Day: 137 29/5/95 Lulworth Cove to Worth Matravers

Weather: Sunny intervals.  Distance: 18 km

The family dropped me off at Lulworth Cove. The first part of today's walk was along the beach, not just because the tide was out but because the path over the cliffs was closed. At the end of the beach I climbed up onto the cliffs and from there to Kimmeridge it was strenuous walking with lots of climbs and with quite a lot of walkers around.  The path went through the army tank ranges, along a ridge which looked down onto the range littered with burnt out tanks. The geology and cliff formation along this stretch was spectacular.

I had a feeling that because of the very hilly nature of this section I had fallen behind schedule and this was confirmed when I rounded one headland and saw Kimmeridge Bay way off in the distance which I thought was only half way. Fortunately the paths got flatter towards Kimmeridge Bay which encouraged more people along this section. At Kimmeridge Bay there was an oil well owned by BP working away without any apparent supervision. The rock along this section was dark and unattractive. Through the car park above the beach and then briefly down onto the beach and then a climb up to the headland and what looked to be a folly.

For the next three miles or so the path was gentle on the cliff tops. I made up my time and was fairy optimistic about meeting my wife on time when I saw the giant Houns Tout cliff ahead.  Just prior to this the path went by a bit of the cliff that jutted out into the sea down which a wide waterfall deep with algae fell. A group of walkers of all ages were climbing the cliff at the same time - we all made slow progress.

Beyond that the path  fell again to Chapmans pool where cliff erosion made serious inroads into the path. I chanced the more direct path down and up instead of going too far inland. It became ill defined at the bottom and on the way up it became very steep - not what you want at the end of a hot day and in a hurry. I ended up walking up the valley and then going up the bank where there was no path. Fortunately I ended up almost exactly where I wanted to be and only a few hundred yards from the car park where I successfully met the family.

We drove the half mile up to the village of Worth Matravers and had our only afternoon tea of the holiday. We stayed until the kids had had enough, monopolized their toilets and headed home to the flat.

Day: 136 28/5/95 Weymouth to Lulworth Cove

Weather: very good.    Distance: 16 km 

 

What a lovely days walking this turned out to be. I set off early in the morning, straight from the flat. Weymouth as waking up slowly and there weren’t many people around as I walked along the sea wall to Overcombe apart from street cleaners and even beach cleaners,

To reach Bowleaze Cove I walked along the beach which was only just about possible since the tide was only slowly going out.  A holiday camp with its own Alsatian guard dog blocked the path at the cove so I was forced to make a slight detour inland. It was then a gentle walk to Osmington Mills where the path went down past the campsite and out the other side of the village. I walked through the grounds of what looked to be a decent pub.  Even though it was very early in the day a man was stopping people parking in the pub car park except if they had purchasing power.  

At Ringstead Bay I took to the beach wanting a change and thinking that I’d be able to get back up onto the cliffs at the far end. I found what I thought was a suitable path up past a beach hut around which a group of youngsters were gathered. It turned out to be theirs and there was no path but they were polite. The correct path turned out to be just around the corner.                                           

From there to Lulworth Cove was strenuous but spectacular, long steep climbs with great views of chalk cliffs. The path in the early part of the day had been poorly signed and deserted but on the way into Lulworth the bank holiday crowds appeared in sunshine with the last part was more like a high street than a country path. I went down the bay to find out about tomorrow's walk and then back up to the car park to meet the family.  The car park was an outrageous £3.  We fed the kids which took about an hour and then took them down to the beach. 

Day 135 27/5/95 Around Weymouth

Weather: fine.     Distance: 8 km

It's time for another family holiday encompassing a bit of coastal path walking. We travelled down from Coventry to our holiday apartment in Weymouth through the town of Cirencester and Warminster. We stopped off in a National Trust village on the way and had a picnic. It was a calm journey and avoided the very long queues that were apparently on the M5. The apartment was in a quiet suburban street in a large house that had been divided into spacious flats.

We got settled and then I went for a short walk around the coast at Weymouth. I caught the bus to the causeway out to Portland. The sea front where I caught the bus was still crowded with visitors. Someone got on the bus with a pet lizard!  I wondered if lizards travel free on Weymouth busses.  

The walk was initially along what appeared to be a old railway line and then through odd bits of park land . The only wildlife I saw on this stretch, apart from the lizard encounter ealier, was a rat! The path then went on the landward side of an old fort before a walk up into Weymouth harbour. The yachts were in for the evening and plenty of people were supping their gin and tonics. After crossing the bridge I went towards the sea again close to the ferry terminal and then onto the beach for the final part up to the apartment.

Day 134 3/4/95 Around Portland

Weather: sunny and warm.
Distance: 20 km, (12.4 miles) 

I think this was my first circular walk as part of my walk around the coast.  I parked in the same place as yesterday and headed south to Portland Bill. The first mile was along the road to Fortuneswell. Then it was around the sea front where there were many divers evident - the wet-suited variety not the seabird sort.  I wondered if this is where the diver I saw the previous day had set out from. If it was, he'd drifted a very long way.

There was then climb up onto the cliffs and a beautiful cliff walk all the way to the Bill.  Why on earth is this section not on the official coast path? The contrast passing Weston was great. To the right was fine views of from the cliffs and to the right  were council flats. Portland Bill was packed with ornithologists looking out to sea and into the scrub grass. I stopped for tea but it was in a dingy cafe with dirty tea pots.  

The walk northwards on the eastern side of Portland Bill was initially along some lower cliffs and the way-marking was less clear. Past a large cave, more bird watchers and through disused quarries - I guess this is where the name Portland Cement comes from. After a short section on the road it was than down onto shallow cliffs again along to a small beach Church Op Cove. After this, instead of climbing up onto high cliffs as the waymarking suggested, I kept low as there appeared to be a path both on the ground and on the map. It looked fine for a mile or so, I passed a group of ramblers coming along a path and then past an MOD sign saying firing range but then I walked bang into a fence around a Young Offenders Prison. I found the fence went all the way down to the sea, and there was no way past it up onto the cliff top. Eventually, after backtracking about a half mile, I found a zig-zag path up onto the cliff top. This then led through the prisons farm and to the walls of the other prison.  It took me a while to realise why there were so many prisons around. If there was an escape there was only one road off the island.

Again I tried to find a way around the east of the prison but the well used path suddenly stopped at a sheer drop. The third time of getting lost was in the streets leading down from the prison to the naval helicopter base. Back to the car, a cup of tea and headed home. The car sounded rough and the next week I had to have it tuned, new breaks, and some problem on the steering.