Day Forty Seven - Ferry Bridge to Weymouth 25.2 km (15.7 miles).
Time on route 7:45hrs, walking time 6:45hrs.
Saturday 15 September 2018
Today's walk was the only circular one of the path. I started at Ferry Bridge and headed south onto Portland. For some strange reason the guide book decided to recommend walking today's route in an clockwise order "to make a change from having the sea on one's right" - but surely the whole point is to walk the path in a constant direction? Sea on one's left is simply wrong. So I ignored the guide book and headed down the west side of the peninsula. Sea on right.
There is some interesting art as you end the causeway. There was also a lady painting the walkway with wet sand.
It's a stiff but short climb up onto the Portland cliffs, with amazing views as a reward.
The first quarry reached is Tout Quarry which has been reworked into a wonderful stone sculpture park. Lots of interesting stone carvings on the path.
A friendly bison: the friendliest cattle are always inanimate.
Stone mammoth.
And the Roy Dog, a mythical beast said to drag unsuspecting travellers into its lair.
(I survived).
I strolled onwards down to Portland Bill passing a bevy of lighthouses much to my delight. This is the Old Higher Lighthouse on the western edge of the bill.
And the more modern lighthouse on the southern tip.
The third one, the Old Lower Lighthouse, has been converted into a bird observatory and field centre.
I stopped for a drink in the cafe at the Bill and was bemused to see numerous chains of office being worn by the ladies and gentlemen dining there. I asked one of them what was going on and she explained it was a get together of local mayors - a sort of 'chain gang' (!). She was the mayor of Lyme Regis. In fact the queue for the toilets had more bling being worn than I've seen in a long time.
Once refreshed I set off up the eastern coast passing cranes once used to lift the stone into waiting ships. Portland's famous stone has been used across the world for buildings such as the United Nations in New York, the government buildings in New Delhi and, closer to home, St Paul's Cathedral and London Bridge. Indeed Whitehall is built from Portland stone hence its name.
The western side of the peninsula was probably too exposed for such operations.
Once you pass Ope Cove the path winds inland and skirts the Young Offender's Institute and the HM Prison. Once high enough you get to peep back over westwards.
I decided to press on back across the spit and into Weymouth so that my next leg would start from the more easily accessible transport hub. The first few km are on an old railway track then you walk above the Western Ledges and Bincleaves Groyne. It's strange how quickly your lunchtime spot recedes into the distance.
The passenger ferry wasn't running by the time I reached the south side of the harbour but it was only a short walk across the bridge into Weymouth. All in, a lovely day and time enough to catch the bus back to the car and head home.
Time on route 7:45hrs, walking time 6:45hrs.
Saturday 15 September 2018
Today's walk was the only circular one of the path. I started at Ferry Bridge and headed south onto Portland. For some strange reason the guide book decided to recommend walking today's route in an clockwise order "to make a change from having the sea on one's right" - but surely the whole point is to walk the path in a constant direction? Sea on one's left is simply wrong. So I ignored the guide book and headed down the west side of the peninsula. Sea on right.
There is some interesting art as you end the causeway. There was also a lady painting the walkway with wet sand.
It's a stiff but short climb up onto the Portland cliffs, with amazing views as a reward.
The first quarry reached is Tout Quarry which has been reworked into a wonderful stone sculpture park. Lots of interesting stone carvings on the path.
A friendly bison: the friendliest cattle are always inanimate.
Stone mammoth.
And the Roy Dog, a mythical beast said to drag unsuspecting travellers into its lair.
(I survived).
I strolled onwards down to Portland Bill passing a bevy of lighthouses much to my delight. This is the Old Higher Lighthouse on the western edge of the bill.
And the more modern lighthouse on the southern tip.
The third one, the Old Lower Lighthouse, has been converted into a bird observatory and field centre.
I stopped for a drink in the cafe at the Bill and was bemused to see numerous chains of office being worn by the ladies and gentlemen dining there. I asked one of them what was going on and she explained it was a get together of local mayors - a sort of 'chain gang' (!). She was the mayor of Lyme Regis. In fact the queue for the toilets had more bling being worn than I've seen in a long time.
Once refreshed I set off up the eastern coast passing cranes once used to lift the stone into waiting ships. Portland's famous stone has been used across the world for buildings such as the United Nations in New York, the government buildings in New Delhi and, closer to home, St Paul's Cathedral and London Bridge. Indeed Whitehall is built from Portland stone hence its name.
The western side of the peninsula was probably too exposed for such operations.
Once you pass Ope Cove the path winds inland and skirts the Young Offender's Institute and the HM Prison. Once high enough you get to peep back over westwards.
I decided to press on back across the spit and into Weymouth so that my next leg would start from the more easily accessible transport hub. The first few km are on an old railway track then you walk above the Western Ledges and Bincleaves Groyne. It's strange how quickly your lunchtime spot recedes into the distance.
The passenger ferry wasn't running by the time I reached the south side of the harbour but it was only a short walk across the bridge into Weymouth. All in, a lovely day and time enough to catch the bus back to the car and head home.
