Making Tracks

They leant their bicycles against a nearby gate and sat down, their backs against the lower bars. Below them spread the Dorset countryside, shimmering in the heat of the day, the distance almost lost in a blue haze.”

‘Making Tracks’ is designed from an original photograph taken from one of the many medieval tracks scattered across the county; this one in North Dorset. So worth the walk up a steepish incline to gaze over the gate at he lush and verdant landscape, so often populated by sheep or cows.

Much of the Dorset countryside is hilly, as you come into the northern part of the county, flater and floodier. Many roads and ancient tracks formed from the topographical rather than geological aspects of the land.

This was children’s author Enid Blyton’s home territory for a while. She may easily have walked up the track, stopped to admire the view, musing about her latest adventure story, ‘Five on Finniston Farm.’ Maybe even resting at this very spot, leaning on the gate, picturing in her mind’s eye the place, earmarking it for Julian and Dick to stop on their summer cycle ride to the farm.

Aggapanthus Swanage Bay

Swanage Bay showing the distinctive Clock Tower gracing the bay. Dismantled and magnificently reassembled in 1858 from its original home on Tower Bridge in London. Timed to perfection its arrival in Swanage coinciding in 1858 with the famous bell Big Ben ringing out for the first time in London.

Blandford Arches

Blandford station opened on 31st August 1863 when the sixteen mile section of the Somerset & Dorset Railway between Templecombe and Blandford was completed. It eventually became part of British Railways Southern Region and was closed following the ‘Beeching’ cuts in 1966.  Today, thanks to a dedicated group of volunteers  a section of the line has been reopened to form The North Dorset Trailway spanning 14 miles from Sturminster Newton to Spetisbury largely along the lines of the old Somerset and Dorset railway line. www.northdorsettrailway.org.uk  and The Blandford Railway Arches Trust (BRAT) is a community group working to preserve the remaining Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway arches in Blandford. Facebook www.facebook.com/BlandfordRailwayArchesTrust

Eastern Promise Kingston Lacey

In 1813 William John Bankes the explorer began his Grand Tour of Portugal, France and Italy, and onto  Greece and Turkey. Three years later he ventured to the Middle East travelling up the Nile from Cairo, taking in Wadi Halfa, Abu Simnel and Philae. He made extensive notes, drawings and sketches.

“Soon after, William began planning a journey into Syria, to explore parts of the Holy Land. On this journey William visited places such as Mount Lebanon, Sinai, and was among one of the first Europeans to enter the lost city of Petra.

By late 1818, William had planned his second trip to Egypt, accompanied by Henry Salt, Henry Beechey, A.M. Linant de Bellefonds, and Alessandro Ricci among others. This longer voyage up the Nile saw Bankes identify the famous Philae obelisk, and return it to Kingston Lacy (in the event this took nearly a decade to achieve).

Henry Bankes died in 1834, and William began redevelopment of Kingston Hall. Between 1834 and 1841, William employed architects, artists and artisans to rebuild Kingston Lacy (as it became known).”

Swanage Railway

“The dedication and enthusiasm of the volunteers shines through at every station along the line. From Norden, to  Corfe Castle, onto Harmans Cross and  Herston Halt with great links with the Signal Corps before arriving at Swanage,  which is a really busy station and gateway to this lovely Dorset Seaside Resort.”

Lawrence Whistler at Moreton

The Gothic style church was bombed in the Second World War and painstakingly restored with a set of engraved rather than stained glass windows by Lawrence Whistler.  A delight to see such skilfully and exquisitely engraved windows and without a doubt is ‘Lawerence Whistler’s masterpiece’.

Dorset Trailway

Stalbridge, Sturminster Newton, Shillingstone, and Blandford stations and Stourpaine and Durweston Halt opened on 31st August 1863 when the sixteen mile section of the Somerset & Dorset Railway between Templecombe and Blandford was completed. It eventually became part of British Railways Southern Region and was closed following the ‘Beeching’ cuts in 1966.  Today, thanks to a dedicated group of volunteers  a section of the line has been reopened to form The North Dorset Trailway spanning 14 miles from Sturminster Newton to Spetisbury largely along the lines of the old Somerset and Dorset railway line. www.northdorsettrailway.org.uk

Wareham

“Where the Great Heath joins the Isle of Purbeck, Wareham stands by the river Frome where the river joins the sea by what is known as the Wareham Channel.” King Alfed is said to have laid the foundations of the English Navy at nearby Ridge which is still a boat yard. Today the river Frome is a popular space for launching canoes, kayaks and paddle boards and for taking a wonderful river cruise by boat tour down the river to Poole Quay.

Tarrant Rushton Airfield – alive again

It should not be underestimated how very important RAF Tarrant Rushton airfield in Dorset was to the overall success of Operation Overlord and the D-Day landings.  In May 1943 at a location just twelve miles from the English Channel port of Poole, the small rural Dorset village of Tarrant Rushton chosen for a new airfield, its location on the edge of sparsely populated Cranborne Chase. From then onwards a profound sense of urgency existed to fulfil plans and overcome the lack of trained glider pilots with sufficient flying hours.  Here in the countryside the newly commissioned airfield became one of the most significant training grounds in the country for glider pilots. In addition,  for air crew initially trained on the Albemarle and Dakota, later Halifax bombers learning how to tow Horsa and Hamilcar gliders. Nissen Huts built in nearby woods for up to seven hundred personnel.

Chesil Beach

This phenomenon is a vast breakwater of pebbles, varying in size from the very tiny at Burton Bradstock in the west to the very large pebbles of Portland in the east.  A great curving bank about 15 miles from West Bay to Portland where sailors have been heard to say they can tell exactly where they are on this coast by the size of the pebbles.  The long stretch of water known as the Fleet is all that is left of the village of the same name washed away  when the sea breached the pebbles in November 1824. Today you can visit the old church.