NOTHING BETTER.....

There is nothing better than a weekend away camping- walking - cycling or a mixture of all three. This past weekend I actually managed to get away for a weekend with friends from the 'Backpackers Club'. Following the cancellation of a weekend away two weeks ago caused by atrocious weather we found that we were a bit luckier with the weather this time. I cycled over to Chris & Mike's house at about midday on Friday from where the three of us cycled over to the campsite at Church Farm Sixpenny Handley.

BILLWILLIAMS CHECKING OUT THE RIDGEBACKS

CLUB MEMBERS ARRIVING AT CHURCH FARM

I must admit that the route we set off on from Mike & Chris's did seem a long way round as after about half an hour of cycling we came out on a road just a few miles north of Wimborne. I would normally have just kept to the straightest route but Chris likes the scenic routes and I must admit it did make a change.... When we got to the campsite there were already  four tents pitched...members continued to arrive over the next few hours.

RIDGEBACK PANORAMA

LOADING UP ON SATURDAY MORNING

PETER CHECKING HIS BIKE COMPUTER

PHOTO STOP

ALMOST READY TO SET OFF AGAIN

The plan was that on the Saturday there would be about three walking groups heading off to the next pitch at Coombe Bissett by various routes and I would lead a small cycling group out towards Shaftesbury and then down the Ebble Valley passing through the villages of Berwick St John - Alvediston - Ebbesbourne Wake - Fifield Bavant - Broad Chalke - Bishopstone & Stratford Tony. We had lunch in a village churchyard and the sun was shining... perfect.! 

VIEW OF CAMP AT COOMBE BISSETT

CHRIS TELLS ME SHE TRAVELS 'LIGHT'

We arrived at Coombe Bissett at about 1600hrs and some of the walkers were already there and pitched up....Camp food was the order of the day followed by lots of chat and banter and then an early night....

WALKERS GETTING READY TO HEAD OFF

WALKERS LEAVING COOMBE BISSETT

PETER CHRIS & MIKE AT CRANBORNE MANOR 

 The next morning we awoke to a very heavy mist almost a fog but by about 1000hrs the sun had burned most of the mist away.More chat over breakfast catching up with old friends and then people started to head off in their various directions. Mike Chris Peter & I finally set off by about 1100hrs. We headed out towards Rockbourne where there is a Roman Villa although there was no time to visit this time. Perhaps we will have a ride out there another time and have a proper visit. From there we headed up hill following an undulating route to Cranborne. Once there we went to the Cranborne Manor Garden Centre where there is a Tea/Coffee shop. This is a popular venue with cyclists on club runs so it had to be a 'must visit on our itinerary. Coffee and flapjacks and more banter. From here we all set off on the road back towards Wimborne. At the junction where Peter turned off to cycle back to his home at Blandford I passed the others, waved cheerio and carried on for the last 20 miles back to Bournemouth. In all it was a good weekend with about 23 club members attending and 19 tents counted at Coombe Bissett. There really is nothing better than a weekend spent cycling - camping & walking with friends........