boboneleg Posted January 28, 2022 Share Posted January 28, 2022 This is a ride that I've been planning to do for a while but finally got the chance today. During the first lockdown I watched a lot of old country programmes on YouTube, in particular 'Out of Town' and one presenter I really liked was Jack Hargreaves, some of you older Brits may remember him ............ Anyway, he did a programme about the river Tarrant and how it gave it's name to eight villages that it passes through in Dorset. So today I decided to follow his route nearly 45 years later. It wasn't a great start as there was freezing fog in Bristol........... and 90 minutes later it was still the same as I reached North Dorset............ Eventually as I climbed up Spread Eagle Hill near Melbury Abbas I got above the fog................ About 5 miles down the road I turned off towards Stubhampton into glorious sunshine. At Stubhampton you get the first sighting of the Tarrant , it rises up from the chalk hills on Cranbourne Chase but there wasn't a lot of it today........... and then I came to the first of the villages bearing it's name, Tarrant Gunville........... a bit further on in Tarrant Hinton there was a bit more of a trickle............. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boboneleg Posted January 28, 2022 Author Share Posted January 28, 2022 After the crossroads at the A354 I made my way towards Tarrant Launceston............. and then onto Tarrant Monkton where I had a little play in the ford............... Next up I climbed up the hill to the site of RAF Tarrant Rushton which saw a lot of action in WW11 as it was used for glider operations for D-Day.......... 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boboneleg Posted January 28, 2022 Author Share Posted January 28, 2022 From there I rode back down the hill and through Tarrant Rawston where the Tarrant was begining to look more like a river........... and then the village of Tarrant Rushton where I went to look at the ford............ at the moment I am not allowed to trail ride (i'm not arguing with my wife) so I just walked down to have a look at it, there was a steady flow in the middle but I will return in summer for some water sports (oo-er missus).............. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XTreme Posted January 28, 2022 Share Posted January 28, 2022 Brilliant Bob.......great report! Apart from all that water of course! What's Blandford Camp? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boboneleg Posted January 28, 2022 Author Share Posted January 28, 2022 This part of Dorset is full of chocolate-box cottages like this one in Tarrant Keyneston................. and you will also find there All Saints Church, the tower dates back to the 15th century........... Unfortunately I misssed the last village, Tarrant Crawford but it's very small so easily done . The Tarrant runs into the Dorset Stour just upstream from this bridge over the Stour at Spetisbury............... From here I turned towards home and stopped to eat my sandwiches in the sun at Lydlinch. Last stop was to check out another ford which I will return to later on in the year to ride............. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boboneleg Posted January 28, 2022 Author Share Posted January 28, 2022 10 minutes ago, XTreme said: Brilliant Bob.......great report! Apart from all that water of course! What's Blandford Camp? Blandford Camp is another ex military establishment, I'm not sure what it's used for nowadays but I think it used to be used for motor racing in the past.... https://www.dorsetlife.co.uk/2011/05/the-town-camp-races/ 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boboneleg Posted January 28, 2022 Author Share Posted January 28, 2022 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XTreme Posted January 28, 2022 Share Posted January 28, 2022 24 minutes ago, boboneleg said: Blandford Camp is another ex military establishment, Can you get inside it now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boboneleg Posted January 28, 2022 Author Share Posted January 28, 2022 9 minutes ago, XTreme said: Can you get inside it now? I'm sure you can , it's not abandoned. There are several companies work from there and it's even home to the Royal Signals museum 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boboneleg Posted January 29, 2022 Author Share Posted January 29, 2022 For anyone who's interested this is the video that inspired me to do this ride.............. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76jophymcDY 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MooN Posted January 30, 2022 Share Posted January 30, 2022 excellent report Bob. good pics too. you're probably wise to not argue about the trail riding ban, 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pedro Posted January 31, 2022 Share Posted January 31, 2022 Nice and picturesque, and muddy too! I like the fog pictures, hate fog myself but it's a great feeling when you ride out of it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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