Blandford Forum

Day 2 Stats (Total):
Distance: 35.66 km (89.68 km)
Steps: 51,055 (128,829)
Move time: 8h17 (21h00)
Spend: £4.10 (£4.10)

I remember as a little kid, being able to go and throw sticks in the local river for our then-dog Balloo to fetch was one of the best adventures life had to offer. Many, many years later, I came to notice the bright blue waymarkers that had been installed along that very same stretch of river: 'the Stour Valley Way' they read. And so naturally, having done my fair share of hiking, I was immediately intrigued. After all, how many people get to enjoy the wonders of a long-distance path passing so close to their house? Today however was a day of two halves; the first of those halves was spent walking along that path, and my god, if the farmers along it aren't praying for your downfall, then the nettles definitely are. So, in short, I wouldn't recommend the Stour Valley Way. Rather, beyond Sturminster Marshall, I managed to hop onto and cruise along the North Dorset Trailway; an esteemed cycle path with trails so flat and smooth that they might just qualify as the autobahn for the hiking elite. Actually originating as the former Dorset-Somerset joint railway, the path took me to Blandford Forum, where I'm pitched in a tiny clearing in what was, otherwise a fairly uneventful day really.Read more