Farewell to Bert 25th November 2024
What a difference a day makes. The weekend's Storm Bert had moved off east, giving way to a sunny and breezy day as 15 Mileaters and 2 spaniels gathered in the car park of the now closed "Elm Tree" in Langton Herring (with permission, of course).
Our route took us past Higher Farm, stopping for a short examination of an interesting (?) example of Forest Green Marble (from Nailsworth perhaps ?), through Ten Acre Plantation and passing Bagwell Farm Caravan Park. Did our worthy leader then take the wrong lane? Impossible !. "Just testing you" was the muttered response as we then headed, back on course, down to Moonfleet Manor and a muddy stretch of the Coast Path.
As we followed the Coast Path alongside The Fleet, good birding opportunities arrived for those of that inclination (various Gulls, Mute Swans, Brent Geese, Little Egrets and Redshank were spotted, amongst others), before a final ascent past the former Coastguard Cottages returned us to our cars.
A most enjoyable lunch ensued at "The Turks Head" in Chickerell, but a shame that "The Elm Tree" is no longer open for business. Hopefully the community initiatives to purchase the pub will bear fruit.
Nick Priddle.
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
