Out And About.

[Maladict]

Thanks for that, 'The old ways' looks like an interesting  read. 

It is. 

[merithyn]

Been doing some promotional work for the musuem at a history festival 20 miles away over the downs. 

Turns out there's lots of rather interesting historians and authors giving talks during a weeks worth of events:

http://www.cvhf.org.uk/speakers

This event would have probably appealed for a few history nerds here,plus Meri for all the re-ennactments going on.   

As a bonus as I was arriving to do my stint, there was an airshow there going over the show ground, so the chalk hillsides echoed to that sound of merlin engines.  Only managed to get one clip with my cheap camera of the one of the several spitfires flying:

http://youtu.be/9kR9DnT_kic

Hmm.... mongers... may I stay with you for a week next June?

[KRonn]

Explored a line of old byways and bridle paths leading out of the valley and up onto the chalk downlands. 

I'm guessing it may have once been a significant route-way over the downs to Salisbury, named Green Lane at it's 'start' in the small town I pick it up at.

And it remains greener than the chalk hills around it for 3-4 miles before reaching the uplands where it aligns with some old earthworks and a long barrow and carries onto a high point which is marked with a large wood of yew trees. 

Also it's rather wider than a typical rural road or agricultural lane and in places it's several 10s of yard wide, which suggest maybe these are customary stopping placed for people to rest up the night with the animals they're moving. But that's just a guess on my part. 

Hadn't noticed it in the field, but once I got home the map indicates it is the boundary for the old established county boundary for several miles.

My guess, this suggests it was a notable route for a long time. And following on the alignment of that boundary further, highlights a natural way down to the next little river/stream valley. From where it's only 2 miles over a small downland ridge before it would meet a good ford at the site of a prominent and still existing mill (it's now a rather nice pub).
Then it's a short distance across water meadows to the city and it's cattle market.

I shall use a different bike and try and come back that way in the next week or two.

Fun stuff, all the exploring and finding out some of the old history.   

[mongers]

Hmm.... mongers... may I stay with you for a week next June?

You'd be welcome, but the way things are going I can't guarantee I'll still be here by then.   

Obviously in the sense of me moving, rather than anything emoistic. 

[Jacob]

You'd be welcome, but the way things are going I can't guarantee I'll still be here by then.   

Obviously in the sense of me moving, rather than anything emoistic. 

Where'd you go? And why?

[Eddie Teach]

You'd be welcome, but the way things are going I can't guarantee I'll still be here by then.   

Obviously in the sense of me moving, rather than anything emoistic. 

Moving on to the afterlife?

[merithyn]

You'd be welcome, but the way things are going I can't guarantee I'll still be here by then.   

Obviously in the sense of me moving, rather than anything emoistic. 

Where'd you go? And why?

What he said.

[Ed Anger]

Mongers is going to the bike bandit of Dorset.

[mongers]

Happy Birthday to Frodo and Bilbo. 


Time for an adventure or two ? 

[Eddie Teach]

Happy Birthday to Frodo and Bilbo. 


Time for an adventure or two ? 

To London, where the Shadows lie?

[mongers]

Not doing anything that interesting; just put on some more off-roady/armoured tyres on a single speed bike and have been trying those out on different terrain to see if they fit my needs.

A few days ago I popped out and did a 40 mile late afternoon/early evening circuit, that involved an old railwayline, forest track, mud, some minor roads and the part-sand strewn main beach promenade. They coped well and ran well.


Popped out yesterday evening to explore more of the hampshire downs, searching for a different, quiet route to Salisbury. 

Set off at 5 pm, took some minor roads up the valley for 12 miles before I eventually climbed onto the chalk hills, where the tarmac gave way to tracks.  Followed a 'gallop' for a brief distance, got to a down-slope and saw what I was after, an noticeable route snaking it's way in the direction I wanted.
Pretty easy going, mainly byways or droves, finding their way from one clump of threes to the next, soon turned into regular agricultural roads before becoming a minor road above a small valley/comb populated by some good quality black beef cattle. 

Carried on for a couple more whiles before I crested a rise, to see the spire of Salisbury Catherdral poking above the top of the last down between me and it some 2 miles off. 

I didn't carry on as it was pointless to go straight down, then up and ove this next hill before getting there and having to immediately turn around and head home because of failing light. As it was I wanted to get back by 8 pm so I could buy some food before the shops closed. 

So ended up doing 30+ miles in a little over 2 1/4 hour, managed to get to the shops with a fair few minutes left. 

Quite pleased with this as I've now found an alternative route that's largely traffic free, 18.25 miles one way, which is barely 10% longer than the main highway, which one would be mad to tackle on a bike. And it's significantly shorter than either of my other quiet routes up the valley.

I also like that it's clearly, once you get into the landscape, a route many others have used down the years.

I've spotted what I think is an old sheep drove in the same area, possibly heading to the old town of Wilton, once county town of Wiltshire in Saxon Wessex. I shall investigate this weekend, weather permitting.

[mongers]

I wonder if this map of the above route works ?

http://binged.it/18qhici

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?saddr=Ringwood,+Hampshire,+UK&daddr=50.8518341,-1.7877934+to:50.8703686,-1.7737605+to:50.9239066,-1.7783829+to:50.950877,-1.8097662+to:Salisbury+museum,+Salisbury&hl=en&ll=51.001873,-1.812401&spn=0.086853,0.220757&sll=50.934633,-1.792488&sspn=0.043489,0.110378&geocode=FRXVBwMdb7Tk_yl1IcaqMoVzSDGLC8YZj6akCQ%3BFfrvBwMdb7jk_ymLwBeMR5dzSDGDWkYj1jlQxg%3BFWA4CAMdQO_k_ykjPujD1JBzSDGdra3qCIHO_g%3BFYIJCQMdMt3k_ynj0IPE-JNzSDFgII3Z1IRsiA%3BFd1yCQMdmmLk_ynl4G0FXJRzSDEEWSZV2y3IhA%3BFekuCwMdiIjk_yHBqwMh7Zv6oimb0VmB7etzSDHBqwMh7Zv6og&oq=salisbury+mu&dirflg=w&mra=dpe&mrsp=4&sz=13&via=1,2,3,4&t=h&z=12

[mongers]

Earlier this evening I had a proper crack at the route on the only bike* to hand, a folding bike.

*All the others need repair/rebuilding.   

Set off just gone 4 pm, 12 miles later got to here and the start of the off-road downland heights:


Caught site of the route, across the foreground, left at the trees, left again at the wood, up the middle along the white line,  left at the next wood and up onto the hill crest on the horizon:


Some of this along the way:


A nice coombe to the east:


Objective sighted:


Arrived, stopped for a few minutes, then turned around home:


Bike coping well:


Sunset, with just 12 miles to home:



Got back just before 7.30pm as the light was failing, all told a 37mile round trip, turns out the middle off-road bit only took at total of 40 minutes. Good to get this route under ones belt before the autumn rains makes much of it impassable.   

[mongers]

A typical autumnal early evening here, hint rain in some of it's British varieties.

So no chance of going anywhere on a bike this evening, hmm , I know I'll go and buy some ice cream; put some shoes on, got the bike out, cycled the 400 yards to supermarket, ice cream acquired.

On my way back just as I was crossing the bridge over the river here, several Vs of geese fly directly overhead, maybe 100 birds, having spent the day feeding in the meadows and now off up the valley to their 'beds'. 

I pop up onto the old railway line over looking the lower meadows, bumped into one of the old boys I sometimes chat with, we pass the time of day and part.

Dusk deepens, a few wisps of low cloud scud* across the remaining light from the sunset, 5 minutes later the bats come out, the mallards are waddling amongst the grasses to get to their river bank night roosts.

A small flock of geese is still in that meadow, I decide I'll watch them till they take off, not much happens, over the course of ten minutes they wander in one direction then another, fair bit of wing flapping, the odd call, now it's 20 minutes past sunset and no sign tell leave, maybe this group kip here and I'm wasting my time ?

I move onto the big old railway bridge for a better view, I wait, light bleeds out of the landscape, then black wings flapping on mass against the darkening green of the meadow grasses, flying away from me they execute a 270⁰just as I'm setting off on the bike, I nearly 'intercept' them as I they fly across my path, and head off low into the horizon. 

What I learned from this is the geese may use the lane I live on get their initial bearings before they fly off up the valley and perhaps why I'm always nearly guaranteed to see them, and for that matter groups of mute swans flying over the houses in our little lane at around 5-20 minutes after sunset at this time of year.



*scuds too fast, drift or float is too slow, must be a better word to describe the speed of those low cloud fragments?

[merithyn]

I wish I were your neighbor.