horns and parade right across the
shoreline, including the nudist beach. For a September weekday, the beach was
remarkably busy but we kept our eyes fixed on our objective and enjoyed more of
the glorious weather. At the ferry point we said goodbye to the two Trudys -
who had a bus to catch - before we crossed back to Sandbanks and a small café where
we enjoyed a cup of tea.
Our
thanks go to Trisha for leading a very enjoyable walk.
The Pub
No
pub this week. We ate at in the sunshine outside the NT café at Knoll Beach.
The food was reasonable and washed down, in one case, by a bottle of Piddle.
Next Week
TBD
The Plan
A
Pamphill walk
The Leader
Tony
Who Turned Up
Tony,
Wendy, Sue, Trisha, Jackie, Ros, Diane and Tony R, Brian, David
The Walk
Oh,
what a grey day. We knew that rain was forecast but we couldn’t be sure how
long it would last, not how heavy it might be. It was already miserably wet
when we met in the car park by Pamphill school, but then it rapidly turned into
a very heavy downpour. We decamped to the farm shop café for a cup of tea while
we assessed the potential for the rest of the day. It eased off marginally as
we sipped our tea so, being hardy types, we decided to go ahead with the walk.
Our route took us from the car park down Holly Lane to Cowgrove and thence down
to the riverside path that leads to Eye Bridge. From there it was a short, but
steep walk back up the hill to the cars. We then drove to the pub in Wimborne.
After lunch it was still raining so we called it a day as far as walking was
concerned.
The Pub
The
Rising Sun, Wimborne. The food was good if a little expensive. We stayed long
enough to enjoy our meal and a chat and then set off home.
Next Week
Meet
at White Cliff car park at 10am for a Studland walk.
A
walk around Arne
The Leader
Wendy
Who Turned Up
Sue,
Wendy, Trisha, Trudy B, Beatrice, Jackie, Diane and Tony R, Brian and Pam (nice
to see you both with us again), David
The Walk
The
weather was perfect for a walk; warm and sunny but with enough of a light breeze
to keep us from cooking. For the morning, we parked at the RSPB car park and opted
for the Shipstal walk. We saw deer and… to the dismay of some ladies… spiders
along the way. Birds, flowers and purple heather were there in abundance.
After
lunch we took the shorter walk around the heath. We finished up with tea and cakes at Sue's house. Many thnks, Sue.
The Pub
The
Horse and Groom, Wareham. We thought we might have a problem parking near this
pub but managed to get spaces in Sainsbury’s car park, close by. The food was
okay, nothing special. One or two people thought it was below par while others
thought it was value for money.
Next Week
Meet
by the car park by Pamphill school at 1015.
The Plan
A
Sturminster Newton walk
The Leader
Wendy
Who Turned Up
Wendy,
Sue, Beatrice and Tony H, Diane and Tony R, David (along with Pam and Brian on
the morning leg)
The Walk
We
were delighted to have Pam and Brian join us once again. We’ve missed you!
Today,
the weather was overcast but, by and large, we avoided any serious rain. We
parked by the Old Sturminster Mill and walked through the fields to the town.
From there we set off across country on the more southerly path towards
Fiddleford, paralleling the River Stour. As we came close to Fiddleford we
found our way obstructed by building work and we had to take a detour north
onto the old railway trail.
After
lunch we kept to the direct railway trail that took us back to Sturminster.
Another short jaunt across the fields took us back to our cars. Thanks go to
Diane and Tony for the tea and cakes that rounded off the day.
The Pub
The
Fiddleford Inn. With one exception the food was well received. It was well
cooked, there was plenty of it and the service was friendly. The downside was
the poor state of the décor. If the owners could clean the snail tracks from
the floor and do something about the damp on the walls and ceilings they’d have
a pub well worth visiting again.
Next
week
Meet
at Sue’s at 10am for an Arne walk
The Plan
A
Salisbury walk
The Leader
Wendy
Who Turned Up
Wendy,
Trisha, Trudy, Sue, Tony and Beatrice H, Tony and Diane R, Jackie, David (with
guest appearances from Olga and Ray)
The Walk
Who
would believe that last week we finally (after much patient waiting) saw high
summer with the temperatures finally piling up to thirty degrees? Today it was
overcast, we barely managed twenty degrees and we had a few spots of rain. But,
undaunted, we drove up to the Salisbury Park-and-Ride car park and used our bus
passes to travel on into the city. We then met Olga and Ray. Olga walked with us on our leisurely
stroll through the water meadows and around Old Sarum ancient monument. Ray took
the easy option and was waiting for us when we reached the pub. Along the way we saw numerous flowers and plants, brought to fruition in the recent sunshine as well as bird life beside the River Avon. We also enjoyed views of the Cathedral from the water meadows, much as Constable must have done. That's the painter, not the village bobby!
After
lunch we walked through the fields and along the dry pathways back to the city
where we caught a bus to the car park. We finished off with tea and cakes at
Tony and Beatrice’s. Many thanks for your usual kind hospitality.
The Pub
The
Harvester at Old Sarum. The food was good, the service was good and the prices
were reasonable. We’ve eaten here before and not been disappointed. There were no pies, but the chicken tasted good.
Next Week
Meet
at Diane and Tony’s for a Sturminster Newton walk.
