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

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 

Constable and Gillingham

 Date                 4th March 2021

Destination     Gillingham Town Bridge and Parnham Mill

Distance         21 miles

Duration         4 hours 15 minutes. 

Weather         6C. Overcast and damp

Inspired by John Constable's paintings of scenes in and around Gillingham in the early 19th Century, our mission today was to cycle to Gillingham Bridge and Purn's Mill, (also known as Perne's Mill or Parham Mill).   Having stumbled upon   Visit Dorset's - Gillingham: A Walking Trail  online, we also hoped to visit some other town landmarks.

We set off  from Templecombe across the north western part of the Blackmore Vale  towards Buckhorn Weston, climbing up Hartmoor Hill to the top of the limestone ridge.  We headed down the other side along Westbrook Road cutting across to Harpitts Lane via  Folly Lane.  Further downhill as Harpitts Lane becomes  Nation Road we found ourselves cycling alongside the River Stour.   

Even though it meant adding another mile to our journey and  Eccliffe was part of our ride last week, we decided on a  detour.   Constable had sketched Eccliffe Mill in 1820,  we therefore felt it had to be included in our Constable themed bike ride.  

Eccliffe Mill

Rejoining our planned route we cycled under the main London Waterloo to Exeter St David's Railway line, continuing our way along Common Mead Lane.  Unwittingly we cycled past the setting for Constable's "The Entrance to Gillingham",  which depicts a view from Common Mead Lane across to St Mary's Church. We turned right into Wyke Road,  negotiated traffic lights at the junction of B3092 and B3081  and headed straight across the junction into the old part of town.

Here we referenced   "Gillingham A Walking Trail" and en route to Gillingham Bridge we looked at the Old Town Lock Up,  Rorty Crankle's two door bells,  the buildings for Gillingham's first bank and Slade Department Store,  Gillingham's oldest pub (Phoenix Inn) and Gillingham Free School, before making our way along the High Street to Gillingham Bridge. 

Shreen Water and Gillingham Bridge

 I'm not sure how much of Gillingham Bridge Constable would recognise today.  The Western part of the bridge depicted in Constable's painting is obscured by a footpath bridge and one of the arches on the eastern side (shown above) of the bridge is also obscured.  A commemorative plaque identifies the bridge as that painted by John Constable in 1823.

Gillingham is a three rivers town.  Shreen Water flows under Gillingham Bridge and through Gillingham Town Meadow, joining the River Stour just before Waitrose.

River Shreen joining River Stour in Gillingham

The  River Lodden  flows past the  eastern side of the town and joins the River Stour south of Gillingham between Eccliffe and Madjeston.  

Perne's Mill is located on the northern edge of Gillingham.  Leaving the town centre we cycled northwards up the B3092 and turned right towards Colesbrook and left into Purns Mill Lane towards Shreen Water. 

Approach to Perne's Mill

 Unfortunately the mill Constable painted in 1823  burnt down and in 1825  a new mill was built,  bearing little resemblance to the original mill.   

Perne's Mill

Leaving Colesbrook we again headed north on B3092 turning left into Kendall Lane and on to  Milton on Stour.  After crossing the River Stour we found ourselves crossing over another body of water,  a River Stour tributary.  Unfortunately I have not been able to discover a name for this headstream.  

Turning right into Field Lane we cycled steadily uphill crossing over the B3081 and on towards Cucklington where we had  a much later than anticipated refreshment break with views over  the Blackmore Vale.

View from Cucklington Bench

Feeling reasonably refreshed (as much as you can be after cycling seventeen miles!) we headed on down School Hill  and into the Blackmore Vale.  Cycling along  Marsh Lane (one of many in the Blackmore Vale)  we noticed a well set back from the road near Marsh Court.  Amazingly this is the first time we'd noticed the well even though we have cycled past it often over the last few years.

Well,  Marsh Lane near Cucklington

On our way back to Templecombe we crossed over the River Cale at Abbey Ford Bridge.  In the early 13th century the Abbess of Shaftesbury gave permission to build a bridge over the river, thus replacing the ford.  Victoria History Somerset Volume vii

Abbey Ford Bridge, Temple Lane

Another long but fascinating and interesting ride.  A veritable voyage of discovery, which will only be truly completed on viewing original Constable paintings of Gillingham and its environs.  

Route

Oldest Tree in Dorset and Bike Issues

Destination:           Wyndham's Oak Tree, Silton, Dorset.                     

Date:                       3rd February 2021

Distance :               20 miles circular route.                        

Duration:                3 and 3/4 hours!

Wyndham Oak Tree, Silton, Dorset

Trying to operate my action camera when it was situated on my helmet proved to be difficult last week and resulted in videos taken when I hadn't intended to and vice versa.  Before we set off on our long bike ride today, I therefore fixed  the action camera to my handle bars.  Having the camera in front of me meant I soon worked out that I had to press the video or photo button twice in order for any images to be taken.  Once to activate the camera and the second time to take a video/shot.  

Within the first few minutes of setting off we stopped at the side of Temple Lane to chat to a bird watcher with a large telescope pointed towards an expanse of water in the middle of a large field.  We were intrigued to find out what species of bird he was observing.

In the distance resting on the water was a flock of about 200 lapwings,  also known as peewits because of the sound they make. The twitcher was also hoping for a sight of  a Merlin, a small bird of prey, which had recently been sighted in the area.  If seen this would have added to his tally of 104 species of bird spotted in and around Templecombe so far.  

After a very interesting conversation we continued on our way towards Buckhorn Weston and started our climb up Hartmoor Hill.  As I changed from front gear 2 to 1, my chain came off, forcing me to stop, take my water bottle out of it's holder and my gel seat cover off the saddle, turn the bike upside down and put the chain back on.  A task I've had to do a few times over the last four years as this seems to be a common occurrence when shifting between front 2 and 1 gears at the beginning of a hill.

Bike Repair

After replacing the chain we decided to walk up Hartmoor Hill, noticing celandines flowering in the hedgerow, a sign that spring is just around the corner.  There are some interesting facts about Celandine on the following web page.   

https://www.plantlife.org.uk/uk/discover-wild-plants-nature/plant-fungi-species/lesser-celandine

Calendine in the hedgerow on Hartmoor Hill

Remounting our bikes, we continued our journey, turning right at the top of Hartmoor Hill,  then heading briefly south before turning left into Westbrook Road.  The gentle descent towards Gillingham gave us  some lovely views out towards Duncliffe Woods and Shaftesbury.

View of Duncliffe Woods from Westbrook Road

Cycling over  the main railway line from London Waterloo to Exeter St David's we catch a glimpse of Sandley Tunnel.   Please click on the following link for some very interesting stories and facts about the building of and repair to Sandley Tunnel and trying to travel through the tunnel without being overcome by fumes! 

https://www.dorsetlife.co.uk/2009/12/150-years-of-the-railway-in-gillingham/

View of Sandley Tunnel from Westbrook Road

We cycled onwards, crossing over the B3081 from Dry Lane into Cherry Orchard Lane, and headed towards Milton on Stour, turning left into Pierston Fields, before the main part of the village.  The last time we came along this route we missed the left turning into Pierston Fields and ended up adding an extra leg to the journey, mainly because we we were distracted by  a lovely wooden framed front door porch, with floor to ceiling glass windows, and a solid wooden table with full log baskets situated underneath.  

Bushes Hill

Pierston Fields becomes Bushes Hill on the approach to Silton.  The above video shows the current state of Bushes Hill, after recent heavy rainfall has caused water to rush off the fields downhill, leaving damage and mud behind. I have also since noted that I need to set the correct date on my camera.

Once again my chain came off on the uphill climb whilst  changing down from front 2 to 1.   On turning my bike over we were asked if we needed any help by two passing cyclists.  We assured them we were fine, only to regret our reply as soon as I found out that two chain links had become wedged between cogs 1 and 2.  Using sticks and stones to try and knock the links free did not work. In the four years that we have been cycling this has only happened once before when cycling through Milborne Port.  That time, however we were able to release the links using a stone. 

As we contemplated our options of either walking 10 miles back to Templecombe or ringing for assistance, we spotted two women walking from the opposite direction and about to enter a farmhouse.  I called out and managed to attract the  attention of one of them before she went inside.  Keeping our distance, I explained our predicament and asked if they had a screwdriver available.  

The farmer's wife promptly returned with a choice of a flat head or Phillips screwdriver.  I chose the flat head but soon realised that a hammer was required instead.  This very helpful lady rememerged from the farmhouse with a hammer and a big, tall, cylindrical tub of wipes.  JC in the meantime continued to prop up the front of my bike to prevent it resting on my new camera (an early birthday present) and mirror (a Christmas present from my son). The farmer's wife stood at the rear of the bike  and whilst she pulled the chain backwards,  I used the hammer to dislodge the chain links, working on one at a time.  The links freed,  I quickly put the chain back on the bike.  The farmer's wife then offered me a wipe for my oil covered hands ,  I wasn't really expecting it to work imagining them to have the same efficacy of household or baby wipes.  I was absolutely amazed to find these industrial wipes quickly removed any traces of oil from my hands. 

Thanking the farmer's wife, JC and I were relieved to be back on our way and quickly turned off into St Nicholas' Church car park, cycling through a copse and then across a field towards Judge Wyndham's Oak Tree. We sat on a log at the base of the oldest tree in Dorset  for a very short refreshment break,   We were now slightly concerned about getting back in time before it got dark. 

Looking out from inside Dorset's oldest tree

On our way again, but this time feeling more tired than rejuvenated after our break, we made our way to Bourton passing under the A303 and then out again over the A303 on the West Bourton Road.  I have since noticed that we could have avoided Bourton altogether if we'd taken a short cut along Grimsey Lane.  I shall remember this alternative route for another time.

Approach to Cucklington

From here it is a long steady climb up all the way up to the ridge just before Cucklington.  The video above shows the approach to a favourite stopping place of ours, the bench overlooking the Blackmore Vale at Cucklington.  (Although I removed the label of the lens on the camera, there is obviously another label on the water proof casing which I shall remove for our next ride!) We again stopped very briefly for a rest and to admire the views before we moved on.  

From here we cycled down School Hill from Cucklington, turning left at the bottom of the hill into Long Lane. To us it always feels a couple of degrees colder on this hill than elsewhere,  maybe it's a combination of being continually in the shade of overhanging trees and the lack of effort required when freewheeling downhill. 

Approaching dusk we were cycling along the road from Wincanton to Buckhorn Weston when a big barn owl flew up from the nearside verge just in front of us. We believe it to be the same one we saw a few weeks ago.  I spent so much time trying to activate the camera that frustratingly I only got a glimpse of it before it flew over the hedge and away!  JC noticed that it had another small creature in its talons.  Over the years we have always found this particular stretch of road our least favourite to cycle along.  Maybe it's the fast traffic or the fact it isn't a single track road,  we're not quite sure of the reason why, but we're always much happier when we've turned off this unnamed road  The sighting of the barn owl recently however, has now made this part of the journey a lot more interesting, we shall always be on the look out for a special sighting of a large very white barn owl.

On the final leg of our journey along Temple Lane as the sun was setting and the sky was awash with a multitude of colours, we noticed the lapwings were in flight, so stopped to observe them.  They were wheeling around en masse over the water, their white breasts flashing silver by the setting sun, as they changed direction like an extremely fast Mexican wave. 

We arrived back in Templecombe at 5 15pm just as it was about to get dark.  Another eventful, exciting and fantastic bike ride.

The whole ride is aptly summarised in JC's journal entry for the day.  I've included a photo of it below as it encapsulates the trip in a very creative and colourful way.  

JC's journal entry for 3rd February 2021