The best traffic-free bike rides around Pimperne

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)

Easter Sepulchre: A truly exceptional feature is the ornate early 16th-century Easter Sepulchre, located on the north wall of the chancel. This superbly carved example is one of the few surviving in Dorset and is considered unique in the county. It bears the initials "TW" for Thomas Weaver, who served as rector from 1514-1536 and was likely responsible for its erection. Its sophisticated Renaissance decoration and resemblance to angels by Benedetto da Rovezzano suggest influences from contemporary French and Italian art. Norman Font: The 12th-century font is crafted from local Purbeck marble and is topped by a 17th-century oak cover. Lectern: The church boasts a beautiful Art Nouveau style lectern, made from iron and brass in 1909. Registers: The church registers date back to 1545.

St Mary's Church in Tarrant Hinton, Dorset, is a charming medieval church with a rich history and several notable architectural features. It is one of several "Tarrant" villages named after the River Tarrant that flows through the area. Medieval Origins: The church dates back to the 13th century, with some Norman elements surviving, such as the font and piscina. Restorations and Additions: The church underwent a restoration in 1891. The chancel, by contrast, is largely Victorian, resulting from remodelling in 1874. Materials: The walls are a mix of banded flint and Upper Greensand, with some Ham Hill Stone used for windows and Caen stone for the Easter Sepulchre. The tower is primarily Upper Greensand ashlar. The changing workmanship in the banding of materials can illustrate different dates of construction. Tower: The 15th-century tower is heavily decorated with grotesque carvings and has a battlemented top. South Door: The south door exhibits traditional Norman zigzag carving motifs

On the corner of the village are these beautiful Roman style Pillars, opposite what looks like an old Roman road

If you are hiking in this area definitely pop in for a coffee and food it’s amazing 😋

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 🇫🇷.

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