Sunday 7th February 2016 – First of 2016! on 7th February!
Late start for us this year due to a list of reasons, so we took it easy. Pete M, Rick and Pete T.
MTB’s to Wareham station and off to do a pretty comprehensive circuit of Wareham forest. We did venture off the main drags into some interesting small, but challenging tracks that were first created by a person, or thing that couldn’t keep a straight line. But very entertaining..
We finished with a tour on the tops of the old ‘wall’ around Wareham, and declared the year open.
15 miles, but felt like 20 odd.
Sunday 29th November 2015 – First golf club visited!
Pete 2 and Rick met at Poundbury on a wild and windy Sunday morning. Just to make it interesting, the route started against the wind for the first 6 miles, up to Hardys monument and then down to Abbotsbury. The coastal route from Abbotsbury was followed with a fantastic tail wind and 40 mph was achieved on downhill sections. We travelled up through Cory Yates and onward to Upwey. We all love Upwey hill and at the top, (which was easier to reach than normal due to the tail wind), we followed the track towards the Weymouth road. Over the top of the Weymouth road and onwards. We had to have our stop for snacks and warm drinks . We asked at Came Down golf course if we could sit on a bench outside looking over the hills to the North.” just this once” was a curt response. ( no wonder I don’t like golf!) It rained as we ate our food, we mutually commiserated with some golfers and finally headed off down the hill, and headed towards Winterbourne Monkton, then Martinstown and the climb back to Poundbury.
24.5 miles no incidents
Sunday 22nd November 2015 – To Toller Porcorum
Gmaps ref: 6755071
Tom, Rick and Pete T set off on a pretty chilly but bright morning and headed down through the industrial estate in Dorchester to pick up the cycle way on the A37. We continued to Grimstone and then turned left to Maiden Newton , then up the hill and left at the top to Toller, 10 miles covered well within the first hour! a delightful breakfast of sausage roll, Yum Yums and chocolate biscuit, washed down with a variety of hot drinks whilst sitting in the sun on the eastward facing churchyard.
We then set off up the gradual climb to the top of Eggardon Hill, stopped to admire the views, which we attempted to catch on the photos, then down the Roman road, through Winterbourne abbas to Martinstown and up the final hill to Poundbury. 26 miles, a great morning ride.
Sunday 25th October – Moreton Figure of Eight
Rik and Maccy made for Moreton today for a sun blessed breakfast appointment at the graveside of Lawrence of Arabia. We got there via the Black Hill ridge, a steep decent to Turnerspuddle, over the Piddle to Briantspuddle, a foray along a pretty previously untried bridleway, along Moreton Drive and the obligatory stop at the church to look at the spectacular engraved windows. Returned along the Jubilee trail to Culpeppers Dish then road to Cecily Bridge and home. Lovely.
Sunday 18th October 2015 – Pleasurable Trip to Sturminster!
Pete 2 and Rick set off from PIddletrentide and started up hill on the road to Plush, just to warm us up! Through Mappower then Hazelbury Bryan and the back roads from Hazelbury to Sturminster. 14 Miles covered in a respectable time, we ate pies, Yum Yums and something Pete had made, but forgot to bring the custard. We then discovered it will be difficult to avoid Bulbarrow hill on the return journey, so steeled ourselves, picked up the cycle path towards Blandfold for 2 miles and turned right at the road it first crosses after about 2 miles.
Okeford Fitzpane was next and then the long slow climb up to Bulbarrow summit, we found 40 odd cyclists doing hill climbing competition, but declined their offer to participate. Then it was exhilaration all the way down to Ansty and then Cheselbourne, and back to Piddle. It seemed quite tame on the map, but there was a lot of climbing!- 3000 ft to be precise
29.6 Miles!
Gmaps ref: 6737223
Sunday 11th October 2015 – Swye Head the Long Way
Started from the Springfield leisure centre today, the springboard to a bridleway goose chase. Back on track, and in retrospect, we seemed to have embarked on a morning of continuous accent.
Great views from Stonehill Down, (beware of gate that could amputate a finger or two) and Knowle Hill en-route to Kingston and Swye Head where we watched the atlantic breakers rolling in whilst having our breakfast, sat upon a delightful stone bench at the Heads edge.
Then down to the quarry car park announcing our arrival to a bunch of bedraggled D of E’ers by the screaching of Maccy’s discs.
A few more ups to Whiteways and a final rapid descent down Creech Hill took us back to our start point.
Gmaps ref: 6739633
Sunday 4th October 2015 – Black Hill and Wareham Forest
After days of meticulous thinking about making a plan for today, Maccy led the trio into the mists of Black Hill and Wareham Forest following a 60 second planning meeting at Shitterton.
We made it up as we went along and it felt strangely liberating to be set free from the constraints of knowing where we were going, although given our previous track records, one would concede that nothing much had changed!
There was an eerie silence surrounding the myriad dew covered cobwebs that lined our route; wherever we looked there was a spectacle of gossamer craft.
So, over Black Hill to Throop and Turnerspuddle, past the chicken farm and down Warren Road took us to the edge of Wareham Forest and the obligatory accent up to Woolsbarrow Hill Fort where we breakfasted on Pete’s sausage roll, Rik’s imaginary yum yums, and Maccy’s cranberry gin.
Exit Hill to Bere Regis.
Sunday 6th September 2015 – End of Summer BBQ
Full peleton turned out for this great event!
Armed with a variety of meat products, we set off from Cattistock and headed uphill to Evershot, across the A37 and a quick left turn to pick up the road that took us to Chetnole, then Yetminster,here we headed towards Halstock by picking up the cycle way, crossing back across the A37 and taking the high road through Closworth and down the steep hill to Halstock. A great hour in Petes paddock saw some really impressive alfresco cooking, using Petes super speedy charcoal BBQ!
It was then back up the hill a right at the top on cycle route 26 ; we then followed the road to Rampisham and onwards to Cattistock.
24 miles, a good mixture of hills, food and company
Sunday 20th September 2015 – Poundbury to Abbotsbury circuit on MTBs
Gmaps ref: 6717866
Pete2 set off from Poundbury on MTBs objective to keep Off road as much as possible on the route. First the old Poundbury allotment leads to a permissive path under the A35 and onto a dedicated route towards Maiden castle. We didn’t get to Maiden Castle, turning off towards Martinstown along cycle route 2. From Martinstown we headed towards Winterborne Abbas and took the trail up to meet the Hardy statue road. We left the road into the wooded area just below Hardy. We then headed back towards Abbotsbury and took the Coastal path along the high ridge. We were blessed with fantastic views on this clear and sunny morning. We found a bench half way along the ridge , had a bit of grub and took in the view. Once this was done, it was road down through Abbotsbury , the Swannery road took us the quiet way to Coryates and Upwey hill, at the top , we took the track to the Weymouth road and the cycle way into Dorch and Poundbury. 28 miles, 2500 ft of climbing and about 1/3 of the route off road. ( half the time)
Sunday 30th August 2015 – To the Woods via Holme Bridge and Wareham.
None of us, (Petes x 2) + Rik = Peleton, had been out much over the past little while so we took an easy, (knackering), short, (27miles off road) outing from Bere to Wareham and back: Out via Bere Heath, Cuckoo Pound and the Golf Club, past Buddens and the quarry and down to Stoborough via Holme Bridge, (a grade II listed building), using a stretch of previously unexplored bridleway. Then onto Wareham quay for breakfast and lovely views of the wildlife.
Back home through the forest, great all weather trails.
We were all a tad weary at the end!!
Cycle Dorset and Wiltshire 