As we leave Aff’, Briants’ and Turners – Puddle behind us, so too we leave the green river valley with the quaint Dorset, chocolate box cottages decked with roses. Now the river meanders across Bere Heath, more open and sandy. Here it’s either very difficult or outright impossible to follow the river. Below from the south ridge of the valley you can see the heath spread out. The river is down there somewhere!
On the far right (above) you can see a wind turbine mast – you can see by the digger how far away I was, even so they appear massive!
About 2.5 miles downstream, the river re-immerges out into the “public domain” as it nears the north end of Wareham. Wareham is a very old Saxon town, it is sandwiched between two rivers. To the south the river Frome is larger, forms the towns quayside, and is navigable up to the town from Poole harbour. The little Piddle, Puddle of Trent, is smaller, shallow and meanders out into harbour almost un-noticed, but amazingly only about 700 meters apart! Before that however it has a wide flood plain, that frequently floods, as far as I can see, every year! Below during the dry season!
Above are two images taken from not quite the same spot, but within yards of each other. The left looking north-west, the right looking north-east. There’s not too much missing from the middle to make it almost a panorama! Both photographed from the northern Saxon walls, built to protect the town from the Vikings… and they did come!
Above, also from the walls is what is known as “North Mill” so I assume there may also have been an east, west or south mill too! Walking down off the wall, there is a bridge over the river, It’s the last one. From here, it flows out into reed bog, marshland, and one would need a canoe to follow it. As the crow flies (i.e. in a straight line!) it’s less than 1.5 miles till it flows into the harbour. It meanders lots so actually flows about 2 miles!
…and from the point the old walls turn south the river meanders momentary north, and out of site! That’s it! Piddle, Puddle or Trent, followed source to mouth. Photographed on Kodak Ektar 100 with the Canon EOS30 and, as usual the 40mm STM. It took two days – normally could be done in a long, but pleasant day but I had to stop at the half way point. Apart from a snakebite that was starting to hurt just a little, the main over-riding issue was the heat. I’d chosen the hottest day of our first (of 3 or 4) heatwaves this year. At 37 Celsius, it was too hot to continue so I gave up and went to the pub! I had a second, cooler day. This also meant I had more time in Wareham – so the town will at some point have it’s own post!
S.H.O.U.T. 