The third route in a series of routes that form a tour from Dover to Lands End and back to Dover.
Starting off from the within Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) and heading towards The New Forest National Park, you know that this is going to be a great route.
Just minutes after leaving the Pelican Inn, you will pass the gates of Wilton House, home to the 18th Earl and Countess of Pembroke. Built on the site of a 9th century nunnery but now set in 21 acres of landscaped parkland, with water and rose gardens beside the River Nadder. It has been the family’s home for over 450 years.
A few miles on and you will see hillside chalk carvings, these are known as The Fovant Badges. The first is an outline of the country of Australia then half a mile further are the main group. Thousands of soldiers were stationed in training camps near to the village of Fovant, during the 1914-1918 war. In memory of those who died on the battlefields, many regiments created replica cap badges on the adjacent chalk downs by turf cutting and infilling with chalk. Although many badges have not survived, several were recently restored and are now Scheduled Ancient Monuments.
The second watercress farm of this tour is next and you'll pass right through the middle of it. It is said to have been the staple diet of roman soldiers, the poor man’s food of the Victorian time; watercress was munched from a paper cone in the streets making it one of the first fast foods but more importantly an early superfood. Gram for gram watercress contains more vitamin C than oranges, more vitamin E than Broccoli, more calcium than cow’s milk and more folate than bananas, it also contains iron and beta carotene.
Enjoy the next few miles of virtually traffic free rural roads through the rich and fertile countryside to Fordingbridge where I have suggested stopping for a coffee beside the beautiful River Avon. The George Inn sits next to the medieval bridge with its seven graceful arches that span the river. The New Forest National Park starts on the other side of the river.
The New Forest National Park is a scenic area with heathlands, forests and not forgetting the wild New Forest Ponies. Whist meandering through the area you can often spot cows, pigs, donkeys and of course the ponies roaming free. A speed limit of 40mph (64kph) exists on all of the roads that you will use in the New Forest. Created in 2005, the New Forest National Park is one of the UK’s newest National Parks, although the New Forest was established in 1079 when William the Conqueror named the area his ‘new hunting forest’; little could he imagine that nearly 1,000 years later his ‘Nova Foresta’ would still retain its mystery and romance.
The route travels past the National Motor Museum Beaulieu. It's a great museum but if you wish to visit the Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum later in this route, you probably won't have time for this one. The National Motor Museum Beaulieu has many exhibits here and you'll need 4-5 hours to see them all. The choice is yours, 4 wheels now or two wheels just 14 miles from here.
I have suggested a lunch stop at the Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum.
Sammy Miller MBE is a motorcycling legend. 11 times British Champion and winner of over 1400 events, with a racing career spanning more than 50 years! The Museum houses one of the finest collections of fully restored motorcycles in the world, including factory racers and exotic prototypes, with the collection constantly evolving as new bikes are acquired. This is a living museum with almost every motorcycle in the museum in full running order. Sammy demonstrates and parades bikes throughout the year.
A short section of the A31 dual carriageway takes you away from the New Forest and across the county border into Dorset, one of the counties that make up the West Country (SW England). You are soon back into the beautiful countryside of the Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs AONB as you head further west.
Some of the things to look out for are:
Horton's Tower:
You'll see this on your left just before the village of Horton. Said to have once been the tallest non-religious building in Britain. The strange looking Horton's Tower is a classic example of a folly - A folly is a building built mainly for decoration - an eye-catcher for the rich to admire from their property. They were hugely popular in the 18th and 19th centuries. Horton's Tower was built in 1726 by Humphrey Sturt to watch and follow the local hunt when he was too old to ride. Made from red brick, the tower stands at 140ft tall.
Avenue of Trees:
There is a beautiful avenue of beech trees to ride under as you approach Crichel House, one of Dorset’s old manor houses, the estate dating back to medieval times. The current house dates only from the mid 18th century after the previous house was destroyed by fire, but it is an estate with a past that includes the moving of the original village to allow for an extension of the grounds.
RAF Tarrant Rushton Airfield Memorial:
Sat at the side of the road on a sharp bend is what looks like an insignificant memorial; nothing could be further from the truth. RAF Tarrant Rushton Memorial. Around 11pm on 5 June 1944, six Halifax aircraft took off from RAF Tarrant Rushton, each towing a Horsa glider carrying British troops of 2nd Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry (part of 6th Airborne Division). Little more than an hour later, men from these gliders seized two bridges on the eastern flank of the Allied landings in Normandy – later known as Pegasus Bridge and Horsa Bridge respectively. They were the first Allied troops to land in Normandy.
Fill up with fuel for tomorrow when you reach the town of Blandford Forum as there are not many fuel stations at the start of the next route in this tour.
The final stop for the day is at Bulbarrow Hill:
Bulbarrow Hill, probably the best known hill in Dorset and is a chalk hill site of an Iron Age hill fort - the name comes from barrows or burial mounds on the hill. Standing at 274m (899ft) high and giving the longest view in Dorset, with spectacular views over five counties, Bulbarrow Hill is the second highest point in Dorset and is a very popular beauty spot.
From here the end of the route and tonight's accommodation at Pleck Barn is just 5 minutes away.
Pleck Barn is a old fashioned farmhouse B&B.
Enjoy.