My lodgings for the previous night. I would have liked to have made an earlier start than this but didn't want to miss out on breakfast which wasn't served until 8 or so.

This would have been the view of the Cerne Abbas Giant again, but alas today was rather misty and damp!

An appealing oak tree I saw some way into my walk.

Quite a damp start to the walk! Glad I brought a waterproof jacket along.

I even felt it necessary to put the hood up from time to time, although mostly it was light drizzle and mist.

I was rather surprised to come across this burning pile (is it manure? or just a haystack?). As I arrived there had been a truck here, what I assumed to be the farmer, so I believed it was known about and under control.

Did look a bit unnerving though!

A gate I found rather evocative.

I did have to walk for a while at the start of the day before I connected back up with the Wessex Ridgeway, but I don't think this was the first Wessex Ridgeway sign I saw.

The village green in the intriguingly named Sydling St. Nicholas.

A track.

Another track, rather nicely tree lined.

Now passing through Maiden Newton.

A couple of cottages in Maiden Newton I thought photo worthy.

Heading out of Maiden Newton now, passing under this old railway bridge.

A different (older?) style of Wessex Ridgeway sign.

Not looking too worn out yet.

A deer in a field.

Tried to capture it on video.

Still not much visibility - I had thought it was supposed to be clearing by this point of the afternoon!

A late lunch, because I had struggled to find a nice spot to sit, the section of the walk beyond Maiden Newton being largely through farmer's fields. In fact even this spot turned out to be less than ideal, when I was persuaded to move on by a stampeding herd of cows, with only a very flimsy looking wire fence between me and them. This cheese however (bought in the village shop in Maiden Newton) was a bargain and very tasty.

The manor house in the hamlet of Toller Whelme, which looked rather impressive I thought.

I was getting a bit tired at this point, and slightly fed up of all the farmers' fields, so I took one or two shortcuts on my approach to Beaminster.

Finally the sky started to clear at least a bit, and this was more or less the first view of any description I'd had all day. Beaminster seems to be in sight here, but somehow from this point it still took over an hour to get there!

I think I was passing through a farm here.

Progress to Beaminster still frustratingly slow!

Not quite sure why I took this photo - I think perhaps I'd found it difficult to find this entrance to a footpath?

Finally made it to Beaminster, and was very appreciative of this pint of shandy (I felt I needed some rehydration) at the Red Lion.

I was surprisingly rejuvenated by that pub stop in Beaminster - perhaps partly because I hadn't really had a decent sit down since Maiden Newton, shortly before midday - what with my late lunch break being rudely curtailed by the herd of cows. So even though I now had some hills to climb after Beaminster I felt up to the task. This being the first of them, Gerrard's Hill.

Part of the way up Gerrard's Hill, looking back towards Beaminster.

Getting close to the top of Gerrard's Hill, which had rather a lot of sheep on it.

A very English scene here, with the rolling hills and patchwork of fields, I thought.

Very close to the top of Gerrard's Hill.

A nice little copse of trees atop Gerrard's Hill, it had a slight feeling of a barrow or similar about it.

The trig point and the view from Gerrard's Hill. I was rather taken with this little hill, and had it not been so overrun might have considered staying here for the night.

One finally shot of the sheep atop Gerrard's Hill before heading on.

There was another hill between this and the previous photo - Waddon Hill - which apparently is the site of a Roman Fort, but there was no public access other than the footpath skirting along one edge, so I kept on walking to here, Lewesdon Hill.

Although wooded at the top, there were some occasionally glimpses of views through the gaps in the trees.

I think this is right at the top of Leweson Hill now, which is apparently the highest point in Dorset.

Nice evening light through the leaves of the trees.

More glimpses of views between the trees here and there.

I had rather stupidly lugged this bottle of Vosne Romanee for almost 20 miles today!

Had one of these lazy dehydrated camping meals for dinner - old favourite the Summit to Eat macaroni cheese.

It actually went rather well with the Vosne Romanee.

My improvised tarp shelter for the night. I didn't really need the head cover as it turned out, but I thought therewas a chance of overnight drizzle.

I think this was an attempt to do some night photography but can't see anything at all!

Neither of these are much better...

Oh actually maybe you can just about see one or two stars here.