A ride through Dorset

by WBlackwell on May 1, 2017

Monday.

 

The forecast was for more rain so I was planning on spending the day with a book but over coffee my hostess, Gillian, asked if I’d like to see some of the sites in the area.  I jumped at the chance to have a local tour guide. The weather turned out much better than we had expected with only a couple of short showers before clearing.  Tomorrow looks promising too.

The best views of Britain must include those I’ve seen today.

Our first stop was Abbotsbury Abby built by King Cnut in 1044.  The largest remaining structure is the enormous tithe barn where grain and other tithe donations were stored.

Nearby St Nicholas Church

Perched on a nearby hill is St Catherine’s Chapel overlooking Chesil Beach and the Isle of Portland.

As I walked around St Catherine’s the views were spectacular.

Gillian rents a small island on the River  Frome for a pittance. She has a wee cabin and the bend in the river makes for a great private swimming area.

We stopped occasionally so I could get more photos.

We next climbed the 810′ Eggardon Hill, an Iron Age hill fort probably taken by Romans in 43 AD with some of the best 360 degree views of Dorset.  I haven’t been able to find anything about the step-like ridges running horizontally up the sides of the hills. They seemed to something that would aid climbing attackers so I can’t imagine they were man-made.

We finished up with a nice lunch at The Three Horsehoes Inn

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