June 29, 2017

Kingston

Today I was supposed to be able to walk across the Lulworth military firing ranges but on this particular weekend they were closed to the public which meant a lengthy detour around the perimeter.  As the weather was not great and the forecast was for heavy rain in the afternoon I decided to walk to Osmington from where I could travel by bus to a suitable point on the east side of the military range.  Approaching the point where I had to turn away from the coast path I walked by an adventure centre for school groups.  The centre covered a large area and also had access to the beach below the cliffs.  Walking along by the fence I saw and watched some of the activities.  There were zip lines, giant swings, climbing challenges of various kinds and I heard an instructor encouraging one group to go into some underground tunnels.  It was clearly well designed and well organised.

The adventure centre near Osmington

When I reached Osmington I had to wait for the next bus so I went into The Sly Fox and enjoyed a good buffet lunch.  I was asked about Hazel's Helper so I explained what it was that I was doing and when I went to pay for my meal I was given a lunch bag with a sandwich in it to help me on my way.  My destination was Kingston where I had booked a room in the Kingston Country Courtyard.  Staying in Kingston meant that I was well located to reconnect with the coast path which had now become the England Coast Path.  The bus route to Kingston went from Osmington to Wareham and then a change to the bus that passed through Kingston.  Once again I had to wait for the connection so I was able to take a walk along North Street and South Street and explore the shops along the way.

When I arrived in Kingston it had started to rain and I had to walk about a half a mile to reach my B&B for the night which was upscale accommodation popular for weddings and other special gatherings.

Once I was settled in I walked back down to the village and had supper in the local pub.