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.