10 miles, only a couple in the rain
Cycle
Cycle
From Rushmoor to the top of the ridgeway and back in time for lunch. The donkeys and sheep spent all day in the paddocks. A warmer day than expected with light winds.
Cycle
An interesting circular route from Whitecliff to Wareham for coffee and a sausage roll, returning via Upton House. Crossed the harbour entrance on the ferry at Sandbanks and turned into the forest heading towards Ridge. The sandy stretches were a challenge but there were no significant hills. A warm, sunny day with light winds.
Cycle
A reasonable distance on a very warm day with a stop at Chettle for coffee and a sausage roll. No rain at all this month, the cracks in the garden are getting wider, having to water the hedge every other day and the greenhouse twice a day, runner beans are struggling. Picked tomatoes and cucumbers. A hot sunny day with light winds.
Cycle
Starting at Potterne Park, ride to the Wolverton Tea Rooms for an iced latte with ice cream and half a toasted tea cake shared, a whole one would have been too much. No hills to speak of and although there were a couple of rain showers on the way, we soon dried out in the sun.
Cycle
From Shroton to Sturminster Newton for coffee and then back along the trailway for lunch at The Cricketers. Lots of people walking their dogs, some easy to pass with twenty riders, some not! The rain clouds stayed on the hills and looked threatening but we arrived back in the dry. A sunny cloudy cool day, the temperature dropped late afternoon, not good for the courgette plants.
Cycle
A level twenty two miles from Ferndown Forest to Upton House and back via Wimborne, Delph Wood and Holes Bay, with coffee and flapjack en route and a tasty sausage roll at the end. Planted out a few more runner beans, the first ones planted a couple of weeks ago are half way up the sticks. Collected four bales of straw. A sunny start to the day with rain moving in at sunset.
Morning Moon
Almost due south over the stable, a misty start to the day. Cycle from the Fox and Goose at Coombe Bissett to Downton for coffee and a slice of flapjack before a long climb up to the ridge and along Pennings Drove. The swallows are taking more interest in the stable block, flying in and then out again, one of them took a wrong turn and ended up in the shed at the back, luckily the cats didn’t see him before he escaped. A showery day with sunny spells and a brisk wind.
Digby
Watching Jessie and Mackerel through the fence, this patch of grass by the oak tree and wood pile is prime ground for mouse hunting, visited frequently by the cats and the sparrowhawk. Digby’s horns curl inwards so need trimming regularly, a hacksaw does the job! The sheep spent the day in the Small Paddock, returning to Fallen Oak for the night. Cycle ride from Pamphill to The Anchor for coffee and chocolates, a misty start to a mild, cloudy day.
Cycle
A 20 mile route through North Dorset with coffee at The Crown in Marnhull. Stopped to see the donkeys as we were passing, but they weren’t happy, too much hi-vis and too many helmets. Toby brayed and William turned in circles, would have walked down to Laneside to talk to the sheep but decided to move on. Cut the grass for the first time this year and laid a few mud mats. A sunny cloudy day with a cold wind.
Cycle
Verwood loop through Ibsley to Hockey’s Farm Shop for coffee and a bacon sandwich, mostly on gravel tracks the muddy sections were fun, had to clean my bike before the mud set in the tyres. Sawed wood and stacked it under cover. A cloudy morning with torrential rain in the afternoon and evening.
Cycle
Cranborne to the Sticky Bun Tea Rooms at Wolverton for coffee and a toasted tea cake, back via Damerham along country roads and forest tracks. A faster pace than usual in a strengthening wind, a cloudy day with some sunshine, we made it back before the rain started.
Cycle
From Pamphill through the Tarrants for coffee at The Anchor, a few hills with lovely views, passed the old airfield at Tarrant Rushton, one of the old hangers is still standing and part of the runway, which is good for cycling. Moved a load of compost and pressure washed part of the stable yard, looks a lot cleaner. A sunny day with a gusty wind.
Cycle
12 miles from Pamphill, a lovely ride in the sunshine round Badbury Rings to the Anchor for coffee, and then back along Cowgrove. A few muddy stretches in-between the ups and downs on grass, the tracks still wet in places. Planted the last of the willow rods and cleared a few brambles. Hoping to let the donkeys out in the paddock tomorrow if it stays dry. A frosty, sunny, cold day with a super sunset.
Winnie
Eating the hay that’s been pulled out of the bucket and left on the ground by the rest of the sheep who are all heading off looking for richer pickings elsewhere. Cut half a dozen branches from Laneside hedge for the sheep, the donkeys will have them tomorrow after the catkins and smaller twigs have been eaten. Collected four bales of straw. A wet, cloudy, day with light winds.
Happy New Year
William looking at the view from the top of The Avenue, the horses were trotting up the lane. The cycle ride from Pamphill to The Stocks for coffee was very wet and muddy, the tractors doing the hedge cutting run over the verges and pull the mud onto the roads, luckily there were no punctures. A mild cloudy day with a short spell of warm sunshine.
Cycle
From Wareham to Shipstall Point where the water was flat calm with low cloud rolling over the purbeck hills in distance. Coffee and cake at Corfe Castle and then a slow climb up Creech Hill before the run downhill into Wareham for lunch. Too wet for the donkeys to go out in the paddock, they amused themselves nibbling their branches and had apple twigs after their vitamins. A showery mild day with light winds.
Donky
An artwork on display at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition – a very modern donkey, the exhibition was bright and colourful with lots more tapestry work. Cycle ride from Pamphill along Cowgrove to The Anchor for mulled wine and mince pies, the return route was along grassy tracks and at a good pace. The donkeys cantered down to the paddock and raced around, glad to be out. A cloudy, mild, day.
Cycle Ride
From Shroton to Sturminster Newton for coffee and then back for fish and chips at The Cricketers. A wet start to the ride with rain that stung your face and a headwind that was only evident on the more open stretches. Wore two pairs of gloves and had to wash the sandy soil off both bike and clothing when I got home. Cut apple tops for the donkeys. A dry end to the day with the promise of strong winds tomorrow.
Elton
Sitting in one of his favourite places next to the log pile, the rest of the flock nearby. Cycle ride with coffee at Rawston Farm and lunch at The Anchor, cold hands and feet as the temperature struggled to reach five degrees, but no ice on the roads. Cut a couple of apples into wedges for the donkeys, they stayed in the paddock until it was dark. A sunny day with a magnificent orange sunset that filled the whole sky.
Cycle
A lovely up and down circuit on gravel tracks round the New Forest with a stop at the old railway station, so half an hour spent chatting and drinking coffee. Bicycle is now in for repair as the front wheel rolled away when I lifted it onto the rack to drive home, I don’t know how long I’d been riding with a loose front wheel, lucky not to come off. Needs a new cassette as well and a general service so that will all be done. A sunny, cool, day with light winds.
Cycle
Starting at Furzehill a lovely ride round a twenty mile circuit towards Holt and Cannon Hill before returning via Newtown. The section around Remedy Oak proved more challenging than expected with several large trees blocking the bridleway, a way could be cleared under a couple of them but this one was just too big to move, the only solution was to haul the bikes up onto a steep bank and clear a path at the top. A lot of trees came down in the gales and will take time to clear. A sunny showery day with light winds.
Harvest Festival
Stinsford Church has a magnificent array of flowers and vegetables on display, loved this tractor. The Church was on our seventeen mile cycle route from Moreton, through Puddletown Forest and past Hardy’s cottage. Coffee and sausage roll stop was at Kingston Maurward where the animal paddocks and gardens are free to walk round. A blustery day with a few heavy showers.
Chichester Circuit
A fabulous thirty mile ride taking in the highs and lows of the Chichester area, cycled towards the South Downs, with fabulous views and several refreshment stops. The narrow canal path was challenging in parts because of the camber, and the uphill and downhill from West Dean full of flints and deep gulleys. Passed Goodwood racing circuit on the way back. A warm sunny day with light winds.
Cycle
Circular route round Carsington Water, Derbyshire. It was the last dam to be built in England and holds back a huge reservoir of water, pumped up there in the winter for use in the summer. The pathways round the lake were hilly in parts with a few sharp gravel turns at the end of downhills. Picnic afterwards before the rain arrived, planned barbecue moved inside but managed cocktails on the terrace. A cool cloudy sunny day with the odd shower.
Cycle
Sixteen miles, starting at the walled garden at Moreton, up and down a few hills and along the ridge with far reaching views of the coast on a clear day. Comfortable conditions for cycling – not too hot and a light breeze, the paths often protected by fields of tall sweetcorn, half way round there was a welcome coffee stop at The Red Lion at Winfrith Newburgh. The donkeys and sheep spent the day in the paddocks, the muck/grass cuttings heap is filling up so have started taking out the oldest compost to top up the raised beds. A lovely sunset to end the day.
Cycle
Starting at Langport, 31 miles via South Petherton and Rock, riding across the Somerset Levels. Through a few challenging stretches of muddy floodwater and up and down a few hills, with several refreshment stops along the way for cider, chips, ice cream and scones. We had a short rest while one of our group took a wrong turn and ended up in a drainage ditch more than five feet deep and full of duckweed, the waterproofs didn’t work very well! The weather was variable with sunshine and the occasional heavy blustery shower, just made it back to the car before a torrential downpour.
Runner Beans
The first of the year, the plants don’t look strong enough to hold them but they have survived the snails, must use hedgehog friendly deterrents next year, still have a few plants to put in the ground next to empty canes. Cycle ride in 30* from Moreton to Athelhampton House for coffee, coming back across the heath was the hottest part of the ride and a bit dusty, had to walk the sandiest stretch. Everything in the garden needs watering, the mange tout have sprouted so will soon need sticks. A very hot day with occasional cloud and light winds.
Cycle
From Blandford to Shillingstone and back, along the trailway and past Stourpaine, crossing the junction of the Wessex Ridgeway and St Edwards Way, with a coffee and cake stop at the station below Hambledon Hill. Historically, pilgrim followers of Edward would walk a 30 mile route from Wareham Priory to Shaftesbury Abbey after the body of their boy King was moved there in 979, the ancient route was re-established and signposted for walkers in 2020. A cloudy start to a warm sunny day with light winds and a lovely sunset, the owls noisy late evening.
Smudge
Sitting on a straw bale in the workshop, listening for approaching donkeys, Smudge isn’t confident with them and runs away, which is unusual as he’s fearless with everything else. He won’t go near the sheep and isn’t that interested in the fish, not like Poppy. Cycle ride from Child Okeford to Shillingstone down the trailway, past the Owl Barn to Bere Marsh with coffee at Sturminster Newton. Lunch outside in the sunshine, a warm day with moderate winds.
Baling
Happening in fields all over the vale, a five day window of hot dry weather has allowed farmers to cut, waffle and bale their hay, so the race is on to get it all in the barns before the thunderstorms arrive. Cycle from Pamphill, twelve mile round trip to Badbury Rings and The Anchor for coffee, past fields of linseed in full flower, acres of deep blue replacing the familiar bright yellow rapeseed. A hot humid day with clear skies and a pale pink sunset.
Paddock
Full of grass, buttercups and sorrel, the donkeys eat everything except the buttercups, the electric fence is moved a yard every few days to give them a fresh strip. Mowed the tall grass in the oak paddock so the sheep will graze the new growth, they won’t eat the taller grass, possibly because they don’t like the feel of it on their tummies. Cycle ride from Pamphill past Badbury Rings to The Anchor for coffee, followed by fish and Chips from the van in Child Okeford. A cloudy cooler day with the occasional shower.
Cycle
Farnham to Manswood through Chettle, started in the rain and finished in the rain with a spell of sunshine in-between, the bluebells are still in flower and there are fresh green leaves everywhere on the trees. Lunch at The Museum Inn. Finished leveling the driveway in preparation for the top dressing of scalpings. Too wet for the donkeys to be in the paddock, the straw area is getting boggy and needs raking over, tomatoes are doing ok in the greenhouse, still too cold to plant out the courgette.
Willow
William and Toby had to stay out of the paddock because of strong winds and driving rain, they had their usual breakfast of three wedges of straw and then mooched around the stable. The feeder was topped up later in the day with the addition of a tasty willow branch and a handful of goosegrass. The sheep stayed undercover only coming out whenever the rain stopped. Collected my bike after a service, needs to go back in a couple of weeks as it requires a new chain and cassette. Checked the greenhouse after the gale, all ok. A stormy day with gale force winds and cold driving rain.
Cycle Ride
From Pimperne to Chettle and back on forest tracks and quiet roads, passing this field of cowslips and acres of bright yellow rapeseed, spotted red kites and buzzards. No rain, but the wind was very strong which made cycling uphill a bit of a challenge. Removed the protective sheets of plastic and dismantled what was left of the wood piled by the oak tree, all cut and stacked ready for the woodburner. The larger pallets will form the basic framework of a new sheep shelter in the square paddock. A sunny end to a blustery day that started with a rain shower and a rainbow.
Early Purple Orchid
Cycled from Cranbourne to Garston Wood to walk through the carpets of bluebells, several orchids were in flower alongside yellow archangel, which is related to the mint family so considered a bit of a thug in the plant world, and wild garlic. A buzzard must have been nesting close to the road as it swooped over our heads a couple of times. The route took us alongside the River Crane and a pair of white egrets, a red kite hunted among a field of sheep. A sunny cloudy start to the day with buffeting gale force winds and heavy rain at dusk, the racemes on the wisteria ripped off and accumulated in piles on the ground before they’d even opened.
Feeding Time
William paused in the avenue to look at the sheep over the fence while they had their hay. Fresh straw, warm water, apple sticks and a mug full of vitamins were waiting for him and Toby at the stable, as usual. Interesting cycle along the Sika Trail in Wareham Forest, slight delay when I caught the handlebars in a bramble loop and promptly fell off! Thankfully, no damage done and the ride continued with a coffee stop and then an ice cream at the Quay. Watered some of the hedge and the beans and the sunflowers in the greenhouse. A cold start to a sunny day with a chilly wind, no rain, water butts are nearly empty.
Ouessants
Grazing happily in the sunshine, the gate was opened later in the afternoon to allow them to nibble at both paddocks and use the arcs as well as the corner shelter for shade. Cycled from Pamphill to the golf club for coffee, all the hedges at the roadside are trimmed very neatly and some are growing new leaves, but not all – they need rain. Collected four straw bales for the donkeys, the farm is optimistically cutting grass and are also desperate for rain, there’s none in the forecast for the next week, we’ve had less than a fifth of the monthly average. A fine sunny day with light winds.
Oak Rounds
These need to be much smaller, will have get someone in to do it as I’ve never used a log splitter, it’ll double the size of the pile behind the fence, I think. Spread some of the woodchip on the rose bed, raked the remaining pile around to let out some of the heat. Cycle ride from Shroton to Sturminster Newton for coffee, and back through Child Okeford, 14 miles of country lanes and trailway in a moderate cooling wind with some sunshine, followed by chips at The Cricketers. The donkeys and sheep spent the day out in the paddocks eating grass and chewing on branches. A lovely sunset.
Cycle Paddle
From Pamphill, a twelve mile round trip on quiet lanes and dry tracks until the last mile or so when the muddy path turned into a foot deep puddle that lasted longer than expected. Walking turned out to be the only option, waterproof shoes are great until submerged! As Jenny was cycling behind me she suffered the same result, a cold and gloopy walk. Collected hay and straw bales and groomed the donkeys who were content to doze most of the day. Fencing work in the field opposite continues. A misty day with a chill wind, noticeably lighter in the mornings.
Cycle Ride
Along country lanes and through Child Okeford past drifts of snowdrops in the hedgerows. Stopped for coffee and cake at the Owl Barn and lucky to see the owl flying low over the field and moving from post to post, it must be hungry to be out at midday. Started later than intended to avoid a downpour and finished the ride in bright sunshine, lots of puddles, debris and potholes to avoid. Collected a few more bags of rubble for the driveway, the donkeys sand sheep had apple to eat, the D’Arcy Spice are keeping well. The day ended with another lovely sunset.
Cycle
Trailway and quiet roads in the sunshine, one puncture and several hills in the 20 miles, the seasonal hedge cutting continues to take its toll on tyres and tubes so we carry the spares and tools to get us out of trouble. Doughnuts half way round were welcome as the temperature started to drop towards freezing and we upped the pace to keep warm. The donkeys looked at the straw entrance to the paddock before wandering in and grazing, the surface is dry but the inches deep hoof prints are puddled with water that doesn’t want to drain away, the last few dry days have helped, hoping for more sunshine.
Cycle
From Witchampton to Farnham and round the Gussages, about 20 miles. Groundwater levels are high after the recent rain so the fords were a step too far for bicycles and some of the ditches couldn’t cope with the volume of running water so the road became part of the ditch. Everyone made it through OK, we just kept peddling! The donkeys had to stay out of the wet paddock and eat straw and apple branches. A cold cloudy day, when the sun broke through the temperature lifted a few degrees.
Cycle
Along very muddy roads, drains clogged with hedge cuttings and soil from the fields, through very big puddles at Hammoon to Sturminster Newton and back through Child Okeford to Shroton for lunch. Lucky the rain eased off for a few hours before setting in again at dusk. The hay feeder in the sheep field needed more support for the roof after last nights rain. Another apple tree has been pruned so the donkeys had more sticks to nibble. Looks like the car needs a wash!
Poppy
Likes to drink water wherever she finds it and has learnt to look for this glass because it’s usually in the same place every night. Sunny bike ride for a couple of hours, including the muddy Sweet Briar, with a nice hot coffee at The Anchor. Moved the sheep arcs from the lower paddock, which is still saturated, to Willow, the sheep were curious about the new location and ran in and out of them to make sure they were ok. A cloudy start to the day before the sunshine broke through with a promise of more rain overnight.
Tyres
Two new tyres and tubes waiting to be fitted, it’s the end of the road for the old ones, not sure the donkeys will be interested in playing with them but will give it a try. The new ones are less mountain bike and more hybrid so will roll better on tarmac while giving reasonable grip on gravel and mud, I’ll be trying them out on Monday. Wheeled the bike into the paddock for the donkeys to see, they ran around for a while so left it there for a few hours before putting a few apple slices on the saddle. The donkeys weren’t scared of it then… A mild sunny cloudy day with light winds, more heavy rain overnight.
Driveway
Making progress towards the paddock gate, three more loads of rubble collected today and last week’s contributions leveled and driven on with no problems. William and Toby are eating more of their old straw, ferreting underneath the new barley straw which is on the top. A very cold cycle ride in mist with ice drops falling from the trees, difficult to keep hands and feet warm. A very welcome coffee stop half way round meant I could warm my gloves on a radiator. Sunshine for half an hour before dusk.
Advent Calendar
A bit different from the usual advent calendars, the contents are best eaten with a glass of port and a slice of fruit cake, just maybe not every day…. Early cycle this morning from Pamphill Green, along Sweet Briar, and past White Mill, wet and often muddy, the raindrops felt cold but fortunately the wind was light. Heated seats in the car essential! William and Toby are nibbling at their straw in the hope of something tastier, they still don’t look as if they’re losing weight. Cut a few apple tops for them. A sunny end to the day with cloud building from the west.
Durdle Door
Super 16 mile cycle ride from Moreton to Crossways, Winfrith Newburgh and Durdle Door, with coffee and chips at The Red Lion on the way back. The track along the ridge has wonderful views although the far distant hills disappeared in the mist that persisted all day. In the summer the roads are clogged with traffic and the pathway down to the beach full of people, today it was very quiet. The donkeys are still not eating their straw, gave them an apple before bed. A very foggy cool start to the day with a watery sun and showers later.
Farrier
William and Toby showing off their clean hooves, William has a virus called seedy toe so his white-edged hooves have been cut away and are not the usual neat donkey hoof shape like Toby’s. There’s no cure for seedy toe and William didn’t mind having his hooves trimmed, they’ll grow back again within six weeks, Toby has never had the virus so it’s a mystery why one donkey should have it, and not the other. The farrier gave them both ginger biscuits so they were happy. Cycled 15 miles from Witchampton, lovely views and quiet lanes. A cool misty cloudy day with occasional drizzle.
Makeover
From Farnham to Gussage All Saints and back via Dean, riding through leafy countryside, passed this sporty little number that desperately needs a makeover; not within my skill set, unfortunately. Moved the sheep into the square and let the donkeys down the avenue into the bottom paddock for a couple of hours, still very soggy underfoot so not sure about letting them out tomorrow, and it’s time to book the farrier again. Trimmed the oak tree and gathered more leaves for the compost heap. A mild and sunny cloudy day with no rain.
Verbena Bonsaris
Still flowering in the border, towering over nasturtiums and crocosmia. Moved the animal arcs next to the old sheep shelter as they’re not as popular as hoped, the sheep prefer their old resting place even though they’re getting wet, hopefully they’ll have adopted them by tomorrow. The donkeys slipped and slid down to the lower paddock and didn’t stay there long, A very wet and windy start to the day, cycled to The Anchor and back from Pamphill for coffee without getting wet. Levelled more of the hardcore for the paddock driveway and stewed Bramleys on top of the woodburner.
Hockey’s Farm Shop
Starting at Moors Valley Country Park a 20 mile cycle to Hockey’s at South Gorley via the Castleman Trailway. Had a puncture en route so stopped for a while to remove the back wheel and replace the inner tube, fortunately had a couple of knowledgeable riders with me to do the job quickly. Sausage roll and coffee for lunch before heading back, this week’s rainfall meant a few muddy stretches and the ride through the ford was interesting. Cut a few beech branches for the sheep and donkeys, the grass is growing more slowly now so they need to be moved into a paddock that’s been fallow for a while. A sunny day with the odd shower.
Cycle Ride
Cycled 22 miles from Cranborne to Chettle and back through Wimborne St Giles and Long Crichel on country roads with lovely views through deciduous woods rich in Autumn colour. Gave the car seats a quick clean to remove the brick dust and adjusted the timing on the outdoor lights, the mornings are really dark and the sun sets a lot earlier so the lights on the stable are important. Picked more apples. A sunny day with light winds that cooled and strengthened later, the woodburner is alight every evening so the log basket needs to be topped up regularly. Watered the strawberries.
Sunset
Every night this week there has been a lovely sunset, and tonight was no exception. Cycle ride from Pamphill to The Anchor for coffee in the sunshine returning along Sweet Briar. Nola had runny poos so was unceremoniously upended, her fleece trimmed and her bottom washed, good news – no sign of maggots! The rest of the flock watched or grazed and she was happy to eat the mix afterwards. Must buy dagging scissors as the ones from the kitchen drawer were not up to the job of cutting a lanolin enriched fleece. The donkeys enjoyed another strip of fresh grass and a handful of summer hay before eating their vitamin mix.
Cycle to Ower
A lovely sunny ride from Norden to Ower and back across Rempstone Heath, sandy in parts, not hilly, super sea views and coffee and biscuits on the beach. Before Poole existed, Ower, in the Isle of Purbeck, was mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 as ‘Ora’. Ower Quay was the principal port for Portland in the 18th Century, so timber was brought in and the local Purbeck stone and marble was loaded and taken away. The roadway to the sea crossed private land so every Shrove Tuesday the locals presented the owner with a pound of peppercorns to make sure this valuable trade route remained open, a custom which remains in place today although the quayside is long gone. A chilly misty start to the day, 4* and the grass felt crispy underfoot, warm sunshine later with the promise of rain.
Autumn Equinox
A balloon landed in the vale just before dusk, it had been burning a lot of gas to gain height but landed in a ploughed field a couple of miles away, the mist was already gathering so the view from the basket would have been very mellow. The sun was a vivid red as it set, it made the sky glow a dusky pink. A lovely sunny day, cycled 15 miles and then had a pub lunch, a Hummingbird Hawkmoth bumped into me in their garden, something I’ve never seen before. They like bright sunshine and nectar rich flowers and will often return to feed from flowerbeds at the same time of the day; sadly the moths don’t survive our winter so this one will have migrated from France. The equinox is at 2.30pm, at this time the sun is above the equator and day and night are of equal length.
Birthday Boys
As it’s not known when the donkeys were born their birth date is noted on their passport as 1st January, so the day they arrived here from the Donkey Sanctuary is their birthday, and it’s today! They had a special treat of apple and carrot ice lolly and were given a new toy to play with – a bicycle tyre. It’s hanging on one of the posts next to their plastic red collars; I’ll know in the morning whether they’ve touched it. They don’t play with the car tyre that’s available so I hope this is more successful. A lovely sunny day with warm sunshine and a freshening wind that made the bike ride along Sweet Briar a breeze.
Cycle Ride
10 miles, mostly up, sometimes down, in glorious sunshine from Milton Abbas to Bingham’s Melcombe and back via Gallows Corner. The yew hedge at Bingham’s was planted by Henry VIII, yew was planted to keep out livestock and supply the wood to make longbows. Gallows Corner is at the junction of six green paths that lead to local droves, barrows and ridgeways and Hilton Church has medieval paintings of the apostles that were rescued from Milton Abbey. The terrain was varied and sometimes technically challenging and needed concentration, a lovely ride. Walked the donkeys up and down the avenue, the sheep stayed in the shade, panting until the day cooled. More watering, no rain in the forecast this week although the dew is much heavier in the mornings.
Cycle Ride
A lovely 17 miles from The Stocks Inn at Furzehill to Manswood, Horton Tower and up to Chalbury along quiet roads, bridleways and narrow forest tracks. Manswood reputedly has the longest thatched building in Britain comprising eleven estate cottages and an ex-post office although this is disputed because of a similar set of buildings in Suffolk. Cut the long grass alongside the meadowstrip hedging, some of the wild flowers which have now set seed were taller than the plants. The intention is to mulch with donkey manure to give the hedge a feed before winter and that means digging out the compost heap. A warm and sunny start to the day with rain later, picked and ate the runner beans.
Cycle Ride
20 miles along Dorset lanes in sunshine and light winds with a stop at Manswood for refreshments and at the waterfall at Witchampton to look at the waterfall – we disturbed a kingfisher further along the river; a lovely flash of blue. From a distance the hay bales in the fields resembled French knots. Didn’t see any swallows today, filled up the bird bath for the wren which was singing loudly in the wisteria. A glorious sunset lasted for over an hour, enough time to turn off the electric fence in the bottom paddock and water the greenhouse and the runner beans.
Cycle Ride
38km along Dorset lanes and up and down a few hills we crossed Ackling Dyke, the old roman road which stretched 22 miles from Badbury Rings to Old Sarum. The road provided a rapid transit route for the soldiers to cross Cranborne Chase in full view of the local population and when extended it joined the coast at Hamworthy with London. The White Nettle Leaf Mullein grows in the verge alongside the road, a tall perennial herb which has various benefits if correctly administered, it’s also an extreme irritant if the hairy leaves are handled in the wrong way. The day dawned with a thick bank of fog in the valley that gave way to warm winds and sunshine, watered the vegetables.
William and Toby
As soon as it started raining Toby ran down the paddock to the sheep shelter and stuck his head under it, that’s all that’ll fit as it’s too low for him – the donkeys are supposed to walk back up to their stable when they want to stay dry! William joined Toby and reversed up to the shelter – he likes standing in the rain. Enjoyed a rather wet cycle ride with a coffee stop and sausage roll at Marcia’s Farm Shop in Spetisbury. Ouessants are messing about today, the lambs are happy enough together; not sure about the ewes wanting the new lamb around so the two flocks have been separated for the night. Picked runner beans, water butts full, no watering required.
Cycle Ride
Starting above Pimperne we admired the view from the top of the longest Long Barrow in Dorset – 107 meters long and 27 meters wide in places. Full of wild flowers including Orchids, Ladies Bedstraw and Yellow Goatsbeard, also known as Johnny-go-to-bed-at-noon because the flowers open at dawn and close by lunchtime; this seed head was the size of a tennis ball. Stopped for coffee and a sausage roll at Rawston Farm where there was a good display of plants, rawstonfarmbutchery.co.uk. A hot day to ride up the hills, great coming down! Watered the vegetables, the compost in the raised beds is disappearing, the level has dropped by a third.
Bristly Oxtongue and Wild Marjoram
Oxtongue is considered a bit of a pest by farmers, it’s a traditional herb used to get rid of parasitic worms, it’s growing alongside maturing poppy heads and Wild Marjoram in the rose bed. The donkeys enjoyed grazing the central avenue and eating their ration of thistles, beech twigs and apple branch prunings. Toby briefly escaped from the stable through the workshop and was tempted back by a rattle of special donkey mix. Lovely hilly cycle ride up and along Ballard Down to Old Harry Rocks and on to Studland for coffee, a bit of a cloudy day with some drizzle, views to the Isle of Wight and Swanage still amazing.
Dwarf Beans
First pods, Poppy standing guard, picked and eaten within the hour, crisp and delicious, hope there’s more to come, runners maybe next week, although the strong winds of the last few days have broken some of the higher stems. Tomatoes and cucumbers growing fast, and have two water melon plants with tiny fruit that I’ve never grown before. Bike ride to Sturminster Newton for coffee and sausage roll, was mainly ‘wind against’ which is a bit odd for a circular route. A sunny day with no rain so watered the vegetables, found a few thistles in the border so the donkeys had a late tasty treat.
Cycle Dorset
Lovely ride north of Blandford, up to the long barrow and on to Chettle for coffee and a sausage roll. The wild flowers were in full bloom, including yellow and white Lady’s Bedstraw, used in the past to curdle milk as part of cheese making. A colder, windy day, sunny at times but still chilly, no rain. The last of the muck heap is now around the new hedge and the new heap is warming up with a mixture of grass and donkey poo. William and Toby were in playful mood, collar tugging and running up and down the paddock trying to nip each other, the sheep watched from the other side of the fence and joined in, jumping up and down with excitement.
Dorset Countryside
As seen from my bicycle, stunning views and quiet lanes on a fifteen mile circuit, it was a nice temperature for cycling with not too many hills and headwinds. No rain at all today, the donkeys have been chasing each other up and down the paddock and were happy to come back up to the stable for their evening feed of vitamins and straw. The sheep are nibbling away, the grass there is still too rich for the donkeys, will have to get to grips with the electric fence so that we can strip graze.
Cycling UK Bike Week
Dorset is great for cycling, lots of local groups and miles of trailways and waymarked routes some of which are part of the National Cycle Network. I cycle all year round and although there are lots of hills to struggle up the going down makes it all worthwhile! There was more rain overnight so the veg are looking good and there’s not much watering required, the straw delivery for the donkeys was just in time and we bought another salt lick to hang in their stable. The tadpoles were crowding round the fish eggs in the pond but they look just the same so hope to have tiddlers soon.
