Bournemouth and beyond

The campsite was a holiday park type of thing, often a bit soulless, but this one was excellent.  Great facilities,  reasonably priced hikers' tent pitches, and a decent pub.  I slept very soundly, and was up before seven; as soon as the sun came up it became much too hot to stay in bed.

Studland, name town of Studland Bay.  Blink and you miss it.  Studland Stores is about the only evidence of its existence,  but there is a short loop of a back street with a few houses and a nice looking hotel, The Pig.  Perhaps it was bigger when they were naming the bays?  Anyway I didn't blink so I saw the sights, and passed on to the strip of heathland leading to the Sandbanks ferry, which took me across the narrow entrance to vast Poole Harbour.

Lovely building in Studland

Sandbanks ferry

Today's ride promises to be flatter, drier and warmer.  The first bit from Sandbanks to Bournemouth was absolutely flat, along the sea front below some low cliffs, interrupted every so often by steep little valleys or chines, such as Branksome Chine.  At each chine there's a cafe and access up the hill to the houses above.

Bournemouth 

Bournemouth,  the first ever beach hut

Bournemouth doesn't really advertise itself to the coastal adventurer.  Just a wider than average valley where the main road briefly comes down to the sea, then back up again.  And of course, the pier is a bit of a giveaway.  Other than that, more of the same, riding along the prom in the sunshine, and dodging a few walkers.  Eight flat miles, and then a slight rise at Southbourne to go back on a road for a bit, before a lovely track around Hengistbury Head leads you to Christchurch harbour,  and the long spit of beach huts at Mudeford.

Boscombe pier

Looking back to Bournemouth and Sandbanks

Hengistbury head &
Christchurch harbour 

Mudeford beach huts

Entrance to Christchurch Harbour 

Ferry no.2

Another ferry took me across the narrow entrance to Christchurch Harbour, tide flowing out quite quickly, and then I was among the giant pines of Mudeford village.  I was skirting the New Forest with a series of villages:  Highcliffe (it's not that high), Barton, and Milton, all "-on-sea" in case you didn't know.  The Isle of Wight was getting closer, the Needles visible in the haze.

Time had flown by and I stopped for lunch at the lovely Coastal Bakery in Milford.   That's Milford On Sea, by the way.

After Milford, there are no more towns but there is a great track through Keyhaven Marshes, round the headland to Lymington.  To the south is Hurst Castle.  On the right are the tidal mudflats, and on the left are the marshes, with quite a variety of birds.   The track is on an embankment like a railway line, only it can't be, because it winds around with tight corners here and there.  Very lovely to ride on but bumpy and hard work into the wind.

Looking back to Milford harbour

The origin of the marshes

I spotted the Isle of Wight ferry coming up the river and put on a slight spurt to catch it.   But the track was longer than I thought - about 4 miles.  I dashed through lovely Lymington, across the bridge and made it just as they started loading.  There was a party of about 80 young schoolchildren on the way back from a trip to Beaulieu,  so it was a noisy crossing.  "Jack, please don't hit Mrs Smith", "I'll count to three and I want you to sit back down" and so on.  Exhausting, for me...God bless the teachers.

Lymington marina

IoW ferry (my bike bottom R)

My plan is to ride round the island clockwise, starting at Yarmouth, where I arrived. (Incidentally, this means I've now cycled Great Yarmouth to Yarmouth via one of the rather longer routes.)  I know quite a few people have done the round-the-island-in-a-day ride, the IoW Randonée.  I'm not doing that. I am doing some of the Randonée roads, with the special blue signs, but I'm also doing other bits, so I may be doing more or less miles, and hills.  We can compare notes at the end.  But I'm definitely not doing the "in a day" part of it.   I'm choosing the "with luggage, camping" option, for which you're allowed several days.  Also, the "with Purbeck legs" option, which also allows you lots more hours.

So, I headed east towards Cowes, but along some quiet roads when I could.  A few nice coastal views but mostly inland.  Cowes along the coast round the Royal Yacht Squadron, very nice, then through the town to the chain ferry.  Four ferries in one day!

Royal Yacht Squadron

Cowes

I'd phoned a camp site that I thought was achievable, to book.  "Will you be here by 6?" No, it was 16 hilly miles and I had an hour.  But it was ok, I was given instructions  on where to pitch.  This camp site definitely was on a farm - you half expected to be sharing the field with the cows.  Not too impressed with the slope of the field.   But I put up my tent, postponed a shower and scarpered to the pub for a nice pizza and apple pie.

Cowes "Floating Bridge"