Day 23 (Saturday 13 June)

Melbury Osmond to Abbotsbury (21.5 miles)

Up for breakfast at 7.45 - an excellent one - say what you want and you seem to get it - bacon, eggs, tomatoes, mushrooms ..and more offered - perhaps I should have asked for new walking sticks. Head off through Melbury Park - belongs to the Earls of Ilchester - seems from another age - well I suppose it is. It's parkland (as described by Rackham in "The History of the English Countryside").

Arrive at Evershot - the second highest village in Dorset. This is Hardy country. Then a fair bit of navigating across fields, checking the map against the compass. (What would it be like if I was trying to navigate through the Highlands of Scotland? - think I'd need a very long piece of string). Spend some time walking by or near the River Frome - lovely area. Into Maiden Newton - time for coffee and they make me a fine baguette. Head off again and pass an old lady sitting by the river eating fish and chips. Go through the hamlet of Cruxton - must be one of the poshest hamlets in England - who lives there? - no-one I know!.
Up over the hill and then down it. (The picture is of another hill ...hmmm)

Walk past a veritable sea of cows

Up over another hill and then down it. Pass a walker going in the other direction - haven't seen a fellow walker for a long time. Climb up White Hill and see Abbotsbury and the Fleet and the sea beyond - quite a feeling. Rest of the view was a bit limited - a sea mist.

Heading down to Abbotsbury - phone Tony - he, Gill and Annie are supposed to be walking up to meet me. They are . Told by Gill and Annie that they could see me walking aimlessly round near the top of the hill - then they realised I was talking on the phone! Mind you there have been a number of times when I've been walking around in circles without being on the phone.

Check my bag into bed and breakfast and then we head off to finish the Macmillan Way itself. Climb up to St Catherine's Chapel - seen it lots of times before but never climbed up to go in it. They hold occasional services there - bring your own seat up the hill if you want to sit down. Then we head down to go out to the sea and I get completely confused about which direction to go in - and this is before I'd drunk any beer. Eventually find the right way and head off along the coastal path and then out on the wooden foot way to the sea shore - to dip my hands in. And would you believe it there were loads of people down there. Fishing, barbecuing - a very unexpected site.

Do a guick Geoffrey Boycott impresssion to prove I was there - floppy hat, crooked smile that sort thing
And so with thanks to all of those who came with me and/or contributed... it's off to the pub with Annie, Gill and Tony.
But the story's not over - tomorrow it's off to Golden Cap and the sight of something that they'd be proud to show on Springwatch

Bird of the day: Sparrow hawk

Tree of the day: Copper beech