Dorset

 We farewelled Weymouth this morning.  Not the best place we have stayed, but perfect for exploring the south coast.

Our first stop was a visit to Old Harry's Rocks located at Hardfast Point.   We walked about four miles, return, along the Coastal Pathway, from Studland Bay, to view the chalk sea stacks.  They are part of the Jurassic Coast UNESCO World Heritage site.   The view was spectacular and, once again, the water was crystal clear.  While we were there I started chatting to a lady and, as part of the conversation, she realised that we were from New Zealand.  Small world, her daughter and family live in Queenstown and they have visited on multiple occasions.  

Next stop was Corfe Castle, a fortification standing above the village, on the Isle of Purbeck peninsula.  It was built by William the Conqueror and dates back to the 11th century.  It was one of the earliest castles to be built with earth and timber.  Work in underway to preserve some of the ruin with its spectacular views across the valley.  The visit was topped off by a steam train chuffing along the tracks - quintessential England.  David has a link with Corfe as his uncle John lived there until he passed away.

We had planned on visiting the village of Tyneham where, in November 1943, the residents were given 28 days to leave their homes when the military requisitioned the area for training purposes.  The villagers were told that they could return once the war was over, but they never did.  It is now managed as a heritage site by the Ministry of Defence.  Unfortunately it is closed when the firing range is in use and, sadly, today was one of those days.

As we meandered our way back toward London, we stopped of at Kingston Lacy, another National Trust property.  It was a huge country house and estate near Wimborne Minster and belonged to the same family for over 300 years.  The rooms were huge with high ornate ceilings and heavy, dark furniture.  Hard to image people living there until recent times.  The groups were expansive with manicured lawns and with gardens reflecting different styles.

Onward, through Winchester, to Heathrow to safely drop off the rental car.  Even with GPS rush hour traffic made it pretty stressful.  The good thing was that we were able to navigate our way back to Queens Park where Ella had a delicious dinner waiting for us.  Loved our expedition into the English countryside.