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

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

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

Hail Stones and Big Stick

Date:                    18th February 2021

Weather:            9 °C  Hail  and Sunshine

Destination:     Circular route 

                            Templecombe, Milborne Port, Stourton Caundle, Stalbridge 

Duration:         4 hours very leisurely ride with lots of stops

Distance :         17 miles approx

                             (measured using a piece of  thread and a map)

One of the Girls!

 I thought I had allowed plenty of time to get ready for our trip today,  however I was about five to 10 minutes late meeting JC for the start of our ride due a lack of forward planning on my part.  With temperatures  10°C warmer than the previous week I wasn't wearing a hat,  so had to adjust my helmet straps; there was a quick last minute dash back upstairs to change my socks as  one of the pairs I'd chosen to wear were so thick I couldn't put my boots on;   I had remembered to pre-charge the action camera batteries, but I hadn't actually fitted the camera to my bike;  I had downloaded Map My Ride onto my new phone but hadn't thought about needing to log  in and although my bike was ready by the backdoor already loaded with bike pump, tyre repair kit, tangerines and a bottle of water,  where was I going to store my waterproof trousers for the forecasted hail showers? 

Apologising for being late, we started cycling out of Templecombe towards Bowden.  Infuriatingly and not surprisingly the combination of an uphill climb and changing down from front 2 to 1 gears, resulted in my chain coming off.  (This is becoming such a common occurrence that I really must get it sorted!) Not much further along Bowden Road it started to hail.  With my waterproof trousers stored in my saddle bag I stopped to  retrieve them and put them on, teetering around  as I  endeavoured to quickly get them on over my walking boots.  I was wearing cotton tracksuit bottoms and the prospect of cycling for the next few hours in wet trousers was not very appealing.  JC was more suitably attired in Gore-tex trousers, which are waterproof and breathable. 

Come sunshine or hail!

We cycled on through Bowden and down Wheathill Lane,  not dawdling  at the top of the lane to take in the views over Milborne Port, but instead stopping in the middle of the village to admire a fast flowing River Gascoigne rushing under Rosemary Street, on its way to join the River Yeo, just before Sherborne Lake.  The Yeo  eventually feeds into the River Parrett, which ultimately empties  into Bridgwater Bay and the Bristol Channel.

River Gascoigne, Milborne Port

We crossed over the A30 into Goathill Road, this time cycling over the River Yeo.  At the end of the following clip you can just see the river on the left.

Cycling into Goathill 

 

Fortuitously we found some good excuses to stop en route up the steep hill of Rue Lane .  Our first sighting of new born lambs in 2021 necessitated our first stop.  

Our first sighting of lambs in 2021

A little further up the hill we came across some unusual cattle sporting a white stripe along their backs, our second stop.  Comparing my photos with online images led me to deduce that they are Riggit Galloways, a Scottish breed of  cattle able to live outside all year round and renowned as beef cattle.  

Riggit Galloways

At the top of the hill and along the ridge we found a gap in the trees with a north facing aspect across to Purse Caundle in the distance, another stop.

Normally at the crossroads north of Stourton Caundle we turn left into Stalbridge Road, however my plan this time was to turn right for a quick cycle through the village. We only got as far as St Peter's Church where we stopped for our first refreshment break, sitting in the sun on a wall at the back of the church, before turning back and heading northwards towards Stalbridge. 

St Peter's Church Stourton Caundle

For our next refreshment break we sat on a bench located in a recess in  Stalbridge Park's surrounding wall, with views  towards Bulbarrow on the Dorset Downs.  

View from Barrow Hill over to Bulbarrow

We then cycled down Barrow Hill through Stalbridge crossing over the A357 into Station Road and on towards Gibbs Marsh industrial Estate.  

Cycling into Stalbridge down Barrow Hill

Normally we cut through Henstridge Airfield from Landshire Lane to avoid industrial traffic, but much to our consternation  our route was blocked by a recently erected fence, forcing us to rejoin Landshire Lane.  As we crossed the A30 into Park Lane we lamented the departure of "The Girls."  I tried to find a collective noun for group of alpacas and  somebody online brilliantly suggested  a spittoon of alpacas!   

The Girls

Further along Park Lane we negotiated a long large puddle, disturbing reflections of roadside hedges and a solitary tree.

Cycling through one long puddle Park Lane, Yenston

Approaching Whitchurch Lane  a tall man a little way ahead of us, reached down to hold onto one of his dogs, or so I thought.  Imagine my surprise and concern when he turned around with  a large stick held aloft in his right hand ready to throw in my direction!   Fortunately he spotted me and quickly lowered his arm before I took evasive action.

Our final section involved cycling along the A357 from Yenston to Templecombe,  timing the traffic lights correctly so that I could get some downhill speed  to propel me someway up the following steep incline.  I couldn't risk my chain coming off along a busy road so had to continue in front 2nd gear, knowing it would be difficult to get to the top.    I made it three quarters of the way up and nipped into a small drive where I jumped off my bike and manually changed the front gears down to 1 whilst stationary, then continued on my way. 

Arriving back in Templecombe

Numerous stops added to our journey time this week, but we would not have it another way.   We always like to take in and enjoy our surroundings rather than charging on by.  

Route

 

 

Wildlife and Floods

22^nd January 2021. 

 

After much rain, Thursday promised to stay dry, as we set off for a leisurely, socially distanced cycle ride across the Blackmore Vale, dressed for the cold weather, with hats, gloves and multiple layers of clothing.  
 
This week the circular route I had planned included Yenston, Marhull, Fifehead Magdalene, Kington Magna, Buckhorn Weston and Templecombe.  As much as possible we try to avoid using main roads, or those with heavy traffic, so to avoid  traffic heading towards Gibbs Marsh Industrial Estate we cut across from Marsh Lane, through Henstridge Airfield and onto Landshire Lane. 

As we cycled along Landshire Lane it was evident that the River Cale had breached its banks and the road was flooded.   Not to be thwarted we pressed on, cycling through the flood.
 

Floods in the Blackmore Vale

With very wet feet we had a brief discussion on where to cycle to next.  We had three options.  Continue East, head back towards the A30 or cycle to Stalbridge.   We ruled out the latter option as it would've meant a much longer route with cold wet feet.   As we were deliberating, a couple of cars/vans stopped to say that they didn’t think we’d get through the next flood around the corner heading East towards Fifehead Magdalene.   A car was stranded in the middle of the flood and we were told the water would reach our knees.  

 It is here that the River Stour briefly comes alongside Landshire Lane.  Amazingly the  Cale and Stour rivers do not meet at this point but a bit further south after the Cale has meandered its way past West Mill Lane, near Stalbridge.  The Stour eventually makes its way to Christchurch and out into the sea.

We thought we’d cycle around the corner to see the extent of the flood for ourselves.  Sure enough there was a car stuck in the middle of the flood and as we looked its hazard lights went out.  Our decision made for us, we retraced our tracks and headed back through the airfield and onto the A30.

Surprisingly the River Cale had also spilled out onto the A30, but fortunately for us it did not cover the whole road.  The central line markings were visible, marking our route through.  We slowly cycled along the middle of the A30 holding traffic up as we did so, until we could safely return to side of the road.  Strangely it was near a bend a little way along the road after the flood that a lorry decided to overtake us.  With another lorry coming the other way I stopped pedalling believing I was going to get cut up.  The lorry coming from the opposite direction also slowed down.  Somehow the overtaking lorry managed to pull back in without any incident!  We turned off the A30 as soon as we could and cycled towards Kington Magna.  

All Saint's Church Kington Magna

Although our feet were cold we thought we could last a while longer so we took ourselves up to All Saint’s Church at Kington Magna, for a much deserved rest, tangerine and drink of water.  There are two benches situated either side of the West facing door overlooking the Vale. (The picture above shows the north facing door)  From this vantage point we could see the recently negotiated flooded A30. 

Feeling rejuvenated we decided to head up onto the ridge and then down Hartmoor Hill to Buckhorn Weston.  This is an exhilarating downhill ride, it's just a shame there is a sharp bend at the bottom to slow you down.  Just after the bend there is a newly laid hedge on the left. 

Newly Laid Hedge, Hartmoor Hill, Buckhorn Weston

The next leg of the journey from Buckhorn Weston to  Templecombe again involved us negotiating flood water from the River Cale and adding to the moisture content of our already wet footwear.

It was along this road that a barn owl flew out in front of us.  We would follow it for a little way then it would disappear before coming back out onto the road again.  This happened three times until it disappeared for the last time near Bow Brook.  An absolutely fabulous experience and our second sighting of a barn owl on our cycling travels.  The first sighting a couple of weeks ago occurred on the road from Wincanton to Buckhorn Weston.  A large barn owl flew over a hedge in front of us and in its talons it held a small creature.  We followed in total awe until it veered off towards some buildings.

As we made our way past Bow Brook we met some mutual friends of ours, out for a walk with their 10 month old dog.  We  stopped for a socially distanced chat and a catch up.  As we departed ways a car driving far too fast  around a corner swerved to avoid us cyclists, ploughed its way through the muddy verge on the other side of the road, before swerving  back onto the road to avoid our friends and their dog. A very close shave and a bit of a dampener (excuse the pun) at the end of an incredibly exhilarating bike ride. 

Map with route marked in black.  Dotted line shows route originally planned.