To Bridport

September 2, 2022

As expected since it matched the day’s before, breakfast at St. Leonard’s was excellent this morning. It was even better though for sharing the table with a couple from the Cotswolds, in town for a funeral. They’re an interesting and engaging pair whose interests include walking, birdwatching, and travel.

As we were collecting our bikes from the garage I followed up on a conversation from last night with the man of the house to get a few more details of what he told me then - that The British Highway Code has been recently amended in important ways to give more priority to bikers and foot traffic. This helps explain one of the pleasant surprises we’ve found in Britain - that the drivers in general are more courteous and accommodating to bicycles than I’d expected.

Today’s ride began as yesterday’s did, with three crossings in quick succession of the River Stour. After that we’re on new territory though, angling southwest across the downs and dales of The Dorset AONB. The territory and nature of the ride are much like yesterday’s, which is a good thing.

In Dorset, dropping from the first of the day’s three climbs (not including the usual assortment of smaller but no less steep climbs interspersed along the way). Dorset is cattle country, as you can see in the distance.

The Tour of Britain is coming to Dorset! We’re just a week too early.

Eight miles into the ride we come to one of its highlights, Milton Abbas. It’s a small village, a one street town, but it’s visually striking with both sides of the street lined with houses having a uniform appearance. They’re all modestly sized whitewashed cob (dried mud brick) thatched roof cottages, with the exception of the church and the fine building across the street from it that must have been associated.

The village has such a uniform look because it’s a planned development created in the 1770’s by the owner of the nearby Milton Abbey House, who chose to relocate all of the residents of the existing nearby village to a new one further away so that he wouldn’t be troubled by their sights, smells and noise.

Entering Milton Abbas, another of Dorset’s abbey towns. This one is interesting because nearly all of the homes lining Main Street are cob cottages with the same, trim look: whitewashed walls and thatched roofs.

Standing directly across the street from the church, this house must have been associated to it.

I should have looked for an identification. If you zoom in you can barely read the three plaques but none seems identifying.

The next eight miles continue pleasant as we roll our way on quiet, roughing singletrack down to the Piddle River, turning west just a mile shy of Puddletown. I kick myself now for having failed to take note of this in planning the ride - for just another mile’s investment we could have enjoyed the bragging rights of having been to Puddletown on the Piddle.

After that we endure a fairly unpleasant seven or eight miles on minor highways that seem to be carrying unusually heavy traffic today because the county fair opens up later in the day.

In Dorset, a very attractive place to be.

A Piddling descent ahead, with the climb out rising up in the distance.

Close, but no Puddletown. Next time, for sure.

Back on quiet lanes again the ride improves from pleasant to escellent to truly exceptional, as it finally peaks out at the crest of a final ridge before an exhilarating descent on Spyway Road, one of the best descents of the tour. Before beginning the descent we stop for a look around and take a few snaps and then begin the descent with the idea that we will bike through to Bridport without stopping because we’re concerned about the threat of rain. We don’t get far though - within a few hundred yards we have to stop again because it’s such an amazing spot.

We arrive in Bridport at 2:30 and are pleased to see that we can check in early. Even better though, we’re especially pleased to have arrived dry. I see that I failed to note before now that we were in a hurry today, hoping to beat the showers predicted for midafternoon. This was another of those magical days where yesterday it looked like we might see rain all day long, but somehow we escaped it once more.

We’re in Bridport for two nights, with the idea that we’ll take an out and back ride east tomorrow. Beyond that though we’re uncertain - it really does look like a prolonged period of foul weather is in store for our last week in England.

The view from the high point of the day, about 800’ above the sea. Ahead is Eggardon Hill, the remains of a prehistoric hillfort from the Iron Age. It’s an amazing viewpoint - we can see the English Channel from here, though it’s unfortunately not a clearer day.

Looking down into the headwaters of the River Askett, which begins at the base of these chalky hills.

A fantastic spot. The land drops straight off just behind this row of sheep. There’s a 200+ foot drop and rise between here and the next hill opposite.

Descending Spyway Road, steeply dropping into the Askett Valley. It’s an odd image because it looks like we’re climbing.

Video sound track: Your Song, by Classic Dream Orchestra

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Ride stats today: 38 miles, 3,000’; for the tour: 2,414 miles, 147,600’

Today's ride: 38 miles (61 km)
Total: 2,414 miles (3,885 km)

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Stewart BradyLovely coastal walking E or W from Bridport (West Bay)
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2 years ago

Scott AndersonTo Stewart BradyYou’re right! Spectacular, I’d say. Your guidance came in to late to steer us but fortunately we found right use of the day on our own.
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2 years ago