I reached Salisbury at 6pm and took a quick detour to the cathedral. After a few photos and a call home I made my way to a nearby Burger King. It was really busy so I ended up waiting ten minutes before being served. The chicken sandwich and fries provided the calories I needed, but by the time I had used the toilet and got back on the bike, it was 7pm. I found my way back on to the A30 and continued until I stopped to take a photo of the the Fovant Badges, a series of regimental badges carved into the hillside and filled with chalk.
At Shaftesbury I spied a Tesco supermarket and decided that I would pop in and top up with drinks and snacks. When I got to the till, my credit card was not accepted for my £3.61 of shopping. I could of paid cash but didn't want to have any future bother with the card so opted to go and sort it out at the Customer Service Desk. Eventually, after talking to the credit card company and confirming that it actually was me leaving a trail of transactions across the country it was all sorted. However, it all took precious time and by the time the bike was loaded and I got rid of my rubbish it was nearly 9pm.
I had no hope of getting to the campsite in Yeovil before dark. However, I intended to plough on. Inevitably it got darker and by the time I reached Sherborne it was pitch black. I was looking for a safe place where I could pitch the tent for the night. Finding a level mown grass area extending to the side and back of the local fire station I quickly checked it out. With no obvious pathway through it was a perfect dead end with a large 10ft (3m) wall to the side that I could park my bike against. Safe, secure and out of the way within half an hour I was tucked up in my sleeping bag. A quick call home and I was asleep.
Daily Stats
Daily mileage 117 miles - 187km
Average speed 10.9mph - 17kph
Max speed 36.2mph - 58kph
Total Time Cycling 11hrs
