Saturday, 16th September 2023. Poole to Dorchester. 56 kms.

    We cycled from Poole to Dorchester (56 kms) today. We were a bit worried before we left, because it's quite a long ride into unknown territory, but it turned out to be a nice trip. There was some gravel, but it was mostly tarred quiet back roads, with very little traffic.

   Route: Poole - Sandbanks Ferry Point - Ferry - Studland Bay - Stoborough - West Holme - Wool - Moreton - Woodsford - Dorchester ( Premier Inn, Pope Street).

   Being Saturday, there were a lot of local cyclists on the route.

   Dorchester is smaller, cleaner and more spacious than all the previous towns. Not far from our hotel , we came across an ancient prehistoric site called The Maumbury Rings. It is a place where a Henge was built, about 4500 years ago during the Iron Age presumably as a fort. If you think about it, that means it is as old as the Great Pyramids.

    It was later adapted by the Romans as a central meeting place, and used for entertainment and market facilities.

   Tomorrow we cycle to Weymouth, which is a small beach side town which used to be a popular holiday destination before the era of cheap flights to the Mediterranean. It is still a busy port where one can catch a ferry to France and Spain.

   

   

   

   

      

   

   

                                                                Maumbury Rings.

   

                                                             Maumbury Rings.

Friday, 15th September 2023. Poole and Upton Park.

    Today was another rest day. We just relaxed in the morning and then went for a long walk along the inlet to Upton Park, which has a lot of bird life and an old estate which has a lovely walled garden. There's nothing like a walled garden!

   We've noticed a lot of people of all ages riding E-Bikes. It makes a lot of sense here with such a lot of slow moving cars on the roads and parking spaces in short supply.

   I've been alternating drinking Lucozade, Coke and Iced Coffee on the long rides, in order to keep my energy levels up. I would normally only drink water, but the glucose helps with all the extra exercise. My preference is the Iced Coffee. 

   

Thursday, 14th September 2023. Around Sandbanks and Boscombe. 35 kms.

    We had a slow start to the day, and then went shopping and then for a ride to the Sandbanks Ferry Point.

    The houses along the peninsular are very fancy and the location is really beautiful.   

    We cycled back along the long promenade, back to Boscombe Pier, and then turned around and headed back to the hotel. It's so much easier to go riding when you don't have anything in the panniers.

    It was a nice easy 35 kms today.

   

Wednesday, 13th September 2023. Brockenhurst to Poole. 55 kms.

    Route Today:   Brockenhurst - Thorney Hill - Christchurch - Wick - Westbourne - Sandbanks - Premier Inn Poole.

   We left the Thatched Cottage Hotel in Brockenhurst and continued through the New Forest - lots of leafy dells, horses and pretty scenery.

   Then we came out to the coast and an interesting route through the beachside suburbs and along the Promenade to Sandbanks and then Poole.

   Sandbanks is said to have the most expensive concentration of real estate in England.

   The weather was perfect - cool and cloudy and 21 centigrade. We still seem to be picking up more of a tan even though it's pretty cloudy and not hot. We didn't bring any sunscreen with us, so we will have to buy some.

   We always watch the BBC Breakfast show on the TV in the mornings, and amazingly we learn today that 2000 people have died in the Moroccan earthquake, and now 20 000 people have died in floods in Libya. 

   We were both glad of the two day rest in Poole. For some reason we're both feeling a little tired.

   We did 55 kms today.

    

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

Tuesday, 12th September, 2023. Gosport to Brockenhurst 47 kms.

    Route today: Gosport - Warsash - Netley - Woolston - Ferry to Hythe - Dibden - Beaulieu Road Station - Brockenhurst - Thatched Cottage.

   Very nice weather and a very pleasant and varied ride today ( 47 kms ), which included two ferry rides to get across the water. The route sent us off-road through the forested area which slowed us down a bit. The New Forest area is truly beautiful though.

   Brockenhurst is in the New Forest, which is a "protected area of natural beauty". There are lots of wild horses.

   The Thatched Cottage Hotel is quaint and comfortable. They specialise in producing craft gin on the premises, and we had to try it. It was most delicious and has inspired me to drink more gin. Maybe I'll build a small gin still when I get back to Perth.

   

   

   

    

 

   

   

                    The Royal Victoria Chapel in Netley, which was converted to a Hospital during the First World War and used to treat wounded soldiers during both Great Wars.

   

    

   

      

   

Monday, 11th September 2023. Chichester to Gosport. 56 kms.

    AM:  Today we ride to The Alverbank Hotel in Gosport near Portsmouth.

   Route: Chichester - Emsworth - Langstone - Hayling Island Ferry Point - Southsea Ferry Point - Alverstoke - Alverbank Hotel, Stoke road.

   PM: Well, the ride was 56 kms and quite easy and scenic. It was much better weather today, about 24 centigrade with a pleasant cool breeze.

   We went past the D Day Museum in Portsmouth, which had a real Landing Craft from the big invasion of France, positioned outside the front. I didn't realise how huge they were.

   Gosport is a vast improvement on Brighton and Hove. It's much cleaner and quieter, and more spacious with lovely architecture. It also has lots of traffic-free bike paths.

   The Alverbank Hotel is really nice. It used to be a mansion where Queen Victoria used to stop off when she came down to go to her beloved Osborne House on the Isle Of Wight. There is a great view of the island from the front of the hotel. We were informed by the Receptionist that the room in which we are staying was used by the queen when she was waiting to go on to sail to the island.

   We have been delighted by the sounds of the English birds. The Blackbird has a kind of choking sound, and we like the calls of the Wood Pigeon, the Raven, the English Magpie and of course the ever present shriek of the Gulls.

   

   

    

   

                                 Arriving at The Alverbank Hotel.

     

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

                        

        

   

   

                                                                 Portsmouth.

      

                            The view of The Isle Of Wight from the terrace of The Alverbank Hotel.