The Wednesday Walk 12th July 2017

The Plan

A breakfast walk

Who Turned Up

Wendy and Elisa (welcome to the walking group, Elisa) Beatrice and Tony H, Diane and Tony R, Trudy B, David

The Walk

We decided to meet at 0930 at Pamphill and head into Wimborne for breakfast. The day started dull and overcast with a bit of a chilly breeze, but we rapidly warmed up once we got going. We started at the Pamphill car park nearest the church and headed down All Fools Lane. A walk beside the River Stour took us into Wimborne. After lunch we came back past the Queen Elizabeth School and Pamphill School. In other words, it was the usual route.

The Pub

The Man In The Wall, Wimborne. The food here is good and it’s not at all expensive. A large breakfast (as big as you will ever get or manage to eat) comes out at £4.99. A pint of beer is £1.99. You can’t beat that.

Next Week

A Ringstead Bay walk.

The Wednesday Walk 5th July 2017

The Plan

A Studland Heath walk

Who Turned Up

Trudy B, Sue, Beatrice and Tony H, David

The Walk

The weather forecast promised us clear blue skies and temperatures around 28 degrees. Maybe that was why the bus from Canford Village was full with (sardine-type) standing room only. All heading for Studland beach? Probably. It stayed jam-packed like that until we got off the bus near the Shell Bay sailing centre. From there we walked down beside Bramble Bush Bay and across Studland Heath. We passed around the hill with the Agglestone, past Black Down and wandered on to the Isle of Purbeck Golf Club. By then we were glad to sit down and enjoy a cold drink.

After lunch we walked back to Ulwell where we all had an ice cream to cool us down. Then we caught a bus home. It was still well-patronised.
Our thnks, as always, to Trudy for the photographs.

The Lunch Stop

The bar in the Isle of Purbeck Golf Club. Because of the heat, we all had a cold drink and a sandwich, with a selection of crisps and chips. It was enough. The view back towards Poole Harbour was impressive.

Next Week

If the weather is hot we will have a breakfast walk, meeting at Pamphill at 8am

If it is cool, we will have a Tincleton walk, meeting at Sue’s at 10am.

The decision on whether it is hot or cool will… um, er… be made nearer the time.

The Wednesday Walk 14th June 2017

The Plan

A Salisbury walk

Who Turned Up

Sue, Trudy B, Trudy H, Wendy, Ros, Jackie, Tony and Beatrice, David

The Walk

As always on this walk, we met in Wimborne, drove to the Britford Park and Ride and used our bus passes to get into town. The weather was hot, well up into the twenties. By the time we got to the pub we were glad of a cold drink.

Now for today’s lesson. What is a fosse? We came across the word in a house name on the walk back from Old Sarum. None of us knew the answer. Shortly after, we met a couple of strangers who did know. A fosse is an old English word meaning a long, narrow trench or excavation, often used in a fortification. In the time of Roman occupation, a defence would consist of a mound with a fence on top and a fosse at the base of the mound. The word comes via Old French from the Latin fossa. Please remember that as you will be tested on it later.
Thanks go to Trudy for the pictures and to Beatrice and Tony for the tea and cake.

The Pub

Ray and Olga joined us for lunch at the Harvester at Old Sarum many times. We have eaten there many times before and have always come away satisfied. This time most walkers opted for a small lunch. The two who ordered full main courses couldn’t finish them. It was too darned hot.

Next Week

Meet at Pallinton Lakes at Tincleton at 10am (but it might be wise to check before you set out.).

The Wednesday Walk 7th June 2017

  

The Plan

An Arne walk

Who Turned Up

Jackie, Trudy B, Wendy, Diane and Tony R, David

The Walk

The forecasters promised us blue skies today, but they were only half right. We had blue skies overlaid with dark clouds. And it was windy, but at least it didn’t rain. Oddly, the RSPB car park was full and Jackie had to manoeuvre her car into a questionable parking space, but at least her ploy worked. In the morning, we took a walk down through the village (where the church of St Nicholas dates from 1200) to the shore. Arne village was owned by Shaftsbury Abbey until 1539 when the abbey was dissolved.  By 1894 it had a population of only 123 people. There was a school here, built in 1832, but it had to close in 1922 because of lack of pupils.

After lunch we walked in the opposite direction. The cloud cover was increasing by now and the wind increasing.

Thanks go to Trudy and Diane for the photographs. Thanks also to Jackie for tea and cakes.

Next Week

Meet in Wimborne at 0930 and bring your bus pass.

The Wednesday Walk 31st May 2017

The Plan

A Cranborne walk

Who Turned Up

Wendy, Sue, Trudy H, Ros, Beatrice and Tony H, Diane and Tony R, David

At lunch we were joined by Trisha and Marion

The Walk

My apologies for this being a short write-up. It was a humid day quite unconducive to any lengthy scribing. We parked at our usual spot on Hare Lane. From there we walked along Mill Lane back towards Cranborne. After lunch we took the path to the north of the B3078 and this time we were guided by a navigational app on Diane’s telephone. It worked well and took us back to our cars with no bother. Our thanks to Trudy for the photographs. Also thanks to Beatrice for the tea and biscuits, and to Sue for the very tasty cake.

The Pub

The Sheath of Arrows in Cranborne. Most of the walkser had the lunch time special menu which proved to be of good value. The exception was the pie eater who tried a pie from the main menu. It was well-filled but some of the beef was over-cooked.

Next Week

An Arne walk

The Wednesday Walk 24^th May 2017

The Plan

A Lamb’s Green walk

Who Turned Up

Diane and Tony R, Beatrice and Tony H, Sue, Trudy B, Trudy H, Jackie, Wendy, David

The Walk

We met at Diane and Tony’s in warm sunshine, well-prepared for a summer weather jaunt. The walk began at Merley, took us past the Willett Arms and then onto Willett Road. It’s hard to believe this was a main road before the Wimborne by-pass was constructed. Today, Willett Road is a quiet country lane just about wide enough for one car. The road runs past Merley Hall Farm which is a tranquil nature reserve alongside the River Stour. It’s an area of open grassland and woodland with unmade paths through the woods.

After lunch we returned along the same route and camped in Diane and Tony’s back garden in the warm sunshine. There we enjoyed tea and birthday cake. Many thanks for the tea, Diane… and happy birthday, Tony. And thanks to Trudy for the photograhs.

The Pub

The Lamb’s Green. We’ve eaten here many times before. It was rather quiet there today. Without us the staff would have been idle. The steak and mushroom pie was excellent but, surprisingly, the chicken pie lacked a suitable amount of chicken. Sadly, Diane’s non-alcoholic drink was grossly over-priced. No excuse for that.

Next Week

Meet at Beatrice and Tony’s for a Cranborne walk.

The Wednesday Walk 10th May 2017

The Plan

A Compton Abbas walk

Who Turned Up

Trudy B, Sue, Trisha, Diane and Tony R, David

The Walk

We began the walk in brilliant sunshine at Ashmore village. From there we walked through Shepherd’s Bottom and West Wood to the airfield at Compton Abbas. The walk was a little bit hilly but it was morning and our legs were still in good form. Along the way we saw a sheep seemingly in the early stage of giving birth and we also saw a sheep being examined by a farmer for some sort of head problem.

After lunch we walked across the road to Fontmell Down and took the hillside path with a glorious view of the valley below. We crossed the road into Fontmell Wood and crossed over the road that would have taken us back into Ashmore. A steep climb then took us to… well, that’s a bit uncertain. What is sure is that we somehow by-passed Ashmore and had to backtrack into the village. Happily, the brilliant weather followed us all the way back to our cars.

Our thanks go to Trisha for the freshly baked scones at the end of the walk. Thanks also go to Diane for the tea, jam and clotted cream to accompany the scones, and also the photographs – excellent as usual.

The Lunch

We ate in the restaurant at Compton Abbas airfield. It was surprisingly busy for an eatery so far away from any town. As we sat eating our lunch there was some interesting activity on the landing ground outside. We saw a North American Harvard sitting in the sunlight close by the restaurant. Actually… is it a Harvard, or is it a T6 Texan? Have a look at Diane’s photograph. The RAF called them Harvards but I have a feeling the Americans called them Texans. Either way, it’s a magnificent example of a WW2 training aircraft. If you’ve ever watched the Hollywood film Tora Tora Tora (about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour) you’ll have seen T6 Texans standing in for the Japanese Mitsubishi A6M Zero as there were no Zeros airworthy at that time.

Next Week

We plan on a Studland walk next Wednesday. We will meet at Canford Cliffs at 10.50 in order to catch the number 50 bus at 11.05. It should be a shorter walk than today!