First Wedding Anniversary

First Wedding Anniversary this weekend - we've decided that rather than doing gifts/flowers/chocolates/womantic meals, we're going to try & go away for the weekend closest to our anniversary. So we've just come back from Dorset - 2 nights in the very pleasant Cross Keys House www.crosskeyshouse.com in Broadwindsor - which gave us the chance to try out a book of mountain bike rides in Dorset that I've had for a few months: "The Mountain Bike Guide to the Highways and Bridleways of Dorset" by Steve Wrann.

On Saturday, we did a 14 mile ride which started on the Golden Cap Estate near Charmouth. Very up & down with a killer climb at the end. I'm very proud of only walking up 1 hill (a little one at the start where I was worried about catching up with a very excited looking horse...). Some good views over Lyme Bay but too hazy to photograph well. 14 miles which took just under 3.5 hours - reflecting just how hilly it was! Having got a little rained on and very very sweaty form the hills, we decided we should change before continuing our daytrip - so got changed in the carpark! We had beach stuff in the car so it wasn't too tricky (sarongs are so useful!).

Then went down to Charmouth for crab sandwiches & a wander up the beach. Evening was spent in the very local pub – delicious meal included scallops & bacon in a cream & brandy sauce & then sea bass with tomatoes & piri piri. Palmers beer was good & Husband appreciated proper cider.

On Sunday, we went to Forde Abbey - just over the border in Somerset - didn't bother with the house, just the gardens. Brilliant veg garden - much better onion harvest than ours! The gardens have inspired us to try some different varieties of dahlia next year.

In the afternoon, we tried out a second ride from the book near Sydling St Nicholas. Finding the start proved interesting - the book described it as "Batcombe Hill Picnic Site", the OS map shows it as the carpark closest to Gore Hill and the sign on the car park gave it another name again (something beginning with H - can't remember!).

Once we had parked up & started riding, the route was great - following a chalk ridge and then working back up the valley. 13.7 miles which took us about 2.5 hours.

Overall, we liked the book but it is showing its age (published in 1993) as it recommends pubs which have closed and this may also have caused the start point issue already described. Aside from that, I would suggest using an OS map with any of the rides as the descriptions were a bit detail light in places. Excellent weekend - great way to spend our anniversary!