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

Goats and Shadows

Date                  25th February 2021

Destination         Duncliffe Woods

Distance            22 miles 

Duration          4 hours with lots of stops.

Weather         11 °C. Sunshine

After last weeks disorganised start I was ready and waiting for JC this time, with everything charged, adjusted, mounted and stored in preparation for our longest ride to date.    

We set off from Templecombe in an easterly direction towards Buckhorn Weston, pausing briefly on crossing the River Cale.  Water levels appeared to be much lower than we'd seen in previous weeks. 

  

River Cale

 "I'm the king of the castle get down you dirty rascal." came to mind on seeing Billy Goat Gruff perched on top of a staircase,  his smaller friend on a much lower level.   Various goats  of different sizes were to be found amidst all sorts of paraphernalia, located in a field solely for their entertainment .  The friendly owner on hearing his dog bark and seeing us looking at his goats came out to chat to us and explained how he had acquired the animals and his future plans for them.

Billy Goat Gruff and one of his friends

Continuing on our way it wasn't too long before we were crossing  the A30 at Bowden and heading towards Fifehead Magdalen, a small hamlet situated on a hilltop overlooking the River Stour.

Crossing over the A30 at Bowden near Gillingham

Previously whenever we have visited  Fifehead Magdalen we have always sat on a grass verge at the top of Fifehead Hill,  that is until we found a much better place to take a break .  The wall to the south of St Mary Magdalen Church offers a much more practical seating arrangement with wonderful views, thus it is here that we rested awhile.

Perfect spot for a break.  

Feeling rejuvenated we continued downhill  crossing the Stour at Trill Bridge.  According to an article in Dorset Echo (Dorset Echo Trill Bridge) Trill Bridge was badly damaged by a large lorry laden with steel girders in June 2018.  It must have taken sometime to remove the lorry and presumably also to repair Trill Bridge.   The Stour  continues on its way around the southern edge of Fifehead Magdalen before turning south to be  joined by the River Cale, Bibbern Brook and River Lydden to the west of Marhull.   

River Stour, Trill Bridge, Todber

Not much further on from Trill bridge we joined the B3092, heading south for few hundred yards before turning left into Shave Lane.

With Duncliffe Woods in sight we cycled towards  Stour Row, stopping en route  to look at an unusual group of buildings.  The main residence and all of its outbuildings were all very colourfully painted.  

Two of the colourful outbuildings

Just before Stour Row we turned left,  making our way up to Duncliffe woods, via Hawkers Lane,  named not because travelling sales people used to come and sell their wares but  because a farm situated on the lane was owned in 1664 by Robert Hawker.   Stour Village History

Duncliffe woods from the other side of the vale

Only half way though our journey with ten miles still to cycle we pressed on along Scotcheney Lane and  Scotcheney Hill crossing back over the A30 at East Stour.  We then found a bench along Witch Lane for our 2nd refreshment break.  It is possible that Wych Elms grew here, hence the name.  Although there is a story of a witch living in East Stour in  "Dorset up Along and Down Along"  or check out the following podcast Alfred Daily   Listen at 21:28 minutes.

Not exactly sure of our route we took a wrong turning at the end of Folly Lane, turning left instead of right.  We soon realised the error of our ways and understood we were possibly not the first to have made a similar wrong turning given the clearly visible signage.

Wrong turning leading to a dead end

Back on track we made our way to Eccliffe Mill, now a private residence.   The River Stour, already joined further upstream by the River Lodden and Shreen Water, divides into two at Eccliffe Mill.  Part of the river passes under the mill whilst the rest of the water is diverted  through a channel and around Eccliffe Mill, with both bodies of water joining forces again further downstream.  

Water diverted around the disused mill

Leaving Eccliffe we made our way steadily up hill along Nations Road and Harpitt Lane. Nearing the top of the hill we paused to listen to a large flock of starlings  roosting above us, hoping they might start murmurating.  Conscious that I wasn't ideally positioned, my decision to move on was made very quickly when my action camera and crossbar bag were suddenly splattered from above.

We walked up the rest of Harpitt Lane,  mounting our bikes at the top of the hill to continue cycling on towards Buckhorn Weston.  As we travelled westwards for the last few miles, I pulled my helmet down as much as I could to shield my eyes from the sun, which was by now very low in the sky.    

We were very lucky with the weather for our ride today.  The sun shone the whole time creating shadowy patterns en route, an inspiration last year for my Christmas present from JC.  A beautiful handmade rug which now has pride of place in my lounge in front of my wood burner.

Handmade Rug  by JC

Inspired by shadows 

When JC and I started cycling we were rather unfit and could only cope with much shorter rides of about six to ten miles.  Over time we have built our fitness up and today we managed twenty two miles making   it from one side of the Blackmore Vale to Duncliffe Woods on the other side and back again, quite an achievement compared to four years ago.

 

Route