Mileaters walk - Oh we do like to be beside the seaside!
On a blustery Autumnal morning, 10 Mileaters set off from Lodmoor nature reserve and walked out to Weymouth seafront and walked a little way along the esplanade towards Weymouth and as the tide was going out we then walked along the tide line coming back up in front of the Pavilion. Proceeding around the old harbour up to Nothe gardens.
Along the top of Nothe gardens dodging the squirrels even though one tried to get in Celias bag! We stopped for coffee on the sea wall looking out towards Portland which was visible through the mist. Walking onto to the Fort where unfortunately Celia stepped in something nasty!
We walked back around the harbour and along to the Pavilion and walked back along the tide line where Celia was able to clean off her boots in the wet sandy gravel. No treasure was found. We moved up onto the esplanade and walked along to Weymouth tip and took the scenic path through the nature reserve back to our cars and the Spring head pub for a very good lunch even though the service was very slow.
Lesley Pemberton
Mileaters Walk 23 October
Sixteen Mileaters plus 2 dogs were treated to a lovely local walk which surprisingly some had not done before. The sun shone, the mist had lifted and the autumn colours were glowing. Furthermore it didn’t rain, a rare treat in recent weeks.
We set off past the Brewers Arms towards Bradford Peverell and did a six mile circuit and managed to cross the A35 unscathed before returning to the pub for lunch.
Richard Benson
Mileaters V&V Report – October 17th
It’s wonderfully illogical, but many of us still do it. Faced with a bad weather forecast, we scroll through different weather apps on our smartphones until we find a more encouraging forecast. The variety of different daily predictions can at times be puzzling.
But on October 16th every app was extraordinarily unanimous. Rainfall of biblical proportions was on its way, and in due course the deluge arrived. Very wisely, we postponed the mid-October Mileaters walk for 24 hours, and then enjoyed what could have been an entirely different season. We set off from Burton Bradstock, enjoying a blue sky and warm sunshine. Most of us shed our sweaters, whilst wishing we had brought sunglasses, though inevitably we still had to plough through sections of deep and sticky mud.
Making our way inland along the River Bride, we spied another walking group up ahead. Clearly the route had been double booked. Catching up with them – a group of about thirteen women and one solitary male who wistfully told us that this was a gender ratio he had dreamt of in his younger days – they told us they were the West Dorset Ramblers, based in Bridport, and mercifully were ultimately following a different route to us.
Our route took us past Bredy Farm, then up a steady incline towards our coffee stop overlooking the beautiful Dorset coast. Heading back south towards the beach, a flock of hang-gliders soared in the sky just above our heads. Along Chesil Beach, through the caravan park, past Hive Beach, and back down to our cars and a splendid lunch at the Three Horseshoes. What a difference a day made.
David Haslam
Mileaters Walk - Thornecombe Woods
“In the steps of Thomas Hardy”
After several days of heavy rain, 17 Mileaters (and 3 dogs) set out on a cloudy and cold morning, not knowing whether they would be encountering flooded fields and lots of mud. In the event we found quite benign conditions as we crossed water meadows and walked alongside streams. The walk started at the Trumpet Major pub, close to Hardy’s home, Max Gate. We then walked down to cross the River Frome and then across the water meadows to Stinsford and onto Lower Bockhampton. It was interesting to think that Hardy may have walked this same route from his house to visit his mother who was still living in his birthplace in Thorncombe woods at the time.
The walk proceeded on through the woods and we had a coffee stop at the lovely Rushy Pond. We walked past Hardy’s birthplace and then back to Stinsford, where we stopped at the churchyard to look at the Hardy family graves.
It was then back across the meadows to the pub, where we had a convivial lunch, although the calorific intake proved too much for some!
Overall, a most enjoyable walk of 5 1/2 miles, and not too challenging, even though we had variable weather conditions - a mixture of cold winds, showers and some sunny periods.
Mike Beesley
Mileaters Powerstock Walk
We were blessed with terrific walking weather for this 5 mile testing jaunt around the hills above Powerstock. Eight intrepid set off on a walk following some less well trod paths (for “less well trod” read overgrown and not at all clear).
From the Marquis of Lorne we made our way down past the old water mill and straight up the steep side of Powerstock castle. The site of the mott and bailey are still very clear and we learned about it being known as the Winter Palace of King Athelstan (no evidence) and that there were several records of King John being in attendance on many occasions, specifically 25th August 1205 and 8th Sept 1207 using “Poorstock Castle” as a hunting lodge as the area was one of the many deer forests reserved for the king.
From there we walked along the Kings Lane and through “The Bloody Gate” (as in “Close…”) and across the old Dorch to Bridport railway line (see picture), climbing to the hill above the Boden Estate. The rest of the walk was hidden valleys and steep climbs finishing through the picturesque and architecturally intriguing Powerstock. This was a challenging walk and the last hill up to the pub nearly finished us off but I counted them all out and counted them all back again. And all were smiling at the end. We walked for around 2 hours 20 mins plus a 20 min walk and a stop to pet the donkeys… (don`t ask).
Tom Webb
