Heart of the Giant [proposed]

With the Turing Bicycle ride imminent Jacob persuaded me to dust off my road bicycle and head for the hills.  He had planned a circular route from Mintern Magna heading west clockwise.

The initial ride down the A352 to Cerne was soon broken up by a climb over Dickley Hill and then dropping down over the ford and up onto Folly Hill.

The main road allowed us to practise some drafting heading north towards Yeovil and a white line gave us some protection from the cars.  Turning east again across Batcombe Hill the lay of the road is better, as it follows the crest and the views north to Sherborne are far more appealing. However; rain clouds were on the horizon.

The descent back into Mintern from Telegraph Hill is great fun and probably a better way around for this loop.

With appetites whetted we then headed east from Sherborne out in search of chalk.  By parking at Berwick St John we had pencilled out a anti clockwise route, climbing by bridleway onto Monks Down and then riding the ridge.  This climb was mucky and steep and not the best access but we soon popped out onto the top travelling west onto Win Green.  There is a voluntary ban on this route and the damage to the track in some places is extensive but it gives some challenges on an otherwise flat run.

The run along the top is straightforward and other than overshooting our return bridleway to Alvesdiston we made good progress and were in the Talbot for lunchtime.  We vowed to return.

On Sunday we had a more unusual approach at a Car Assisted Run.  With two bicycles attached to the roof and four of us the plan was to ride from Forston to Yelcombe bottom east of Cerne Abbas.  This was a section of a much longer ride we were checking the route for later in the year.

This was nearly all on Bridleway and Jacob and I took the first leg.  We were met just east of Charlton down but the route up over the Muston Farm was largely over open fields.  We switched at Piddlehinton and again at Nettleton Farm and I picked up a leg with Harry at Folly.

Over the top of Ball Hill and Church Hill the downy meadows are a delight to ride, although we missed the bridleway coming off.  The descent into Alton Pancras was my last leg but Jacob and Sarah finished off before nipping into the Hunter’s Moon for some food.

Returning to Cranborne Chase today our approach was more laid back.  We drove to above the Fovant badges accessing another voluntary ban and riding west.  Our objective was Long Barrow and again there were plenty of pot hole obstacles and a head wind.

We turned at the trig point just as the second wave of rain approached grateful for a push back to the car from the tail wind.