Category: Walks

One advantage of the Chiltern Lodge is that they do breakfast from 7.45 so you can escape get away early. So I was out on the road just after 8am. With it been an easy day, the guide said 16 miles to the end and ‘only’ 1768feet of ascent. I decided to do the decent thing and return to where I left the trail last night. As you can see from the gps trail it added a considerable amount to the day, that’s how good I am 🙂

It was a good decision, as you pass some interesting memorials and stone benches. Since this area is famous for the Purbeck marble. and also in the development of UK radar in the early days of the second world war.

I quickly reached Durlston Park with a total surprise in the huge globe carved from stone in 1891, very surprised it didn’t feature in the coast Path Guide since it’s directly visible from the trail. I’m always astounded with carving, how do you create a perfect globe shape? Durlston is now a Jurassic Gateway centre, I can’t help thinking that a walkway carved with millenia over yards, with human’s scrunched into the final 1/4mm is a bit beyond the average kid. The one that does it for me is that the 100 foot high white cliffs are just dead creatures ( densely-packed shells of the freshwater snail Viviparus).

So onto Swanage and the very clever Trompe L’Oeil on a harbour building, the little museum was quite good too with it’s Titanic exhibition and film on the stone industry. But no time to hang about, I can smell the end.

Past the monument to Alfred The Great’s great battle with the Danes in 877AD, pausing for the best ice cream yet! honey & stem ginger 🙂 then on through more private chalets to reach the Old Harry rocks with their precipitous edges, Finally dropping down to the beach which had to have the very best National Trust sign ever! Oh, what fun I could have had if Sally, Liz & Chester had been there to pose naked behind the sign.

And finally rounding the corner on the beach, just missing the huge Condor Ferry boat, the end marker came into view 🙂

So that is it! 676 miles walked in 222 hours moving time over 40 days. and 1.5 million steps walked. Full round up in the next post.

A tip for other walkers at the end, book your train ticket from Bournemouth station not Poole as I did. You can catch the bus just off the ferry that takes you directly to Bournemouth station 🙂 It’s the same line as Poole anyway!

Photos of the final day here, trip spreadsheet here and Everytrail below.

Worth Matravers to South Haven Point on The South West Coast Path at EveryTrail

Today was a slackpacking day 🙂 I left the Osprey Hornet 46 rucsac at Fosters and ventured out with my Sea to Summit daybag. I hopped onto a bus to take me to Ferry Bridge so I could walk along the old railway line by the road to Portland Bill. The Portland end has been totally revamped for the Olympics.

Seeing a diving type super store, I suddenly remembered it’s Jesus Green time again and I’ve been trying to find some neoprene swimming gloves for ages. In I popped and soon came out with a pair of T-Flex 2mm gloves from O’Three.

In Fortuneswell I came across two guys expertly descalloping scalops, fascinating to see skilled folks at work 🙂 Then it was the 300 foot climb onto the top followed by a pleasant walk along the cliff edges, I came across the best outdoor chsir come throne yet, and it was pretty comfortable. Really must remember to bring a small tripod next time, it’s so hard balancing the camera on piles of stones.

I soon arrived at the end of the island with it’s three lighthouses and conglomeration of old sheds scattered at random. the Lobster Pot cafe did a mean crab sandwich 🙂 Out at sea there was a Navy cruiser lurking on the horizon no doubt the source of the clattering helicopter that was circling around all day.

Everywhere there are small quarries with the scattered remnants of stone blocks obviously left overs. Plus lots of derricks used to lift the blocks onto barges etc. All very fascinating for a machinery lover 🙂

I took the preferred route for North East Portland as mentioned on Page 123 of the guide, which was excellent along an old jetty, rail line, prisons and the huge ramp that the stones were slid down into the harbour. On the ramp I met a fellow walker, Lee who thought he had already visited this blog 🙂

A really good day and would make a lovely15 mile walk for The Cambridge Rambling Club.

My photos are here and statistics here. Everytrail is below:

Around Portland Bill on The South West Coast Path at EveryTrail

Tomorrow is the penultimate day with a tough stretch of 20+ miles to Worth Matravers.