Friday: 2nd June: Weather: 8°C to 17°C:
Abbotsbury to Preston: 19.3k walk: 6hrs 30mins: 8.45am to 3.15pm: 2 x 30 min stop: Ascent: 500 metres
Accommodation: Cabin, 31 Brunel Drive, Preston
Leaving Abbotsbury 8.45am
Morning coffee at Hardy’s Monument
Hardy’s Monument in distance
On wrong side of Barbed wire fence
Right side of Barbed wire fence
Lunch Holy Trinity Bincombe
We helped ourselves to the seat
Holy Trinity Church Bincombe
Through pastures on way to Preston
Franks garden in memory of Frank our beautiful French Bulldog
View from 31 Brunel Rd Preston
Highlight of our day 20 was walking the South Dorset Ridgeway with 360° all round, visiting Hardy’s Monument at 243 metres, and getting to Preston sooner than we thought to see the lovely view over Weymouth from our Air BnB at Preston, just a drop down from the SDR.
Awake as usual at 6am and have an early morning cup of tea while showering and packing. We’ve requested an early breakfast at 8am, rather than wait until 8.30am. It was supposed to be a full english breakfast but don’t think our host was happy as all we got was mesli, no yoghurt and eggs on toast. All we really needed, but not the full quid. There’s another hiker staying there who was at breakfast with us and she was walking to Weymouth.
We leave at 8.45am on another cold windy 8°C morning and after a short hill climb, we’re back on the SDR following the signs to Hardy’s Monument. It’s a lovely walk over the downs, but as soon as we see the monument in the distance, the path becomes very overgrown and higgledy piggledy. It’s 11.15am when we reach the monument at a height of 243 metres. There’s other visitors who have come by car to see the famous monumet to Admiral Thomas Hardy, Captain of the ship the HMS Victory at the time of Lord Nelson’s death at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Huuddling behind a bench seat, we have a coffee and the last of our fig rolls while enjoying the 360° views.
The path down is wide and probably for farm vehicles. After several kilometres, we realise we are on the wrong side of the barbed wire fence, the path was too good to be right. Ian finds a spot where we can clamber over by dismantling our back packs and separating the barbed wire for us to climb through. Saved us a 2k wealk backtracking. The weather has warmed up considerably, as it alweays does around midday, and we enjoy the beautiful downs grazed by sheep and cattle.
It’s 12.30 and we know we’re within a few kilometres of Preston, our home for the night, and the Air BnB doesnt open until 3pm, so we look for a spot for lunch. The SDR drops down into the tiny village of Bincombe where we see a church and wander in looking for a seat which we find in the entrance way behind a gate. We’re a bit hesitant to sit there, until we see a sign welcoming walkers and visitors and a basket of water bottles and a biscuit barrel, which was empty, so obviously we weren’t the first hikers to stop there.
We know we have to turn off the SDR soon and drop down to Preston, but Coombe Valley road which is the quickest way there is busy with speeding cars. So we opt to take the public footpath to Sutton Poyntz, and come in the back way to 31 Brunel Drive Preston. On the way, Ian spots Franks Garden, a memorial to their beloved French Bulldog who appently died a few years ago. A touching thought. Around Puddledock Lane to 31 Brunel Drive, we’re welcomed by Charlotte and shown to a cabin annexed to the back of their house. It’s very comfy and Charlotte indicates we can use the garden table two terraces up with great views over Weymouth. Best of all there’s a clothes line on the terrace in the sun and wind.
First up we dump our back packs and head off to the Appleby SPAR about 600 metres down on Preston Road. It’s a lovely sunny afternoon when we pass Frank’s Garden again. Like many doggie owners, their French Bulldog Frank was a beloved member of the family. This SPAR supermatket is well equipped and we emerge with brie cheese, instant chocolate, noodles, yoghurt, cream, spring onions, 3 x capsicum, sliced ham, fig rolls, a mars bar, potato chips, Mateus rose and a Moretti beer. £28, enough for two nights and two breakfasts.
Back to our cabin to put our cold stuff in the mini fridge measuring 30cm x 25cm. Time to have a shower, wash clothes, hang them on the line, blog and sort more photos. Then gathering our dinner bits together on a tray with our Mateus Rose, we climb three flights of stairs to the top level garden setting to have our salad, noodles, etc with a magnificent view over Weymouth. The wind has dropped off, and we chat while embracing the coastal view and watching our clothes dry on the line.
It’s 7.30 when we’ve finished dinner and step back down to our cabin, collecting our mostly dry clothes on the way. Our room is cosy and quiet and we check the maps for tomorrow’s walk to Lulwotth Cove. Another 20k day. First back up to the SDR then on to rejoin the main South West Coast Path at Osmington Mills.
View from 31 Brunel Rd Preston
View from 31 Brunel Rd Preston