Wareham Walls

I woke up to this beautiful sunrise at my campsite near Wareham. Unfortunately I also woke up to some really bad back pain. I spent all morning doing everything I know to do to try and relieve it but very much doubted I could stay for my final night of camping. I decided by lunchtime that a walk would maybe loosen me up enough to drive home. Walks are normally the best cure when I get back issues. So I drove the short distance to town to do the Wareham Walls walk.

Wareham is surrounded by the remains of a Saxon wall on 3 sides, with the River Frome on the 4th. The walls were built in the 9th century to protect the town from Viking attacks. You can walk along the top of the walls, now grass covered mounds, with views of both the town and the surrounding countryside. It was a gentle walk for me and I felt ok doing it.

St Martin’s On The Walls is a church built in the early 11th Century. It is sited on the walls near where the north gate of the town would have been. There is a monument inside to T. E. Lawrence, better known as Lawrence of Arabia, who died nearby in a motorcycle ambulance in 1935.

My walk finished at the Quayside where I was entertained for awhile by a large group of kayakers. I felt bad when I saw someone fall in, taking someone else with them. And a few minutes later yet another person fell in, and then another. And then I realised what was really happening. It was a training exercise and they were practicing capsizing and recovery. Rather them than me!!

My back had NOT been helped by my walk - the walking itself was OK but I couldn’t even SIT in order to have my planned late lunch at a quayside restaurant. At this point I started to get very concerned - how in the world was I going to get home if I couldn’t even sit? Driving home required sitting!!

I contemplated booking into a hotel and having someone come by train the next day to rescue me. But when I got back to the van and was able to put ice packs on my back (thank goodness for my little freezer!), I found my pain finally eased up after an hour or so. I drove back to the campsite, more ice, and waited for rush hour traffic to die down before I drove home later in the evening. It wasn’t the most comfortable ride but I was very glad to be HOME!!