Day 58 – Poole to Portsmouth

 

 Date: Saturday 13^th November 2010   Distance: Miles 51.95

 

 

Stayed at the Premier Inn at Portsmouth. Parked car under the hotel and turned out into the wind, hardly able to breathe. Around the building to sea front but still no entrance and we had almost done a full circle when we found the way in, cold and dishevelled. This hotel is very small with only 48 rooms. We had a room on the top floor and when we got out of the lift and saw out the window we thought we must have been dizzy, as it seemed as if a well- lit block of flats was moving in front of our eyes. It was a large ferry travelling fast and close to shore! It was a wild night but we slept well and breakfast gave us another sea-view.

We moved the car to a long stay car park near the Isle of Wight ferry terminal at £6.50 roughly a day. Then we travelled on 2 trains with the bike to Poole. This took us through parts of the New Forest and overall took 2 hours including the change. We cycled through rain to a friends house in Poole with the sat nav getting us lost, a photo shoot for someone’s Flicker and abortive attempts at finding a sea-side cycle-way that ended in a car park. It was lovely seeing everyone and we were really pleased to give the weather a chance to improve. We slept well.( Could have been the wine as even the trains going by the bottom of the garden weren’t noticable.)

Next day was warmer and dry and we left, with fond goodbyes, for Lymington. Flat cycleway along promenade was bliss even though we had to get off periodically when the sticky sand (blown up by the gales) was too deep. The wind was behind us and lovely views to sea. At Sandacres the prom was lined with beach huts that I am told cost a small fortune to rent.We were surprised to see a green woodpecker on the sandstone bank beside the prom. We took several photos.

 

Poole merged into Bournemouth which has a fairly recent well kept pier. Mad people were surfing underneath which looked particularly hazardous but good for swell. We passed 2 cliff railways and a dotto type road train for tourists.

 

The coastal route took us most of the way to Christchurch where we stopped for a coffee break and listened to a bass and tenor singing for Cancer Research in the Square. They were so good I bought a CD but we think they were better live! Costa Coffee was shut, until it was officially opened, at 12, by the mayor. They will have lost a lot of customers, as the singing was drawing the crowds, but the little tea shop opposite was benefitting.

 

Really liked the old part of Christchurch with its nice shops and pretty little houses but later it became more urban. We passed Friar’s Cliff, Barton and Milford on Seas where we could see the Needles really well.

 

At 1 o’clock and 30 miles from Poole we arrived at Lymington and our Band B. We decided to risk taking the ferry to the IOW and doing the next 20 or so left to get to Portsmouth. The weather might not be so clement on Sunday and there wouldn’t be much for us to do for the rest of the day. With 4 minutes to spare we took the very quiet service to Yarmouth, arriving at 2. It cost 7.50 each and the bike was free. We ate lunch during the 30 min trip.

A lot of people spoke to us as we rode by this part of the coast. There were hills on the island though travelling with the sea on our left for a change we avoided most till we came into Cowes. The cycle-route was well marked and for most part with little traffic and passing through farmlands. There were no shops at all until Cowes and we think we only passed one pub till then too.

 

At Newtown there was a National Trust Property- Newtown old Town Hall and the area had hardly any houses at all!

 

There was a little chain ferry that was free (no cars) from Cowes to East Cowes that saved several miles. Soon after it became dark and we were worried about losing the way so we went back on the road but being quite busy at this time we soon got back on the cycleway. We arrived at Fishbourne just in time for the ferry back to Portsmouth. This was the busier of the two and there was quite a bit of swell but we were pleased to rest after our longest ever coast ride of 52 miles! Portsmouth looked lovely especially the lit up Spinniker Tower and all the harbour lights.

 

Back to the car and then to Lymington to a super B&B. It was worth the extra hour drive – huge bedroom, kingsize bed and separate bathroom with Jacuzzi, also super breakfast all for £25 each!

 

We were relieved to have clocked up those miles as the next day was abysmal. We tried to cycle from Portsmouth towards Chichester but soon became waterlogged. We managed 5 miles to the ferry to Hayling Island then turned back to the car park and a change of clothes then home.