Purse Caundle and Refurbished Bike

Date:             29th April 2021

Destination: Purse Caundle  and Milborne Port

Distance:     15.24 Miles

Duration:     3 hours 19 minutes

Weather:     11 degrees daily sunny clouded over for last hour

Date:         29th April

With a new rear derailleur, bike chain, front sprockets and rear sprockets, I was back on my own bike for our ride to Purse Caundle this week.  Thanks must go to DK who spent some considerable time sorting it all out for me.  I was advised though that there was still some fine tuning to do, but that my bike would be okay for our journey today.

Replaced bike parts.

Setting off south along Templecombe High Street I noticed my rear tyre was a little flat so we stopped to enable me to pump it up.  This proved to be a very sociable time with two friends stopping for a chat, one was about to catch the 58 bus and the other was out dog walking.  

Tyre fully inflated, we remounted our bikes and continued south towards Yenston.  There is an overgrown cycle path adjacent to Yenston Hill (a single track road), which we would have been forced to take had  traffic lights at the foot of the hill changed to red on our approach.  Fortunately for us the lights turned green for the two cars in front of us, enabling us to use our downhill speed to cycle past the overgrown section before joining the path further up the hill and before the traffic lights changed.   

At Yenston we turned left down Whitchurch lane, left again into Park Lane and then across the A30 towards Marsh Lane and Henstridge Marsh.  Two right turns later and we were heading west and climbing steadily up Landshire Lane.   The following clip pans round from King Alfred's Tower  to Duncliffe Woods and was shot near the top of Landshire Lane, 

View from top half of Landshire Lane

At the top of Landshire Lane we turned right and headed towards the A30.  At the T junction we turned left and cycled along the A30 for a short distance before turning left to Purse Caundle.   

Cycling along the A30

Headwaters from Bishops Caundle, Stourton Caundle and  Caundle Marsh all feed into the Stour, therefore these villages are situated in the Blackmore Vale.    However, streams from around Purse Caundle end up in the Yeo, so effectively Purse Caundle is not located within the Blackmore Vale.  

We rested awhile on a bench set in an hamstone alcove near St Peter's Church, Purse Caundle. On the wall behind us an inscription read, " Remember these who died for right, 1914- 1919."  Above it a list of  four men from the village who had died in the 1st World War.

  

Suitably refreshed we continued on our way and after  a couple of right turns we were cycling along Goathill Road in the opposite direction to the one we normally do.  In the following clip you can just see the blue haze of bluebells as we cycled past.

Goathill Road.

At Goathill  a small hamlet south of Milborne Port, we cycled over the river Yeo, flowing westwards towards Sherborne and Yeovil.

River Yeo, Goathill

On arriving at Milborne Port we took a right along Golding's Lane.  JC had never been around the "back" of Milborne Port so this made a change.  Brook Street was next, then a quick dash across the A30 into Station Road.  Milborne Port's train station located slightly north of the village closed in 1966, the former railway buildings are now in private residential use.  

Golding's Lane, Brook Street, Milborne Port

Instead of heading north, we turned  right into Wheathill Lane.  There has been some development along the lower part of the lane in recent years.  The garden nursery/centre has disappeared and houses have been built in its place.

At the top of Wheathill Lane we stopped and sat on the benches overlooking Milborne Port.  

Wheathill Lane, Milborne Port

After a final rest we headed along Bowden Lane and Road back into Templecombe.

Interestingly, having watched and listened to my videos of the ride I've noticed my bike is a lot quieter than it has been for a long time.  The gears still clunked sometimes when changing and sometimes it was difficult to change down,  but some fine tuning should sort this out.   

Our route today today took us along some roads and to places we'd never cycled to or along before.  It is always great to visit new places and interesting to travel along a road in the opposite direction to usual, as this gives one a totally different perspective.

Route 29th April 2021

Cucklington and Higher Langham

Date:           22nd April 2021

Destination: Cucklington

Distance: 15.42 Miles

Duration: 3 hours 

Weather: 14°C Sunny

DK's bike with my accessories.

With my bike still off the road awaiting a rear derailleur, front sprockets, rear sprocket and chain refit,  I was riding DK's bike today.  (pictured above)  Neither wishing to ride too far with an unfamiliar bike nor  feeling  energetic enough to consider a 20+ mile ride,  we decided to head straight to Cucklington and realise last week's thwarted destination. 

From Templecombe we headed east and after three miles turned left towards Wincanton.  A little further on we turned right into Marsh Lane. 

Although we have cycled along Marsh Lane near Cucklington, many times in the last four and a half years we only spotted the water pump at the roadside earlier this year on our Constable and Gillingham Ride.  This time we wanted to test the pump out to see if it worked, so made it our first stop of the afternoon.   Unfortunately we weren't able to produce a single drop of water.  

Marsh Lane Water Pump

We walked up School Hill, Cucklington, remounting our bikes as we approached Babwell Road.   The "white houses" of Cucklington are very noticeable from the other side of the Blackmore Vale and are located along Babwell Road.  The following clip was taken from behind the "White Houses."

Behind the "White Houses" Babwell Lane, Cucklington

At the end of Babwell Road we stopped to look at an old laundry washing trough.  Unfortunately I didn't take any photos of it on this ride, but did subsequently find out that it is actually called, not surprisingly Bab Well, named after St Barbara. It has medieval origins and is Grade II Listed.  A picture of the trough can be found on the following link.Bab Well - Historic England. 

According to British History Online - Cucklington "St Barbara is depicted in 15th-century stained glass in the parish church."  This will need investigating on a future ride to Cucklington, when lockdown restrictions have been lifted and St Lawrence Church is open to the public again.

St Lawrence Church, Cucklington 

(Photo January 2021)

From Bab Well we cycled up the last part of the hill and as we reached the top we were pleased to note our favourite bench with far reaching views over the Blackmore Vale was free.  We sat there for some considerable time.  Long enough to see  a couple park their car go for a walk and return, two other cyclists arrive and sit on the other bench and set off again and two young men drive up, get out and sit on the fence further along from us for a smoke.  Having monopolised this bench for long enough we thought we ought to finally make a move.  

On our bikes once more, we took an immediate left, cycling up to the top of the ridge where we then headed  southwards.  A short distance later we turned left into Moor Lane.  It was here last week that one of my spokes got stuck in my rear derailleur and hence the reason I'm on DK's bike today.  Turning right we cycled through Higher Langham.  The following clip was taken on the approach to Higher Langham House built in 1770 and a Grade II Listed Building.  Historic England

Higher Langham House

Missing two right turns, which would've meant a shorter ride, we ended up at the T-Junction with Westbrook Road, where we turned right and cycled over Bugley Bridge.  From here it was  steady uphill ride back to the top of the scarp, at which point we turned left and cycled past  Gillingham Town Youth Football Club grounds and then left again for a fast ride down Hartmoor Hill. 

Sandley Tunnel from Bugley Bridge

At the bottom of Hartmoor Hill we turned right for the short ride to  Buckhorn Weston,  where we turned left just before The Stapleton Arms and headed back across the Blackmore Vale towards Templecombe.

To think of a 15 mile bike ride as a short ride would have been unimaginable nearly 5 years ago.  We very much took "baby steps"  when we first started riding together, with distances of approximately six miles the norm.   We gradually built up our fitness over the years to the point where we can now manage journeys of 20 plus miles.  

A slow ride today on a glorious sunny day, we still managed to find a road or two we hadn't cycled before, unearth some interesting facts and of course we had the added bonus that both bikes survived the trip. 

Route 22nd April 2021

Murder and Derailleur

Destination: Kington Magna and Cucklington

Distance: 12.94 miles

Duration: 3 hours 24 minutes

Date: 15th April 2021

Weather : 10°C mostly cloudy 

After the previous weeks very long afternoon loading bikes on and off cars for our ride along the North Dorset Trailway,  we decided not to travel too far,  aiming for Kington Magna and Cucklington on the other side of the River Cale section of the Blackmore Vale.

Within four miles we had ridden over and  under the London Waterloo to Exeter main railway line.  The following clip shows us cycling under Buckhorn Weston Railway bridge.

Cycling under the main London Waterloo to Exeter Railway

Buckhorn Weston

On our way to Kington Magna we of course had to stop and say hello to Billy Goat Gruff and his friends. Goats and Shadows Post    They eventually made their way over to us and munched on some fresh grass we held out for them. We couldn't resist stroking them either.   I had hoped their owner would come out so I could question him about the Bere Marsh Farm goats mentioned in my North Dorset Trailway Post and whether he had acquired any of them, but unfortunately he didn't appear.

Billy and his friends

Halfway up Church Hill, Kington Magna, we pushed our bikes up the steps and through the gate to All Saints Church.  We were rewarded with the sight of an heron, which disturbed by our approach, flew away from the medieval fish pond situated below the church.    You can just see the heron in the bottom right hand corner of the frame at the end of the following clip.  

All Saint's Church, Kington Magna

Whilst we had our break, we glimpsed the heron once more, returning for a brief moment before heading off again, seemingly disconcerted that we were still there.

At the top of Church Hill we turned left hoping to make our way to Cucklington.

As we passed the end of Moor Lane/ Langham Road, (to Gillingham,) we noted that it appeared to be closed to traffic.  We decided on  an unplanned detour to see how far we could get, but were thwarted at the outset in our efforts.  First of all my bike chain came off.  Then on setting off again one of the spokes got caught in my rear derailleur.   

Oily Hands

The following photo shows the rear derailleur just touching the spoke after I had disengaged the two.

The road was closed because of the recent murder of a millionaire living near to Gillingham, so it was probably just as well we were forced to turn back.  

 My rear bike wheel still rotated, so  I coasted downhill and on the flat I  used the bike like a scooter with my left foot on the left pedal and my right foot pushing off from the road.  This was very exhausting, so I then thought I'd try pedalling the bike very slowly, which although noisy, seemed to work well enough for the rest of the slow journey back to Templecombe.  JC likened the noise my bike made to the sound of  cigarette sweet cards, which when pegged onto bike frames,   would flick between the spokes of the turning wheels.  (In the 1970's you were able to buy cigarettes in sweet form and inside the packet were trading cards .)

Noisy broken bike

In four and a half years of cycling,  the only bike issue we've had to deal with is my chain coming off, yet within a matter of a couple of weeks we have had to limp home twice.  Once because of a flat tyre and this time because of  a bent rear derailleur.  We are hoping that there is nothing in the saying "these things come in threes!"  In the meantime my bike is in urgent need of repair and a rear derailleur will shortly be added to the list of parts (front sprockets, rear sprockets and chain.)  to be fitted to my bike.  DK Bike Services is going to be very busy! 

Route 15th April 2021

North Dorset Trailway

Destination:  North Dorset Trailway

Date:            8th April 2021

Distance:     19.97 Miles 

Duration:     3 hours 38 minutes (including breaks)

Weather:        8°C sunny intervals

North Dorset Trailway

We arranged to meet at 1 30pm as usual but with bikes loaded onto cars ready to drive in convoy to Sturminster Newton to cycle along the North Dorset Trailway from Sturminster Newton to Blandford Forum and back, with a small detour to Child Okeford.

Station Road Pay and Display Car Park, Barnes Close is the nearest car park to the entrance of the Trailway in Sturminster Newton.    We parked our cars and armed with change made our way to the ticket machine, expecting to have to pay £3 to £4 each.  Charges apply from 9am until 3pm, and as it was 2pm we only had to pay 70p each for an hours parking.  The tickets were then valid until 9am the following day. 

Sturminster Newton Trailway Entrance, Station Road Car Park

We unloaded our bikes from our cars and prepared them for the journey,  various saddle and crossbar bags, a gel seat cover, an action camera, snacks and water bottles were loaded onto our "steeds" before we finally set off on our cycle ride, forty minutes after having left Templecombe.  

Our ride coincided with the school Easter Holidays, various walkers, joggers, cyclists, dogs  and families were out making the most of the good weather at the beginning of our trip, although further away from town the Trailway was not so busy.  (The above photo was taken at approx 6pm after we had finished our ride, when it was much quieter.) 

It wasn't long before we cycled over the River Stour for the first of several times today.

River Stour

Just before Shillingstone at the top of Newman's Drove there used to be a small herd of goats at Bere Marsh Farm, we were disappointed to find they had disappeared.   Apparently the Countryside Restoration Trust bought the farm in 2020.  Countryside Restoration Trust  Their aim is for the farm to become a "national  showcase for its holistic fusion of sustainable, traditional farming methods, habitat restoration and a dedicated education programmed focused around the importance of food provenance."   Lamenting the loss of the herd of goats, I wondered if any of Billy Goat Gruff's companions, mentioned in a previous post Goats and Shadows, originated from Bere Marsh Farm? 

At the end of Newman's Drove we turned left leaving the Trailway behind and cycled over the Stour to Child Okeford. We continued until the end of Station Road before returning back to the Trailway.  With several miles still to ride we decided not to cycle around  the whole of the village, we'll save that for another day.

River Stour, Hayward's Lane 

Rejoining the Trailway at Bere Marsh it did not take us long to cover the  short distance to Shillingstone Train Station.  North Dorset Railway  Previously the station platform was part of the Trailway, this however has now been blocked off and the Trailway path rerouted lower down behind the platform, presumably this work was carried out to stop people from entering the station without paying.

Platform at Shillingstone Train Station

At Gains Cross we turned left onto Hodway Lane and immediately right to take us back onto the trailway.  The video clip below shows the beautiful views from the bridleway across to Hod Hill.  A right turn at the fingerpost takes you to Blandford Forest.  

Gains Cross Intersection with Bridleway

From Gains Cross it wasn't long before we met the River Stour again, crossing it for the third time on our bike ride so far.

River Stour flowing under Stourpaine Trailway Bridge

On the outskirts of Stourpaine we cycled past the Village Hall and turned right at the junction of Havelins with Manor Road.  We paused near the end of Manor Road to admire a beautiful Lychgate at the entrance to Holy Trinity church, both are Grade II Listed.  We also chatted to a new local resident busy fixing fencing to his gate to prevent his two dogs from escaping onto the road.  Had we spent time in the graveyard and church we may have come across a late 17th century memorial dedicated to Rev John Straight, which was erected whilst he was still alive!  Dorset Life - Stourpaine.

Holy Trinity Church and Lychgate, Stourpaine

On our approach to Blandford Forum not far from Stourpaine we looked down onto the A350 before eventually cycling under it and up into Blandford.   The following photo shows traffic joining the A357 from the A350,  Durweston is pictured in the background

A357 junction with A350 and Durweston

Our journey south along the North Dorset Trailway  finished  at Station Court Car Park at the top of Damory Court Street in Blandford Forum.  We then  crossed Wimborne  Road cycled through Marks & Spencer's car park and sat on bench at Langton Meadows overlooking  the River Stour and on the opposite bank, Stour Meadows.

Arrival at Langton Meadows.

Refreshed  it was time to head back the way we came  cycling first over the Wimborne Road/Damory Court Street Junction.  

Langton Road, Damory Court Street and Wimborne Road Junction

Just as we were approaching Station Car Park and the Blandford entrance to the North Dorset Trailway my chain came off.  Prior to DK making adjustments and repairs to my bike a few weeks ago this was a regular weekly occurrence, so it came as a surprise when it happened today.  New bike sprockets have now arrived and hopefully once they and the new bike chain have been fitted I'll no longer have any problems.  Fingers crossed. 

Bike Chain coming off

With my action camera and rear view mirror standing proud of my handlebars,  JC came to my assistance and  propped up the front of my upturned bike whilst I remounted the chain.  My hands covered in oil  we cycled through the carpark and set off along the Trailway for our return leg.

Trailway Entrance, Blandford Forum

We cycled back through Stourpaine over the river Stour and stopped on our approach to Shillingstone to admire  the Big Yellow Bus Garden, a Community Health and Wellbeing Space .   Big Yellow Garden Project Facebook Page   We could see some wonderful new willow structures, a  pond, various seedlings and many other projects.

Big Yellow Bus Community Garden Project,  Shillingstone

Between Shillingstone and Surminster Newton we spotted a small group of trees,  their roots exposed by floodwater.  We turned round to get a closer look and also to take some photos.    JC  is often inspired by patterns and I'm looking forward to seeing how these roots will manifest themselves in a future piece of art work.

Exposed Roots

We arrived back in Sturminster at 5 40pm,  the car park practically empty.  There were only three cars left, two of which were our own.  The next twenty minutes were spent removing any loose items from our bikes and placing these in our cars and then loading and securing our bikes onto our cars. We drove back into Templecombe five hours after we had originally set off, full of happy memories.  

The Trailway is a wonderful facility "providing a safe route for walkers, runners, cyclists, equestrians and people with mobility scooters."  North Dorset Trailway   It would be wonderful if it could be extended further north to link Wincanton at the northern edge of the Blackmore Vale with Blandford Forum in the south.

Now that lockdown restrictions have eased slightly it was great to be able to travel further afield and cycle around another part of the Blackmore Vale.   We plan to explore more of the southern reaches of the Blackmore Vale again in the near future.    

Maperton and Blowout

 

Destination:       Charlton Horethorne and Maperton

Distance:         AK 19.59 miles

                         JC 16.59 miles

Duration:         4 hours and 9 minutes

Date:                 1st April 2021

Temperature:     13°C to 15°C partly cloudy, sunny intervals

Record breaking temperatures of 24°C  were recorded in the UK on 30th March, however by 1st April we had temperatures much closer to average for our ride to Maperton via Milborne Port, Milborne Wick and Charlton Horethorne. 

Our journey started in a westerly direction through Templecombe Recreation Ground and onto Bowden Road.  The top of "The Rec" affords views across the Blackmore Vale to King Alfred's Tower and Duncliffe Woods.  The following photo was taken earlier in the week, whilst we were experiencing unusually high temperatures.

Templecombe Recreation Ground.

We cycled through the small hamlet of Bowden and a little while later paused at the top of Wheathill Lane to look down on Milborne Port.  A landlocked village, the name "port" was added in 1249  and refers to its important status as a "mint town" rather than to any connections with the sea.

Milborne Port from Wheathill Lane

We cycled over Station Road, into Cold Harbour and along Pope's Lane then turned right into Paddock Walk.  At the end of Paddock Walk the road forks into two: Wick Road and Higher Kingsbury.  We took the right fork  through Kingsbury, noting the presence of a royal crown on a farm sign.   Milborne Manor (Kingsbury Regis Manor) was a royal demesne for 500 years from 1066 until it passed into private hands in the sixteenth century.   British History - Milborne Port

At the end of Higher Kingsbury we turned right and cycled over the River Gascoigne on Lower Kingsbury and then rejoined Station Road further along from where we had originally crossed it.

Bridges over River Gascoigne,

 Higher Kingsbury, Milborne Port

Out of the three roads that travel northwards from Milborne Port,  Station Road is by far the busiest.  Keen to travel on a quieter road I decided on a detour to Milborne Wick, taking in the mill pond which is very popular with ducks and further downstream an old water mill. 

Milborne Wick Water Mill

Before heading up Wick Hill out of the village, I cycled  around the centre triangle in the middle of Milborne Wick at least twice to ensure I captured a video clip without a local car pulling into a drive.  JC following me at the time wondered which direction I was intending to go and  decided after the first pass to wait for me to finish my circumnavigations around the island.

Cycling around the centre of Milborne Wick

We rejoined Station Road for a second time at the end of which we turned right onto B3145.  Cycling into Charlton Horethorne, we passed the Primary School, St Peter and Paul's Church and the King's Arms before turning left just before the village shop into North Road.

 

Cycling through the centre of Charlton Horethorne

Along North Road we came across an Easter display housed in a Victorian Water House.

Charlton Horethorne Easter Display

At the fork we turned right onto Maperton Road.  We enjoyed cycling along this quiet, undulating, picturesque  road for just over two miles.  Arriving at Maperton we paused at a disused water fountain located in a wall surrounding Maperton House and grounds.  Had we known beforehand that Maperton had gained a reputation in the mid 18th Century for being a Somerset version of Gretna Green, we'd have made the effort to visit St Peter & St Paul's Church,  the local church located behind the Manor House.  Britain Express - Maperton

Disused Water Fountain, Maperton

On our way to North Cheriton we couldn't resist stopping to look at some new born lambs and their mothers.  Their owner was in the process of treating one of the lambs and when she had finished she came over to chat to us.   A practising vet, she hopes to also start spinning and selling wool from  her own sheep. 

We crossed over the  B3145 and cycled through North Cheriton and onto the A357.  We decided to stop at North Cheriton Cemetery Chapel on Blackacre Hill.  I've driven past this Grade II Listed building many times over the last 25 plus years but have never actually taken the time to stop and look around.

The graveyard is supposedly haunted by the ghost of a soldier who fought at the Battle of Sedgemoor near Bridgewater. One of Monmouth's supporters, he escaped capture but was run to earth  by Royalists and killed where the cemetery now stands.  North Cheriton Cemetery Ghost - GeoCache  At 4pm in the afternoon we did not hear of or see any ghostly apparition,  between midnight and dawn is reportedly the "optimum"  time!

North Cheriton Cemetery Chapel

After cycling along a small section of the A357 we turned left and coasted downhill through South Cheriton and onto Batchpool Lane. 

Copse, Batchpool Lane

With just under  five miles from Templecombe I heard a loud bang just behind me.  In quick succession: I looked over my right shoulder, shouted out to see if JC was okay and quickly stopped at the side of the road.   Although April Fool's Day this was no joke.  JC had had a blow out.   Fortunately there weren't any cars passing us at the time and JC had managed to stay upright.

JC's rear tyre was completely flat.  For years I have kept a canister of instant repair spray in my saddle bag and a small pump.  It was time to put the canister to good use.  

Bike Repair Sealant Canister

I read the instructions, noted that it was only suitable for sealing small holes and hoped for the best.  Application was straightforward.  I screwed the end onto the tyre valve and depressed a button.  The contents of the canister were then emptied into the inner tube.  We rotated the wheel round to evenly spread the sealant and then proceeded to pump the tyre up.  It seemed to be taking some time but was gradually filling up with air albeit very slowly.  Then we noticed sealant leaking from the tyre and on closer inspection discovered a large tear.   

Sealant leaking out of flat tyre

Unable to repair a large tear, JC arranged to be picked up.  In the meantime we started walking back to Templecombe.  A passing VW shouted out asking if we were okay. We shouted out an affirmative reply.   I had visions of us and our bikes being transported back to Templecombe in the back of a pick up as not one but two pick up trucks sped by.  Unfortunately neither of them stopped.   

One and a half miles later the cavalry arrived.  Transport sorted for JC, I remounted my bike and pedalled the last three miles back to Templecombe on my own.   A little further down Temple Lane a smiling JC whizzed by, waving heartily from a car window.

Recently an idiom from American golfer Walter Hagen's 1960's Autobiography came to mind, which aptly sums up our bike rides.  "Don't hurry. Don't worry. And be sure to smell the flowers along the way."  JC and I always find time to "smell the roses".  Nothing fazes us and if either of us ever finds anything remotely interesting we nearly always stop to investigate. 

Route 1st April 2021

Physicwell and Horn

Date:             25th March 2021 

Destination:   Stoke Trister and Cucklington 

Distance:     17.06 miles

Duration:     3 Hours

Weather:        12 °C sunny intervals

Blackmore Vale from Beech Lane by A303

After last weeks epic 23 mile ride JC requested a much shorter ride today, so I decided we would head across to Cucklington, but with an added little detour to Stoke Trister thrown in. 

The first three miles of our journey along Temple Lane and Gigg Lane always pass by very quickly as JC and I usually have a weeks worth of catching up to do, although we did pause briefly to listen yet again to the crows nesting near Gigg Lane Railway Bridge. 

At the end of Gigg Lane we turned left and travelled north towards Wincanton.   Cycling along we tried to work out which field we had emerged from on a very interesting ride a few years ago. We had attempted to cycle along the disused railway from Templecombe to Wincanton.  We soon realised the route did not really exist! What was to be a bike ride turned into an exhausting obstacle course, involving nettles, bramble, many gates, fences and fields of bullocks.  That was a ride we shall not be repeating or likely to ever forget! 

Just before Moor Lane Sports Ground we turned right into Common Road and right again into Shaftesbury Lane.  We stopped next to a converted chapel and as we were discussing the property, a lady popped out from behind the bushes.  The owner had overheard us chatting about her house and had pondered whether to remain hidden or show herself.  Fortunately, we had been nothing but very complementary!   The owner explained about the existence of a spring now called Physic Well"  "a Holy Well or Sacred Spring that treated a variety of disorders including asthma, scurvy, bilious conditions, scrofula, erysipelas and diarrhoea" The Megalithic Portal - Physic Well 

Physic Well Chapel

Horwood Spa, later renamed Physic House and situated next to the converted chapel, was developed between 1800 and 1809. "A two storey limestone villa was built over the spring with a sunken bath and a chapel, stable and dormitories were available for patients. The forgotten spas and mineral springs of south-east Somerset by R. D. Mather and H. C. Prudden 

In 1819 the Messiter family business went bankrupt and the Horwood Spa buildings passed into private ownership. 

Physic House and Pyhsic Chapel lie south west of Coneygore Hill.  Further along Shaftesbury Lane we saw a couple walking up the hill and I commented to JC that this would be a great walk to do for my wedding anniversary the following day.  The resulting video below was indeed taken from the summit of Coneygore Hill the next day and pans round from Cucklington  to Wincanton.  The Dorset Downs can be seen in the distance and the A303 can be seen and unfortunately heard south west of Wincanton.

The Blackmore Vale from Coneygore Hill

We cycled around Coneygore Hill turning left at the end of Shaftesbury Lane and left again onto Bayford Lane to Stoke Trister, a picturesque little village  situated on the south eastern slope of Coneygore Hill and thus shielded from the constant hum of the A303. 

Stoke Trister

We cycled over the summit of the ridge and down towards St Andrew's Church accompanied by far reaching views over to King Alfred's Tower on Kingsettle Hill.  Unfortunately there is no escaping the A303 traffic noise here.

St Andrew's Church Stoke Trister, Kingsettle Hill in the distance.

 

We turned around from St Andrew's Church, retraced our way back through Stoke Trister and took a left along Beech Lane, the end of which runs parallel to the A303.  Driving along the A303 east to west you get a fleeting glimpse of the Blackmore Vale, the same view can be seen from Beech Lane, albeit from slightly lower down. 

View of the Blackmore Vale from just below the A303

Concerned we might end up on the slip road to the A303 we paused at the end of Beech Lane to get our bearings.  We turned right onto the B3081 and right again to stay on this road. A left turn at this point would’ve seen us cycling onto the A303.

Wherever possible we avoid cycling on main roads, with no margin for error one has to concentrate on keeping close to the edge of the road, strong gusts of winds made this more difficult today.  We were relieved to turn right into Tinker's Lane and away from a busy road.

Right again and we were soon overlooking St Lawrence’s Church, Cucklington, the sun momentarily disappearing behind a cloud, resulting in a rather dark  photo. A little further on and we were sitting on our favourite bench at Cucklington eating our fruit and looking out once more over the Blackmore Vale.

St Lawrence’s Church Cucklington

We decided to head back along the top of the limestone ridge, spotting a couple of large Staddle Stones on the way back.  JC informed me that these were used to support granaries to keep the grain off the ground and away from vermin.  There is a fine example of a Dovecote/Granary set upon Staddle stones  on the corner of  Dry Lane and B3081 on the edge of Gillingham, Dorset.  We cycled past Dry Lane's Dovecote/Granary on 3rd February on our way Wyndham's Oak Tree, next time we'll stop for a closer look.

Staddle Stone

Pausing at the top of Gigg Lane Railway Bridge we waved to the driver of the approaching 4:29pm train from Templecombe to London and received a horn blast in return and another as the train emerged from underneath us.  With big smiles on our faces, I was reminded of the 1968 BBC dramatisation of E. Nesbitt’s “The Railway Children”  and the children waving to passing trains. I wish I had kept my camera recording on top of the bridge. 

Gigg Lane Railway Bridge

Interesting to note that my chain did not come off my bike at all during this or our previous ride. Thanks must go to DK, who spent some time working on my gears, adjusting the limit screws on the derailleur and straightening a couple of chainrings to ensure a smoother transition .   Compounding the issue is a bike chain that has stretched considerably over the last six years, so I now have a new chain waiting to be fixed to my bike.  Going for a further upgrade my bike will soon have new front and rear sprockets too, although they have yet to arrive.  The biggest sprocket at the rear of the bike  will have six extra teeth, which should make it easier for me to cycle uphill. I will keep you posted.

New bike chain and chain gauge

 

With lockdown gradually easing,  we shall soon be permitted to travel further afield and now JC has acquired a bike carrier we hope from time to time to venture forth into the southern reaches of the Blackmore Vale,  travelling to a start point in different vehicles.   

JC's recently acquired bike rack

With glorious weather today it was great to be out and about. Towards the end of the ride and with the sun lower in the sky I was reminded of my lap top cushion pictured below, a Christmas present from JC a few years ago.  The design of the cushion was based on sunlight flickering through trees during one of our bike rides.

Lap top Cushion, made by JC

Our Route 

Hardy and Marlott

Date:             18th March 2021

Destination:  Marnhull 

Duration:     4 hours

Distance:      22.9 miles

Weather:      10 °C Partly Cloudy 

With much better weather forecast today's route was one I had originally planned to cycle the previous week but had postponed because of poor weather conditions.  Marlott (Marnhull) is referred to in Thomas Hardy's novel Tess of the D'Urbervilles, as is the Pure Drop Inn, (The Crown) and Rollivers (The Blackmore Vale Inn). These were our main destinations today.

Heading east from Templecombe towards Buckhorn Weston we paused briefly on Gigg Lane Railway Bridge to listen to and watch a murder of crows squawking noisily to each other.

Crows nests adjacent to Gigg Lane Railway Bridge

From Kington Magna there are three roads from the vale up to the ridge, Barton Hill, Church Hill and Chapel Hill.  The latter was our chosen route today.  Half way up I  spotted a couple of beacons which I thought may have been used in 2012, a year that saw the UK celebrate  the Queen's Diamond Jubilee and host the London Olympics. We stopped by a dilapidated gate to take a closer look, only to discover to my disappointment that they were phone masts.  The masts are only just visible in the background of the following photo.

Chapel Hill, Kington Magna

At the top of Chapel Hill we turned right and then made our way south across the A30 to Fifehead Magdalene, where we made a very short detour to sit atop a wall at St Mary Magdalene Church for a break.

St Mary Magdalene Church,  Fifehead Magdalen

After eating our fruit we wandered around the graveyard and discovered a lovely view east towards  Duncliffe Woods.

Duncliffe Woods from St Mary Magdalene Church

Back on our bikes we cycled down Fifehead Hill for the very first time.  We have cycled up this hill often (or should I say cycled and walked) but never in the opposite direction.  This made for a pleasant change.  At the bottom of the hill we turned left into Mill Lane, crossing over the River Stour before heading up into Marhull.

River Stour, Mill Lane, Marnhull

On turning left into Burton Street we spotted a "spittoon" of llamas which we felt necessitated closer inspection.  Unfortunately we were unable to get any nearer so abandoned our quest and headed for The Blackmore Vale Inn or Rolliver's as it is referred to in Tess of the D'Urbervilles.

Rolliver's, Marlott

Photos taken we once more set off and now with St Gregory's church spire in sight we pedalled up Church Hill and turned left towards  the Crown Inn.  (The Pure Drop Inn in Tess of the D'Urbervilles.) 

Pure Drop Inn, Marlott

Our next destination was King's Mill south west of Marnhull.  We turned round and cycled along New Street towards Cox Hill and a very fast descent which saw me reaching speeds of 30mph.

Cox Hill, Marnhull

At the bottom of Cox Hill, we stopped at  King's Mill, a redundant water powered corn mill. Built in the early 19th Century, it is now a Grade II Listed building, "which retains a good collection of historic machinery, with features and fittings which illustrate the milling process from start to finish." British Listed Buildings - King's Mill

King's Mill, Marnhull

There is much of interest at the bottom of Cox Hill.  Downstream from King's Mill is King's Mill Bridge,  built in 1823 and another Grade II listed building. An inscription on the bridge warns people of the risk of transportation for life if the bridge were to be damaged!  The River Lydden joins the River Stour south of King's Mill Bridge and with the River Cale having joined the Stour a little further up stream this area is prone to flooding.

King's Mill Bridge, Marnhull

Transportation for Life Sign on King's Mill Bridge

River Lydden joining the River Stour, King's Mill

 Having finished looking at all the wonderful sights we cycled over the bridge and up King's Mill Road turning  right into Lower Road  towards Stalbridge, cutting along Jarvis Way to Station Road and then down towards Gibbs Marsh Trading Estate.  

Normally from Landshire Lane we head towards the A30 crossing over to join Park Lane and then onto Yenston.  This week however I wanted to avoid the stretch of main road from Yenston to Templecombe because of the steep hill on the approach to Templecombe.  At the end of a very long ride we both find this hill a struggle and a little dangerous.  The fear is that if one of us were to stop on the ascent we could end up bumping into or under a passing car. 

Instead we continued along Marsh Lane this time taking a left turn towards Henstridge and what a gem this stretch of road turned out to be.  Tucked away behind the main drag, free from industrial estate traffic it was peaceful and pretty.

Marsh Lane, Henstridge

Continuing in our efforts to avoid  approaching Templecombe from the south and aiming instead to arrive from the west we cycled through Henstridge turning right onto the A357 at the Bird in Hand Pub and then left onto the A30. Unfortunately neither of us had anticipated the long hill out of Henstridge which at this late stage in our journey turned out to be rather hard work.

We took the first right into Bowden Road towards Henstridge Bowden.  Another lovely stretch of road, parts of which are on a ridge flanked with mature trees, with views both to the east and west.

As well as avoiding the hill at Yenston there was another reason for arriving at Templecombe from the west,  a wonderful long downhill ride along Bowden Road.  We could coast along and relax in the knowledge that no more effort was required for the remainder of our journey.  

At the end of our longest ride to date JC looked as exhausted as I felt. Culturally and historically, a fascinating ride with wonderful views to boot.