Where We Went On Our Holidays 2012

Saturday's and Sunday's routes without the mistakes!

The glorious weather of March never featured on this tour. Cool and dull were the norms; indeed frosty on Friday. Occasional warmth might be felt when sunny and sheltered from the northerly winds. Monday was a  washout; excuse enough for many to abandon plans of riding home.

No doubt the usual incidents(mechanicals, lost, falls, etc) will be relived by  victims in the months to come.

Saturday

From salubrious suburbs, we reached Poole Harbour and headed north. After the town centre, the route lie along a dual carriageway from which we were rescued by a local. From Upton Country Park, the Roman Road led back to our intended route, Castleman's Corkscrew(NCN 25). By outrageous fortune Mike found a courtyarded and inexpensive cafe  in  Wimborne Minster.

NCN 25 oddly bypasses Blandford Forum but not us thanks to an unmarked footpath beside the river. Pete's choice of lunch pub gave us plenty of space and only one beer; no food but carry-ins OK! After some ups we headed east for a photo shoot at Tarrant Monkton's ford. Quiet lanes east of Wimborne Minster took us over the A31 on a forestry bridge and onto a handy footpath beside the busy B3073. After the municipal dump (A348) suburbia beckoned though parkland provided respite as raindrops fell.

Sunday

A busy promenade got us to Poole and the chain ferry where the offroaders departed right. For 11s Pete found an outdoor seaside cafe at Studland(Redend Point). More climbing followed as we bypassed Swanage for Langton Matravers. Neil overshot on the descent to Worth Matravers and had to climb back to the Square and Compass pub - most unusual with a fossil museum! Hot pastries or pies were the only options but welcome in a biting wind.

A rapid descent through Kingston and cross country saw us into Corfe. We were well spread out on the lumpy Sandy Hill Lane but had regrouped when we depleted the cake stocks at Studland's Manor Farm tearooms. The outward route was reversed though abandoned on the now very busy promenade.

Around 275 miles (and two trains) door to door