14.5 miles walked today
884 miles walked in total (10.78 average)
I got to Weymouth station today at nine fifteen and had just enough time to pad my feet up, put my boots on, go and find the facilities and get the number of some local taxi firms before Sue and Mark turned up.
Sue and I started walking just before ten and Mark went back to their caravan to make sure Lydon, their son, had done the washing up! Our first stretch took us along the Esplanade and round to the harbour where we learned that the ferry hadn't turned up yet and wasn't expected until eleven. So we strode down to the road bridge which was raised to let a number of boats through. A large queue was forming and, when the bridge was lowered, we got swept along by the crowd and made our way to Nothe Fort.
From here, we followed the path round for a little while until we found ourselves back to where we started. Must remember that right, right again, next right and first right equals a circle! We had a stretch on roads then through Wyke Regis and Ferry Bridge onto Portland. It wasn't long before we were heading uphill through residential streets to the cliff top paths, past a fort, a prison and a borstal. The path was quite tough on the feet - no springy grass tracks this morning, just mile after mile of quarried Portland stone, which has been used in many buildings, including Buckingham Palace and St Paul's Cathedral.
At Church Ope Cove, we followed the path into the village and stumbled across the Mermaid pub where refreshments were taken. Sue was about to collapse with hunger pains so we found the pub just in time.
After lunch, we walked back down to the path and visited the thirteenth century remains of Rufus Castle Church. We thought we could make out where the walls had been, but were perplexed at a gravestone standing in the middle of the church. A job for Time Team methinks.
We were on road for a little while then before heading back on to the path at Freshwater Bay towards Portland Bill. We walked through yet more disused quarries and it wasn't long before we saw the lighthouse and the much anticipated cafe! We had a sit down and had a drink and both removed our boots to give our feet a rest and a massage. (Sue had previously taken her boots off in the pub when we had lunch!)
It was four o'clock at this time and we really needed to be getting a move on as we still had three or four miles to do. This last bit was lovely - on cliff tops and on grass. At least it was lovely until the path fell into the sea and we ended up on roads again. At five o'clock we gave up and summoned a taxi to get us back to the car.
We got back to the car and made our way to the B&B in Abbotsbury, which Sue was impressed to see was dead opposite the Swan Inn. I don't just throw these things together ...
After a brief trip around the village, it turned out the only pub serving food was, in fact, our local, so we adjourned there for a pie and a pint. Abbotsbury was in the middle of their annual music festival so, as we walked back over the road to our room, we were serenaded by open air opera, Carmen to be precise. How terribly civilised!
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