There and Back

Moreton, the start point for todays walk, is a village and civil parish in Dorset, England, situated on the River Frome about 8 miles (13 km) east of Dorchester. It has a number of long distance foot paths and cycle ways passing through it. So we started our walk from here. Moreton has become synonymous with the memory of T. E. Lawrence, also known as Lawrence of Arabia. He rented nearby Clouds Hill cottage from his cousins, the Framptons, while serving at Bovington Camp. Following his death in 1935 he was buried in Moreton churchyard where his grave attracts tourists from around the world. Who was TE Lawrence? - Some history, (courtesy of BBC): Lawrence was a British scholar, writer and soldier who mobilised the Arab Revolt in World War One and became famous as 'Lawrence of Arabia'. Thomas Edward Lawrence was born on 16 August 1888 in north Wales. His father, Thomas Chapman, had left his wife to live with Lawrence's mother, a governess. Lawrence studied at Oxford...

At the start of our explore of Cerne Abbas, we walked along the top of the ridge known as Giant Hill or Trendle Hill. The scenery was beautiful and the flowers added to a very pleasant morning walk The Cerne Abbas Giant is located just outside the small village of Cerne Abbas in Dorset, about 48 kilometres (30 mi) west of Bournemouth and 26 kilometres (16 mi) north of Weymouth. The figure depicts a huge naked man, about 55 metres (180 ft) high and 51 metres (167 ft) wide. It is carved into the white chalk rock on the steep west-facing side of a hill known as Giant Hill or Trendle Hill.  The carving is formed by outlines cut into the turf about 0.6 metres (2 ft 0 in) deep, and filled with crushed chalk. In his right hand the giant holds a knobbled club 37 metres (121 ft) in length, and adding 11 metres (36 ft) to the total height of the figure. A line across the waist is considered to be a belt.  A 1996 study found that some features have changed over time, conclu...

Today was a more restful day, and I spent the morning Geocaching around the village where we stayed. Only managed to find three I am afraid, but enjoyed myself anyway! While doing this, I took a few images of the local church. One of the more historic churches in Dorset, St. Mary’s parish church in Winterborne Stickland occupies a central position in the village and dates from the 13th century. Built using a fabric of alternating flint and stone courses, the roof is partly tiled and partly slatted. The church is on the usual east-west axis and features a Perpendicular 15th century tower on the west side constructed of banded flint and ashlar. St. Mary’s underwent a restoration in 1892. One of the lovely thatched properties in the village A short walk in the afternoon and a couple of images above. The Rose Chafer and a pretty lily on a pond . Apart from that, not much today. The Rose Chafer is a large, broad beetle that is found in grassland, scru...

The Lulworth Estate extends over 12,000 acres (20 square miles) of the south Dorset countryside, including 5 miles of the Jurassic Coast and internationally renowned landmarks such as Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door. Lulworth estate pedigree can go back as far as Doomsday times in the 11th century and beyond, and, since 1641, it has been owned and managed by the Weld family. In 1641 Humphrey Weld, grandson of a rich London Merchant and direct ancestor of the current owner, purchased the Lulworth Estates from Thomas Howard who had built the Castle here between 1608 and 1610 to complement his manor house at Bindon Abbey in the nearby village of Wool. Humphrey did not have the Castle for long before the Civil War erupted in England, during which the manor house at Wool was destroyed and the Estate sequestrated by the Parliamentarians. After the Civil War Humphrey Weld needed to refurbish the Castle’s interior as it was now the main family home and needed alterations to make it permane...

Today was a visit to Studland for a circular walk along Ballard Down and back through the heathland. This is one of my favourite walks and a must if in the area. Ballard Down offers some of the best downland habitat in southern England and is home to many butterfly species, including Adonis blue and chalkhill blue. This one I believe is a Chalkhill Blue. The stunning views along Studland Bay Canoeists having fun along Studland Bay Standing tall at the southern end of Studland Bay is one of the most famous landmarks on the South Coast – Old Harry. How Old Harry got his name is hotly debated. Some say it is linked to the Devil who, legend had it, once took a nap on the summit. Others claim he is named after the notorious Poole pirate Harry Paye who terrorised the English Channel in the 14th century. It is said Harry’s ship used to lurk behind the rocks ready to pounce on passing merchantmen. Whatever the truth, the bridleway from Studland vi...