At breakfast I decided to try the kipper. Fish oils are good for the joints - slightly stiff after yesterday, and the brain - beyond repair?, and most importantly, I love them. It was a good kipper and very well boned. None of the backbone was delivered.
The plan for today was to walk to Corfe along the top of the downs and get the train back to Swanage.
We started at 9:50 and because we left the maps at home headed in the wrong direction to get up on to Ballard Down. That meant another trek up the 99 steps. I started counting, its what I do, at 23 there was a stone with directions to Ulwell. This meant walking along less than half way up, but it was preferable to continuing the walk away from our destination. It was another hot day and we were soon struggling with the heat, but still enjoying the walk. The distance to Old Harry on the stones steadily increasing. 1.5 miles, 2 miles, 2.5 miles. The path went into a wood - some relief from the sun, which seems stronger today than yesterday, and the sign post pointing back the way we had come 'Old Harry's rocks 2 miles' . Erm? The the path turned and we were at a road. No more PW signs . The Purbeck Way has vanished! Nothing to do but follow the road to Corfe - but in reality it is a terrible option that just gets worse a quarter of a mile later when we arrive at a T junction with a B road. Thankfully a short way along the B road is a NT path to Ailing Down. With some relief we follow the path up and through a wood until suddenly the PW signs resume, and we are back on track.
An hour later a permissive path takes us off the down and into Corfe, there is a little confusion, but we exit the countryside next to The Castle Inn. There is no contest - we stop for lunch. Sitting in the garden waiting for the fish pie to arrive I am trying to get the hens that are pecking around to get close enough together for a picture with just three of them in for Leo. The hens will not cooperate. Perhaps I should have ordered CHICKEN! The food arrives and we eat quickly, both of us hungry after the long walk. At this stage I estimate that we have covered six miles.
After lunch we visit the museum, in the smallest town hall in the world, and the model village, a scale model of Corf, including a restored castle, and of course a model village. I could tell whether that too had a model village. We bought some fudge (lemon cheesecake flavour) in the sweet shop. We have eaten it all already, it is very morish. Then bought our tickets on the Swanage Railway and managed to get a seat in the observation carriage (greenhouse). It was hot, but the views were worth the extra £2.
Back at the hotel, Jo went for a paddle while I slept, then shortly after six we walked part way into town for fish and chips. It was very good, then back via the Beach Garden. We are now sat in the hotel, blogging, and cross stitching.
Total walking distance today is around 7 miles, not nearly enough to compensate for the fudge.
After lunch we visit the museum, in the smallest town hall in the world, and the model village, a scale model of Corf, including a restored castle, and of course a model village. I could tell whether that too had a model village. We bought some fudge (lemon cheesecake flavour) in the sweet shop. We have eaten it all already, it is very morish. Then bought our tickets on the Swanage Railway and managed to get a seat in the observation carriage (greenhouse). It was hot, but the views were worth the extra £2.
Back at the hotel, Jo went for a paddle while I slept, then shortly after six we walked part way into town for fish and chips. It was very good, then back via the Beach Garden. We are now sat in the hotel, blogging, and cross stitching.
Total walking distance today is around 7 miles, not nearly enough to compensate for the fudge.
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