The nights are drawing in now, on the run-down to the solstice. The wind is getting cold, the ground is muddy underfoot, and it’s time to think of indoor activities to while away the short winter days.

Oh, sod it, no it’s not. Time for a five-park rove.

Four parks had been standing out to me for a while as a potential rove, stretching out between Sturminster Marshall and Blandford. GB-5860 North Dorset Trailway popped up last week as a new reference, and although Ingy M0MHJ beat me to it by a couple of days, I reckoned I could combine it with GB-4428 Milldown Nature Reserve for a 2-fer to bring the day’s total to 5. But only just:

Anyway, before I could get there, a few more parks awaited.

1115-1200Z: GB-5175 Walnut Tree Field

It is, indeed, a field with a walnut tree in it.

It’s a small park and quite muddy now with the changing of the seasons. I’m sure the tree looks better in spring and summer, but there’s still a couple of benches where you can sit and look out over the river.

Or, of course, play radio.

I was expecting a slow and quiet start to today’s activation, taking a leisurely while to get through my 10 contacts before packing down and moving on. However, it looks like everyone else has started their Christmas holidays early too (or has retired!), and in fact what I got was a pile-up right from the start. I couldn’t catch a break at any point in 30 minutes of solid QSOs, getting 57 in the log in total!

The haul included park-to-park contacts with Andy DC7WC and Michal SP6KMI. Equipment here was the usual Yaesu FT-891 running 100W into a JPC-12 vertical.

As soon as one “QRZ?” came back with no reply, I decided that was time for “last calls” and then to pack away. I never thought I’d see a pile-up as anything but a good thing, but I was on a schedule—four hours of daylight remaining and three locations left to visit!

11215-1245Z: GB-5601 Ashley Wood

Ashley Wood is great for privacy—I’ve finally found a POTA park with no car parking spots anywhere near. I parked in the lay-by outside someone’s house about five minutes walk down the main road, but if that single spot wasn’t available, I’d have had to resort to the village hall in Tarrant Keyneston, a good 15 minute walk.

In spring the wood is carpeted in bluebells, and people come from all around to see them, but if POTA is on the agenda I’d recommend picking a different season. There’s no real open ground here, only a few clearings where in winter the bluebells have retreated back underground. I set up my antenna in one such clearing, bumping the vertical element against tree branches as I raised it. On the plus side though, they say it’s good to elevate your ground radials, and the undergrowth on all sides sorted that out nicely for me.

I had 11 calls in the log by 1240, including a park-to-park QSO with Thomas SM3NRY and my only transatlantic call of the day with William W1OW. With lunch becoming a pressing concern, I called it there and headed into Blandford.

1320-1400Z: GB-4429 Stour Meadows Park

Just like the previous two parks, Stour Meadows is starting to get a bit… squelchy, at this time of year. I set up on the large patch of grass to the east of the site, bordering the lake—but didn’t get too far over in that direction, as I was starting to stand more in water than on solid ground.

With more space to play with, I decided to set up the inverted-V dipole antenna here, and try the 40m band instead to grab some close-by NVIS contacts.

17 was the total here, before I decided it was time to start packing up. With the sun visibly creeping down towards the tree line, it was time to head to the last spot of the day before the light ran out.

1420-1500Z: GB-4428 Milldown Nature Reserve & GB-5860 North Dorset Trailway

I chose to continue with the 40m inverted-V antenna here, although given the limited space I had to fit it in, perhaps the vertical would have been a better choice. This park has lots of wide open grass, but I had chosen to hem myself in by trying to be within 30 metres of the trailway to qualify for the two-fer. I think I managed it, but 30m always seems smaller in real life!

Crammed into a small corner of the park and with my seat on an uncomfortable slope, I worked the 40m band for as long as I could before the chill wind, greying sky and my own poor posture suggested I stop.

Contacts included a park-to-park QSO with Bill M0DXT, and a number of hunters from earlier in the day returning for my new location.

By the time I packed up for home, I’d had 134 QSOs across four locations and five POTA parks in total, 68 QSOs in the morning on 20m and 66 in the afternoon on 40m.

Many thanks to all my contacts during today’s impromptu rove. See you on the air next time!