CTC Ride Blandford and Winterborne Tomson

CTC ride Blandford to Winterborne Tomson

We cycled from home to Wimborne Recreation Ground where we met up with the rest of the group before setting off for Blandford and coffee at Cafe 65. We take our usual route to Blandford along the back lanes through Cowgrove, Shapwick and Langton Long before arriving at Blandford Forum. We meet up with some other members at the cafe and the chat begins. It is during this break that Derek asks me if I will lead the ride next week which initially amuses me but then terrifies me as I realise I could be responsible for a group of cyclists going missing in deepest Dorset!! I say I'll think about it.

Anyway on with the ride and the rumour of a bit of a 'mother in law' climb (it keeps going on) to wet or dampen our appetites dependent on your view of hills. We head out past Bryanston and Bryanston school which is the old school of Ben Fogle, Cerys Matthews, Terence and Jasper Conran Lucien Freud and Phil de Glanville to name but a few. The road from here is a steady climb virtually all the way to Winterborne Stickland, evidently the Stickland bit is derived from the old English 'sticol' which means steep!

From here we continue our tour of the Winterborne's going through Winterborne Whitechurch and Winterborne Kingston before arriving at Winterborne Tomson and its Norman church.

Approaching the church

St Andrews

Interior towards the altar

looking to the rear - pews and gallery

St Andrews at Winterborne Tomson is a very rare example of a Norman single cell church and has been beautifully restored, it's well worth a visit.

After lunch we drag ourselves away from this glorious piece of Dorset and ride on towards Bere Regis which  featured in several novels of Thomas Hardy, most notably, Tess of the D'Urbervilles. The village was portrayed as 'Kingsbere' and the D'Urberville family was based on the Turberville Family of Bere Regis.

From here we turn east towards Bloxworth and our route to home via Whitfield and West Morden before, much to the dismay of some in our number, the climb at Dullar Lane! After this we head to Sturminster Marshall to catch the last of this seasons charity tea rooms at the village hall. 

While here it crossed my mind that it is possible to go to the pub, have a couple of beers and Sunday lunch and then cross the car park for a cream tea. Now there's an interesting idea!

After tea and cake we head for home which takes us back to Wimborne where the group splits and goodbyes until next time are said after another enjoyable day in the saddle. 

Oh, by the way I did agree to lead next week's ride but not before I had engaged Dave Bs assistance. 

So next Sunday if you hear tell of missing cyclists last seen leaving Wimborne ............................................!

CTC Thursday ride West Wellow to Stockbridge

CTC Thursday ride West Wellow to Stockbridge

Carlo's

We're on holiday so no work and we can join the Thursday group for a ride starting at Carlo's in West Wellow. So we load the bikes onto the car and drive out to the meet where there are just 7 of us out today. A quick word about Carlo's, the ice cream business started in West Wellow in 1945 but the Italian family run business can trace its roots back to London in the early 1900's. However, today is not a day for ice creams so we quick start it with coffee and toasted tea cakes before heading off along the lanes of Hampshire.

We head off up the Test Valley skirting the western edge of Romsey and it is about 12 miles into the ride I remember to switch on Strava so hence the gap on the accompanying map! We head out via Braishfield, the villages main claim being this is where the TV series Worzel Gummage was filmed.

Richard Cromwell

From here through Pucknall and Standon bypassing the more historically interesting village of Hursley. In the 12th Century Hursley was  home to the Bishop of Winchester until 1552 when it was surrendered to Edward VI. In 1643 the manor became the home of Oliver Cromwell's son Richard and after Oliver Cromwell's death in 1658 Richard became Lord protector so it could be claimed that Hursley was once the country seat of the ruler of England.

Onwards to the Cat 4 climb at Farley Mount and lunch on the hill top. Here there is a memorial to a horse (see photo) famous for surviving a fall into a chalk pit before going on to win at one of the local races. The view from the top today is shrouded in mist but on a fine day there are views across three counties.

Memorial at Farley Mount

View through the mist

Inscription

Lillies tea rooms

After a quick lunch, it's too cold to hang around we ride on to Stockbridge for a coffee at Lillies Tea Rooms. Stockbridge has a long history and the town was given the right to hold a market before 1190 in the reign of Richard I, reviewed and confirmed in 1200 and extended to an annual three day fair by Henry VIII.

As in the 12th century, the town consists almost wholly of one long wide street and it is to this characteristic that it owed its early name of Le Street. Stockbridge grew and prospered as an unincorporated mesne borough before the coming of the plague which left Stockbridge almost deserted and the poverty of the remaining inhabitants was so great that the market which had been confirmed to the town by  was discontinued.

Back now to Lillies Tea Rooms which of course are named after one of the towns most famous residents the mistress of Edward VII Miss Lillie Langtry.

Ready for tea

Stockbridges wide street

Mottisfont Abbey

From Stockbridge we follow the Test Valley back towards West Wellow but on the opposite side of the river from our journey out. We pass through Houghton and onto Mottisfont and past the entrance to the Abbey. Mottisfont is now owned by the National Trust and has been in existence since 1201 when the first Abbey was built by the Augustinian Canons.



From Mottisfont it is a gentle ride back via Awbridge to West Wellow where we load bikes back onto cars and head for home just as the rain starts to fall.

Kevin in 'new' retro jersey!

The group

Kathy

Hay Tour for the Tour of Britain

No ride for us this weekend as we are in Devon visiting Kathy's parents but as they live on the edge of Dartmoor and the Tour of Britain is also visiting it seems rude not to go and watch.

We decide to find ourselves a position at Hay Tour and use the excellent park and ride they have set up with the proceeds going to the local mountain rescue team, so worthy cause also supported! We decide not to use the bus and get some exercise by hiking over the moor to Hay Tor. This brings Kathy to invent the wonderful slogan of "We climbed a Tor to see the Tour".

We sit up on the top of the hill and have our lunch before moving down and getting a position right on the barriers at the 100m to the finish point. What a great atmosphere it's almost like one of the Tour de France mountain stages there are 1000's of people here today, it's brilliant!

Having soaked up the atmosphere, listened to the race commentary and been given a Devon flag to wave we wait eagerly for the arrival of the race. What a great finish, perhaps if I practice a bit more I can go uphill that fast, its good to dream.

But we've seen some of our heroes including Sir Brad and Cav so all in all  a great day out, so what next? Well, we have our accommodation booked in Yorkshire for next year!

CTC ride to Tolpuddle

CTC West Holme and Tolpuddle

Lawrence on Brough

We meet at Merley Bridge on once again a slightly overcast day, with the promise of rain later and head off for West Holme via our usual route. At the garden centre we find that no-one else has come to coffee to join us which is unusual but perhaps the weather forecast has put people off. However, we enjoy our coffee and chat while also deciding what to do for the second part of the ride. Kathy is not feeling so good so decides to head home with David and Doreen leaving me to join up with Derek, Bob Chitt, Dave W and Jim Mac to continue onwards to Tolpuddle. From West Holme we head west following the Frome river valley through East Stoke, Wool, Bovington Camp and up to Clouds Hill. On the way to clouds hill the home of TE Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) we pass the point where he had his fatal motorbike accident riding his famous Brough Superior SS100.

Memorial stone

Clouds Hill

From here we continue on through Briantspuddle and Affpuddle to Tolpuddle where we sit under the shelter and have our lunch. Tolpuddle of course is now mostly remembered for the Tolpuddle Martyrs a group of 19th century Dorset agricultural labourers who were arrested for and convicted of swearing a secret oath as members of the Friendly Society of Agricultural Labourers. This is seen as many as the birth of the modern trades union movement a fact celebrated every year at the Tolpuddle Martyrs Festival and Rally. We decide to decamp to the Martyrs Inn as the shelter is decidedly draughty and a hot coffee beckons!

Shelter at the site of the Martyrs tree

Martyrs Inn

After lunch it's time to head for home and by the time we get to Bere Regis the promised rain still has not arrived and we push on back to Wareham where Bob invites us to his place for a cup of tea. As we sit in Bobs conservatory discussing his upcoming trip to South africa the rain arrives announcing it's arrival by loudly drumming on the roof. We hang around for a while in the vain hope that the rain will clear but it is obvious that it is here to stay, at least for the foreseeable future!! So its on with the rain capes and brave the elements as we all head for home. At the Bakers Arms the dual carriageway is closed due to a serious RTA so between here and Creekmoor we ride along passing miles of stationary cars. I might be wet but at least I'm moving.

I finally get home doing my best impersonation of a drowned rat, wash off my bike and rejoin Kathy who is looking very smug as she sits in the warm and dry!

CTC ride to Martin and Sixpenny Handley

CTC ride to Martin and Sixpenny Handley

We meet up with everyone at Wimborne Recreation Ground and cycle out under grey threatening skies towards our coffee stop at Cranborne by way of Gaunts Common, Remedy Oak, Horton, Woodlands and Edmondsham. Edmondsham is famous for the gardens at Edmondsham House  which is a splendid Tudor Manor House (1589) with Georgian wings and Victorian service buildings, including a fine set of stables and an octagonal dairy. 

Village pump

Edmondsham House.

Another unique feature of the village is its village pump which bears the date 1884 and an inscription  ‘HEM’ in reference to Hector Edmond Monro who was the squire at that time.






At Cranborne we meet up with a few others and enjoy a leisurely coffee and chat before continuing on towards Martin and lunch. The route to Martin takes us via Damerham which as well as being the location of notable Neolithic and Bronze Age Barrows,  was an important Anglo-Saxon manor mentioned in the will of Alfred the Great. By the time of the Domesday Book of 1086, Damerham was a major settlement in the possession of Glastonbury Abbey. 

River Allen Damerham

St Georges Church Damerham

Leaving Damerham behind we head for Martin where we plan to take lunch at the churchyard in the shelter of the porch. Unfortunately the porch is locked but we find shelter under the trees and eat our sandwiches and chat about which way to head next.

Wimborne St Giles Village Hall

We decide to head out via Tidpit and Blagdon Wood which according to Strava is a Cat 4 climb, all I can tell you is that it is close to 1.5 miles of climbing with percentages that get into double figures at times! From here we loop back to Cranborne and then on to Sixpenny Handley steadily climbing most of the way through Sixpenny and on to Dean End where we turn south and enjoy the descent. We pass through the Gussage's and on to Wimborne St Giles and the village hall where there is, over the summer months, a charity tea rooms. The tea and cakes are delicious and portions to keep even the hungriest of cyclists happy!

From here we head back to Wimborne via Knowlton, Horton and Witchampton having enjoyed another great day out in good company exploring the lanes and villages of Dorset and Hampshire.

CTC ride to Whitsbury via Alderholt

Firstly an apology for there being no accompanying map or details for this entry. This was due to a technical hitch or maybe operator error with Stava this ride. So when it comes to the distance and the climbs you'll just have to trust me!!

The ride was down to start at Moyles Court the other side of Ringwood so Kathy and I set off at 0800 to give us plenty of time to cycle the 14 miles to the meet point. The mornings are definitely starting to feel a little chilly if not autumnal so arm warmers and a second layer was the order of the day. We cycled to Ringwood via the now wonderfully resurfaced Matchams lane and met up with Derek at Ringwood and cycled together to Moyles Court. Surprisingly we were only joined by three other members but I suppose Moyles Court is not the usual meeting point but it does make a pleasant change.

We enjoyed an uneventful run through the forest to Alderholt going via Ibsley and Ibsley Bridge on our way passing a series of gravel pits which is all that remains now of the WW2 RAF and USAAF base at Ibsley. The base operated between 1941 ans 1947 and was primarily a home to fighter squadrons. The American 1st, 48th and 367th fighter groups all spent time here flying Lockhead P38 Lightnings and Republic P47 Thunderbolts on sorties from the base. As today is the last day of the Bournemouth Air Festival it seems right to remember the brave men who flew these planes and lost there lives. One can only imagine what it must have been like to live in this part of Hampshire and be able to watch the aircraft in the skies above.

Old control tower

P38 Lightning

P47 Thunderbolt

Onwards via Harbridge and North End to our coffee destination the Sticky Bun at Alderholt where our numbers are swelled considerably by riders who have made there own way to coffee.

After coffee the group splits into two those of us who want to do the hillier route and those that don't - guess which group was smallest?

So off we go with  the smaller group and double back to fordingbridge and detour to Stuckton and then left up the climb through Winnals Wood to rejoin the Southampton Road and on past Sandy Balls (why does that always make me snigger? - school boy humour I guess!) and on to the Fighting Cocks where we turn left to find donkeys queuing to get into the village hall and waiting for the bus.

Is it bingo today?

Am I too early to use my bus pass?

From here we choose to take the climb up Castle Hill and are rewarded with the stunning view at the top before descending into Woodgreen and on past the mill at Breamore where we cross the main Salisbury road for Breamore village.

view from Castle Hill

.......... and the view back to the hill

 We cycle past the entrance for Breamore House which was completed in 1583, five years before the Spanish Armada and looks today much as it would have done to its’ original owners. From here we climb out of Breamore and onto Whitsbury for lunch. Lunch is at the church and to reach it requires the negotiation of a long gravelly track. However, the views from the churchyard are magnificent especially in this late summer sunshine.

on the road to Whitsbury

Lunch stop Whitsbury Church

View across the valley

After lunch the group splits again with the vast majority heading back towards Wimborne it leaves Derek,  Kathy and I to head back to Ringwood and then on to home. On the way home we cycle past Hurn Airport and watch the RAF Blades display team do a quick impromptu display before landing and watch a Spitfire take off to go and do its display at Bournemouth. I must admit we had chased home hoping to see the Vulcan bomber but unfortunately like my Strava app it was grounded due to technical problems.

The Blades

 We arrive home 56 miles later having enjoyed another amazing days cycling in great company, what could be better - well we could have seen (and heard) the Vulcan I suppose!