Epilogue - The Gift

My girls made me a beautiful memory for my birthday.  A joint piece of work, designed by themselves: one did the cross stitch, the other the painting.  It's wonderful and such a treasure.

The End

Day Fifty - Langton Matravers to South Haven Point 18.9 km (11.7 miles).
Time on route 5:10hrs, walking time 4:35hrs.

Sunday 21 April 2019

Today I started the final leg of my coast path.  I'd always wanted to do the last day with one of my daughters (if not both) and was able to find a date when Riona was free to join me.

Starting at Dancing Ledge

we headed due east high along the cliffs for a few km.

I've seen these before - caterpillar nests - disguised as cotton wool bundles from afar.

We walked past these mile pole indicators.  Offshore a vessel would line these up to mark the start of the mile, time themselves to sail east to until the next set of markers, and check their speed.

Anvil Point lighthouse.

Soon we arrived at Durlston Head and the Castle.  What a geo treat!  There was a nautical chart carved into  stone (the photo doesn't do it justice), 

and a height marker outside the castle door.  Every house should have one.

And in the castle grounds is this beautiful orb, the Great Globe.

It was surrounded by the points of the compass.

A fun, creative, quirky Victorian geo castle.

We dropped down in busy Swanage via Peverill Point.  

Riona was very taken by the blossom.

It was a hot, sunny day so Swanage was full of people enjoying the coast.

I'm never sad to leave these towns though: people amble and I like to keep my pace up.  I try not to tut.

It was a stiff climb up onto Ballard Down.

But the views, of course, were worth it.

Trig!  TP0989

We were in chalk zone.  Old Harry Rocks.

From the headland we dropped down through Studland Wood and along the shore at Studland.  The end was in sight but the last few km seemed long.  It's a straight beach with a nudist section in the northern part.

And then we were there.  The end point.

So that's it.  1014 km of coast path; ~35000 m of ascent/descent, 50 days on the path; numerous buses, trains, boats and the odd taxi; occasional walking partners but usually alone; amazing, awesome views; wonderful memories of this 5 year period of my life.  

Now for the next challenge.

More Dorset Loveliness - of Crumbly Cliffs and Killer Climbs

Day Forty Nine - Arish Mell to Langton Matravers 21.1 km (13.1 miles).
Time on route 7:00hrs, walking time 6:30hrs.

Sunday 24 March 2019

Today started as a reverse of yesterday afternoon.  Our AirBnB host dropped us down at East Lulworth, detouring a little to avoid all the trainspotters who had descended to watch The Flying Scotsman pass. We soon hopped back down to the path through the range avoiding the big scary cows (OK, that was me).   Plenty of evidence of firing practise from the worn out targets.

It was a stiff climb up from Arish Mell but the view down into Worbarrow Bay was lovely.

Despite this being a remote and rugged stretch of the path, once again we were sharing it with runners. These were participants in the Jurassic Coast Votwo, a mere 3 marathons in 3 days.  So less speedy than many of the runners from the previous day, but considering they were on their third foray it was testament to their fitness they were still trogging past us.  

Looking back on Worbarrow Bay from the east.

The one and only semi-populated spot of the leg was Kimmeridge.  The bay is in a marine Special Area of Conservation and is home to the The Wild Seas Centre.  The other attraction, for me, was a toilet block - the only one this day.  Such luxuries. :-)

Kimmeridge oil field has been mined by a 'nodding donkey' since 1961 now pumping about 65 barrels of oil per day.

Once out of Kimmeridge Bay you walk past the Clavell Tower, built in ~1830 and relocated 25 m inland brick by brick a decade ago due to the eroding cliffs.  

Cliff erosion is a constant risk around here and there are numerous diversions to the path, for very good reason.  Even the non-diverted parts require caution and common sense to avert a quick end to one's coast path expedition. 

The geology continued to be awesome.

And the tough descents and ascents continued.  This was the view before descending into Chapman's Pool.

We continued the plod around the cliff top towards St Aldhelm's Head.  Then the killer steps arrived.

181 steps down.

And 219 up.  To be precise.

Once my breath and I were back as one, I played with the shadows.

Me in the flesh.

At the top of St Aldhelm's Head is a look out station and the site of Telecommunications Research Establishment from the 1940s.  It is marked by this beautiful sculpture.

There is heavy quarrying around this coastline and we crossed a quarry at Winspit.

Then a weary couple of kilometres to Dancing Ledge where we came off path up to Langton Matravers.

Just one more day.  Under 20 km to go.  It's going to be emotional.

The High Chalk Cliffs of the Jurassic Coast

Day Forty Eight - Weymouth to Arish Mell 23.6 km (14.7 miles).
Time on route 7:45hrs, walking time 6:35hrs.

Saturday 23 March 2019

I'd been putting off this leg for months as it was logistically complex.  Unlike usual days when I could manage some sort of bus/train combination this part of Dorset eluded anything so simple.  The MOD ranges don't help but the buses also tend to only week days (maybe it's a pre-tourist season thing).  Anyway, I managed to solve this courtesy of a super helpful AirBnB host who provided lifts.

So my friend and I drove to Langton Matravers Friday evening and on Saturday morning made our way back to Weymouth for kick off.

What a lovely mosaic :-)

We had low cloud, drizzle and strong winds for a good chunk of the morning - but certainly nothing compared to the storms of previous weeks.

After a stretch by the sea wall, and the uninspiring holiday village of Bowleaze, we climbed up onto the cliffs west of Osmington.   Already the Isle of Portland was a dim and misty memory.

A short dip into moss clad woodlands,

before descending into Osmington Mills for coffee then back out and up onto the secluded coast.  Or, rather, that's what the guide book said.  We seemed to be sharing the path with a lot of runners, an awful lot.  In fact a whole 10k/half marathan/full marathon and ultra marathon lot of runners.  We had met the Lulworth Cove Trail Running event.  

We stopped by the beacon for lunch and watched the runners puff past.

The afternoon saw the mist start to lift delivering wonderful views.

There is an awful lot (an awful lot) of ascending and descending along this stretch of the path.  Once recovered from a stiff climb up, and rewarded with glorious views, the path would dive down 50/100 m towards the next cove.

We never quite hit the beach though, being kept at least 20 m above the sand at any point.  

As expected for the Jurassic coast, the geology was awesome.  Bats Head is a lonely chalk outcrop.

Shortly followed by the famous Durdle Door.  

We were actually able to access the beach here so strolled down to take some decent photos.  

[editor's note - this is not mine but my friend's - JC is a far better photographer than me].

We climbed up out and wandered towards the tourist spot of Lulworth Cove.  On route I spotted a close by friend so had to whizz up and have the obligatory hug.  TP3585, Hambury Tout.

After cold Coke in Lulworth, we passed Stair Hole and marvelled at the forces that had created such vertical strata.  

After walking around Lulworth Cove

then back up onto the cliffs and into the first firing range.  The ranges are closed at weekends so there was no problem with access.  We planned to come off path just past Mupe Rocks but hadn't quite factored in a last minute treat from the path in the guise of Bindon Hill - a 140 m ascent/descent on weary legs.  Poof.

We stopped at Arish Mell and walked up to East Lulworth where our lovely AirBnB host collected us and drove us back to the accommodation.  A tough day on the legs but at least we didn't have to run it.