boboneleg Posted October 11, 2020 Share Posted October 11, 2020 So having put the winter wheels/tyres on the Donkey the other day it was time to get them dirty. First thing I noticed was how much more 'lively' the bike felt after riding all summer on Mitas E-07's but it it was fine after riding about an hour of tarmac. First stop was by the gatehouse of the Spye Park estate.......... a and onto Heddington Steps which doesn't have any steps anymore, it's been totally sanitised , you could drive your car up there nowadays and then rode a couple of trails around Devizes...... and then up onto Salisbury Plain via the Redhorn Hill vedette. When the army are playing war there would be a red flag flying here and a barrier across the trail but no live firing today so on we go........... There are plenty of warnings about not straying from the byway, if you're stupid enough to do so you really are playing russian roulette.... and down to the tank graveyard which is good place to stop and get the flask out for a coffee......... 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boboneleg Posted October 11, 2020 Author Share Posted October 11, 2020 to be continued........... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tym Posted October 11, 2020 Share Posted October 11, 2020 I love how you can wonder around on such old paths, thats to cool for school. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XTreme Posted October 11, 2020 Share Posted October 11, 2020 Fantastic Bob........but why do they have the tank graveyard there? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Fallsalot Posted October 11, 2020 Share Posted October 11, 2020 16 minutes ago, XTreme said: Fantastic Bob........but why do they have the tank graveyard there? targets i think Pete. I was on what was probably the only hill around there years ago watching jets fly over firing live rounds at targets there, it was pretty impressive 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boboneleg Posted October 11, 2020 Author Share Posted October 11, 2020 54 minutes ago, Tym said: I love how you can wonder around on such old paths, thats to cool for school. There's still a bit to ride Tym if you know where you're going , we now can only ride 2% of the rights of way in England & Wales (Scotland is different, officially there are no rights of way for vehicles there) but it's decreasing all the time. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boboneleg Posted October 11, 2020 Author Share Posted October 11, 2020 17 minutes ago, Sir Fallsalot said: targets i think Pete. I was on what was probably the only hill around there years ago watching jets fly over firing live rounds at targets there, it was pretty impressive What Fred said, I know a bit about what goes on there as I used to deliver ordnance to the bombardment areas on the Plain. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boboneleg Posted October 11, 2020 Author Share Posted October 11, 2020 So I carried on going south and then took a detour to the east and came across this............ Now on the Plain there are puddles that you can loose a bike in so I got off and tried to gauge the depth but in the end it was fine, there was only one hole in it and I rode through it safely. Then I managed to scoot around this one to visit another tank, I think you've seen this tank before but it looks sadder every time I see it So once I got to the Rollestone Camp I carried onto the first castle of the day via tarmac. Old Sarum is quite important in English history but I wont bore you with the details , you can find it all here........ https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/old-sarum/history/ Because of Covid-19 you can only visit now by pre-booking and then you have to turn up within your chosen hourly slot. Well I dragged myself around the site in my bike gear for 45 minutes but I'll go back another day with my wife in the car and wearing more suitable gear. I'll let the photos do the talking............. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boboneleg Posted October 11, 2020 Author Share Posted October 11, 2020 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boboneleg Posted October 11, 2020 Author Share Posted October 11, 2020 In the outer bailey is the site of the original Salisbury Cathedral........... but from Old Sarum (Old Salisbury) you can see the spire of the present Salisbury Cathedral in the distance https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salisbury_Cathedral 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pedro Posted October 11, 2020 Share Posted October 11, 2020 Great stuff, Bob, love those not too wet trails. Ideal for a 650 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boboneleg Posted October 11, 2020 Author Share Posted October 11, 2020 Opposite Old Sarum is a Roman road , parts of which you can still ride........ and near Firsdown there is even a bench on the byway so you can stop and have your lunch Then I did a couple more byways including Whiteshoot hill which was 'interesting ' going down on the wet chalk and then I rode the back roads to get to the second castle of the day. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XTreme Posted October 11, 2020 Share Posted October 11, 2020 Superb @boboneleg.........you couldn't do justice to stuff like this just by putting it on FaceButt. It needs a forum to really display it correctly. 3 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boboneleg Posted October 11, 2020 Author Share Posted October 11, 2020 There isn't much left to Luggershall Castle but it's worth a quick visit especially considering that it's free to enter https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludgershall_Castle 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boboneleg Posted October 11, 2020 Author Share Posted October 11, 2020 Now it was time to head for home so it was back up onto the Plain to ride tracks to Westbury and then tarmac back to Bristol. It started to get really breezy and you could see big showers in the distance but I managed to avoid them and made it back home dry 6 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XTreme Posted October 11, 2020 Share Posted October 11, 2020 You got the Yanks' attention with the Castle Bob! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MooN Posted October 11, 2020 Share Posted October 11, 2020 Brilliant Bob 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Specs Posted October 11, 2020 Share Posted October 11, 2020 7 hours ago, XTreme said: It needs a forum to really display it correctly. Exactly, and a BIG monitor. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Specs Posted October 11, 2020 Share Posted October 11, 2020 Excellent Bob, and great to have a bench in a RR. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pedro Posted October 11, 2020 Share Posted October 11, 2020 Agreed, it’s great to see someone bringing back benches on ride reports! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yen_powell Posted October 11, 2020 Share Posted October 11, 2020 Bob's piccies of Old Sarum has made me want to revisit Maiden Castle. I saw a picture of it in a Ladybird book when I was a little kid and promised myself that when I had my own transport I would visit it. My first ever bike camping trip, I stayed somewhere in Dorset and early (very bloody early) next morning I packed up my tent and headed off to Maiden Castle. I parked my bike on the side stand in a sort of chalky/gravelly car park and as I walked away from it it did a wobble and over it went, my first official dropped bike. After picking it up I wandered in and out of the ramparts, had the place to myself, it is enormous!! I need to go back, maybe in spring. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maiden_Castle,_Dorset 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grasshopper Posted October 12, 2020 Share Posted October 12, 2020 Super fun ride report @boboneleg! Love the photos, just can't get enough of the old buildings! Thanks for sharing! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boboneleg Posted October 12, 2020 Author Share Posted October 12, 2020 4 hours ago, yen_powell said: Bob's piccies of Old Sarum has made me want to revisit Maiden Castle. I saw a picture of it in a Ladybird book when I was a little kid and promised myself that when I had my own transport I would visit it. My first ever bike camping trip, I stayed somewhere in Dorset and early (very bloody early) next morning I packed up my tent and headed off to Maiden Castle. I parked my bike on the side stand in a sort of chalky/gravelly car park and as I walked away from it it did a wobble and over it went, my first official dropped bike. After picking it up I wandered in and out of the ramparts, had the place to myself, it is enormous!! I need to go back, maybe in spring. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maiden_Castle,_Dorset I agree Yen , Maiden Castle is great but it's too big for me to walk around in bike gear. Here's a great castle in Dorset but you have to choose your day as it's usually very busy. https://corfe-castle.co.uk/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yen_powell Posted October 12, 2020 Share Posted October 12, 2020 9 hours ago, boboneleg said: I agree Yen , Maiden Castle is great but it's too big for me to walk around in bike gear. Here's a great castle in Dorset but you have to choose your day as it's usually very busy. https://corfe-castle.co.uk/ I'll have to have a look when I am next that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Fallsalot Posted October 12, 2020 Share Posted October 12, 2020 19 hours ago, Pedro said: Agreed, it’s great to see someone bringing back benches on ride reports! Oi i had a bench in my lock down ride report and none of you feckers other than Bob commented on it 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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