The Wednesday Walk 27th January 2016

Today was a washout.
It had been raining all night and was still raining when we met at Pamphill.
We went to the farm shop and enjoyed a cup of coffee and a chat before setting off for lunch.
Our intention was to eat at the Lamb's Green but it was closed. So we drove on to the Dorset Soldier and enjoyed a two-courses-for-£6.50 meal there.
It was still raining when we left the pub.

NEXT WEEK
Meet at Kingston Lacy at 10.30

The Wednesday Walk 13^th January 2016

The Plan

A Wareham Forest walk

Who Turned Up

Jackie, Wendy, Sue, Tricia, Trudy H and David.

Trudy B and her sister joined us for lunch and completed the afternoon walk with us. Welcome to Dorset, Trudy’s sister.

We were also pleased to see Tony and Beatrice over lunch.

The Walk

It was a colder day than we have been used to, but sunny enough to make an enjoyable ramble. We started the walk at the Sika Trail car park on the Bere Regis Road, almost opposite The Silent Woman pub. A pub called The Silent Woman? Yes, really. It was originally called The Angel but was referred to in Thomas Hardy’s novel, The Return of the Native, as The Quiet Lady. So the owners changed the name sometime in the 1920s to The Silent Woman. I do not intend to include here any jokes about silent women. I might not survive the reaction! Incidentally, the area around the pub is called Coldharbour. With its Angel pub, it was a place where a traveller could find a harbour against the cold.

Our route took us across Coldharbour Heath and Carey Heath. We did have some reservations about how much flooding and mud we might encounter along the way but luck was with us. There was nothing we could not cope with. After passing beneath Carey Road, we joined the Wareham Forest Way, crossed over the fast flowing River Piddle, and continued into Wareham.

After lunch - with Trudy B and her sister now a part of the group – we walked back through the town, past St Martin’s church, which holds an effigy of Lawrence of Arabia. We crossed the main bridge over the Piddle River and went on through Northmoor Park. From there we joined the forest path that took us back to the cars. It was a pleasant walk.

Thanks must go to Jackie for the tea and Dorset Apple cake back at her house. Our overseas readers should know that Dorset Apple cake is a delicious local food not to be missed when visiting our county.
Thanks also go to Trudy H for the photographs.

The Pub

The King’s Head in Wareham. We were all pleased to see Beatrice and Tony join us for lunch. We wish you well on your road to recovery, Beatrice.

The food was good. The pie eater was under strict orders not to have a pastry-topped pie here because of raised cholesterol levels, but he did manage to find a tasty fish pie on the specials board.

The Wednesday Walk 6th January 2016

The Plan

Talbot Heath and Meyrick Park

The Leader

Trudy B

Who Turned Up

Trudy, Wendy, Sue, Jackie, David

The Walk

It was a much better day than last Wednesday, when we had to curtail our plans. This time we parked in Langside Avenue in calm, sunny conditions. The walk took us out onto Talbot Heath which was a bit muddy in places but generally easily tackled. At the far end of the heath we walked out into Branksome Hill Road and then Glenfurness Avenue before entering Mayrick Park and the golf course. Two walkers then took the shorter route to the club house while the other three took a more roundabout route.

After lunch we took a slightly different route back to Langside, passing through Pug’s Hole and again crossing Talbot Heath. Pug’s Hole is believed to have been named after a smuggler known as Pug who is said to have hidden his contraband here. That would have been some while ago, of course. The wood is a mixture of coniferous and deciduous trees and attracts birds such as nuthatches, coal tits and goldcrests. Talbot Heath - which we crossed in each direction - is today only a small remaining fragment of an area which once stretched from Christchurch to Dorchester. It is dominated by heathers and gorse. Wildlife here includes lizards and adders. Birdlife includes stonechats and dartford warblers. Along the way, we passed by some tall radio masts and wondered at their purpose. Military maybe? They don’t look like civilian phone or television masts.

The Pub

The Pulse café within the Mayrick Park Gold Club. As last week, the food was good and the service friendly.

Next Week

Probably a Wareham walk.

The Wednesday Walk 30th December 2015

 What Happened Today

It was to be out last meeting for the year 2015. The original plan was to walk across the heath to Meyrick Park, but that idea was knocked on the head in view of Storm Frank which was due deliver gale force winds and lots of rain. Instead, one group of ladies met to play Mah Jong until lunchtime. Then a group of eight met at the Meyrick Park Golf Club for lunch.

The lunch group were: Trudy B, Sue, Wendy, Tricia, Jackie, Diane and Tony R, David.

We met at the Meyrick Park Golf Club and ate in the Pulse Bar. And a very good meal it was too. The club occupies park of Meyrick Park, as you might expect, but do you know how that park began? I’ve nothing to tell you about a walk, so I might as well tell you about the park.

Until 1802, Bournemouth was just common land. However, as a result of the Inclosures Act of 1802, hundreds of acres were put into private ownership. Three commissioners were appointed to divide up the land and determine who got which bit. The landed gentry were well represented by the commissioners, but the commoners who used the land were concerned they would lose out. They persuaded William West, a farmer at Muscliff Farm, to create a petition on their behalf and present it to the commissioners. As a direct result, five areas of land were set aside for the benefit of the commoners. Today, those areas of land are called King’s Park, Queen’s Park, Redhill Common, Seafield Gardens and… you’ve guessed it… Meyrick Park. The five areas were put in trust by the Five Parks Charity.

I’m sure you feel wiser for knowing that.

Thanks are due to Trudy B for providing the Mah Jong entertainment and tea after lunch.

Next Week we hope to complete the today’s planned walk.

The Wednesday Walk 2nd December 2015

The Wednesday Walk 2^nd December 2015

The Plan

A Sandford Walk

Who Turned Up

Wendy, Jackie, Trudy B, David

The Walk

Thanks to Jackie, we had the use of a convenient car park in front of a now disused school in the Sandford Road. From here we walked into Sandford Woods and took the usual route across Sandford Heath and thence back to the Claypipe Inn.

After lunch we crossed the main road with the intention of walking down past the Admiralty Research Establishment in Station Road. But our interest was drawn to a seemingly new path across the heath, which we followed until we came out onto our usual route. Did you know that the Admiralty Research Establishment was closed in the late 1990s? Nothing here is now owned by the Ministry of Defence. It was originally set up as a Royal Navy Cordite Factory in the First World War and reactivated in the Second World War to manufacture gun propellants. When the manufacturing ceased after the war, part of the explosives site became a nature reserve. Other parts were converted into an industrial site.

Thanks go to Wendy for the tea and cakes, and thanks to Trudy for the photographs.

The Pub

The Claypipe in Sandford. We were pleased to see Trudy H and Sue waiting for us. Trudy was hoarse with a bad winter bug, and Sue was suffering from a bad back as a result of reaching for some toothpaste. We wish them both a quick recovery. We’ve eaten here before and not been disappointed. Today’s pie (steak and mushroom) was five pounds cheaper than the one served last week at the Alice Lisle, and it was a nicer one. No one went away hungry today.

Next Week

To be decided

The Wednesday Walk 25th November 2015

The Plan

A Blashford Lakes walk

Who Turned Up

Wendy, Trisha, Sue, Trudy B, Trudy H, Beatrice and Tony H, David

The Walk

The weather today was a bit hit and miss, a mixture of sunshine and brief showers. We parked at the car park between Northfield Lake and Kingfisher Lake. Then we took the usual route to the study centre and hide. There seemed to be quite a few twitchers out studying the birds today. After that short break, we trundled on to the Alice Lisle Inn. This pub is named after Lady Alice Lisle (1617 – 1685) who was accused of harbouring fugitives after the defeat of the Monmouth Rebellion at the Battle of Sedgemoor. She lived at Moyles Court and agreed to shelter John Hickes, a non-conformist minister, and Richard Nelthorpe, a Monmouth supporter, in her home. The following day, the men were arrested. Lady Alice was tried by Judge Jeffreys at the opening of the Bloody Assize in Winchester. The jury, under pressure from Jeffreys, found her guilty and she was sentenced to be burned. Because she was a lady, she was not burned but given a quicker death. She was beheaded with an axe. She is buried in a tomb on the right hand side of the porch at St Mary and All Saits Church in Ellingham, Hampshire.

After lunch we split into two groups of four, one taking the shorter flatter route back to the cars, while the other group climbed the hill on Rockford Common.
Many thanks to Trudy for the photographs.

The Pub

The Alice Lisle. We’ve eaten here before. The food is good but expensive. The beef and ale pie was tasty but came in at £12.95.

Next Week

Unless otherwise informed, meet at Wendy’s at 10.30 for a Sandford walk.

The Wednesday Walk 4th November 2015

The Plan

Stourhead if the weather is good, Kingston Lacy if it’s bad.

Who Turned Up

Wendy, Sue, Jackie, Tricia, Trudy B, Beatrice and Tony, David

The Walk

There wasn’t much decision-making needed regarding which walk to opt for. The rain started shortly after we gathered in Wimborne. We drove to Stapehill for a cup of coffee and then continued on to Kingston Lacy. For the benefit of our very welcome overseas readers, Kingston Lacy is a large estate not far from Wimborne. The original house was built in medieval times and stood to the north of the current house and was used as a hunting lodge. It was leased to the Lords de Lacy, who were the Earls of Lincoln. By the fifteenth century it was leased to the Duke of Somerset whose daughter, Lady Margaret Beaufort, was the mother of King Henry Vll and was brought up in Kingston Lacy. By the sixteenth century the house was in ruins. Sir John Bankes bought the land in 1636. During the civil war, Sir John was killed and his other property, Corfe Castle, was ruined. After the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, the Bankes family regained their properties but chose not to rebuild Corfe. In 1663, Ralph Bankes commissioned Sir Roger Pratt to build him a new house on his land near Wimborne. Today, we know it as the National Trust estate at Kingston Lacy. Our walk took us around the perimeter of the estate in the morning. After lunch we walked to the kitchen garden, a piece of land being carefully restored and used very productively. Along the way we encountered periods of drizzle, rain and sunshine, an eclectic mixture.

Many thanks to Beatrice and Tony for the tea and cakes right at the end of a pleasant day despite the weather. And thanks to Trudy for the colourful pictures.

The Pub

The Coach and Horses in Wimborne. Look guys, we know it’s daylight at mid-day, but your pokey little windows don’t let in much light, so please can you make sure all your ceiling lights work? Okay? Thank you. The food ranged from good to not quite so good. Most of us opted for a deal amounting to two meals for £9.99. That’s good by anyone’s standards. The steak and ale pie rated 8/10 for quality, but a full 10/10 in the value for money stakes. The battered fish wasn’t so well received. Too much batter and not enough fish.