The best traffic-free bike rides around Spetisbury

Historic Significance: It is a Grade I Listed Building (the highest level of protection), noted for its special architectural and historic interest. Age: The first record of the bridge dates back to 1334, suggesting its medieval origins, with parts of the current structure likely dating to the 15th century. Construction: It is built of coursed rubble and ashlar stone and features nine semi-circular arches. Widening: The bridge was widened in 1819. The upstream side is the original, medieval part and features triangular cut-waters which extend up to form pedestrian refuges. The downstream side is the later, plainer widening. Inscriptions: There is a reset stone on the east side of the bridge inscribed with the year 1719. Name Origin: The bridge is named Crawford Bridge because it carries the road from Spetisbury to Tarrant Crawford. The nearby area of Spetisbury was historically one of three manors, including Great Crawford.

Most people who pass by such a war memorial commemorating the victims will not have experienced the horrors of war firsthand. A dialogue invented by the writer Paul Harding might help. It is from a medieval detective novel, and the following exchange takes place: "Tell me, brother, when you went to war in France with your little brother, were you happy?" Athelstan felt his heart leap. "Of course." He smiled thinly. "I was young then. My blood was boiling, and I longed for great adventures." "And when you found your brother dead and cold as ice on the battlefield and returned to England... what was there?" Athelstan looked out into the courtyard; it was slowly getting dark. "In the Gospel, Sir John, Christ says that at the end of the world, the heavens will shake, and the planets will fall to earth in blazing fire." Athelstan closed his eyes. He felt Francis's spirit very clearly. "When I found my brother dead in the field," he continued, "it was like heaven falling to earth for me." (Source: "The House of the Red Butcher" by Paul Harding)

Single lane beware of on coming vehicles

Using the power of moving water to drive a mill wheel is an ancient invention of the human spirit of discovery, the origins of which can be traced back to times long past. Thanks to such a construction, a watercourse - natural or artificial - could simply replace human or animal muscle power with the power of the natural elements, for example to grind grain into corn or to press oil from fruit. There are essentially two different ways of driving watermills: * Either the flowing water simply hits the blades of the water wheel from below to set it in motion; or * the water is guided - usually through a so-called "mill channel" - above the wheel and falls onto the blades; this type of construction is more efficient due to natural gravity.

This is the site of Tarrant Rushton RAF during the Second World War. Gliders would take off the evening before D day and the first boots on the ground were from said gliders. The destination was Pegasus bridge in France 🇫🇷.

The Castleman Trailway was once part of the railway connecting Dorchester to Southampton and is named after Charles Castleman, the man who oversaw its construction. The railway ceased operations in 1964. The Castleman Trailway offers a mostly flat gravel path with the route clearly marked by green and yellow signs.

The Castleman Trailway is a 16.5-mile (26.5 km) route in Dorset, ideal for walking, cycling, and horse riding. It follows the old Southampton to Dorchester railway and offers scenic views of East Dorset and links settlements from Ringwood to Poole.

Was nice to see the Hod from a distance. On a hike route I'd done Hambledon and Hod on same day, in really bad conditions. worth a go up there