Date: 20180715
Time: 9:40 – 18:25
Distance: 28.9 km
Stay: Chiltern Lodge, Worth Matravers
Walk
Today we have a guest author and she really put some effort in it. Have fun reading Lise’s story today!
Today started packing the bags. They have to be ready at 09.00 so that they can be brought to the next overnight address for us. In the weeks that dad had to do this every morning he has developed a system for packing his bags for himself. But because now part of his luggage is already in the car and a part of my luggage has to be put in the bags I have obviously spoiled the whole system. But after some puzzling everything is neatly in the bags and we go downstairs for breakfast (a real English one course).
After breakfast we walk to the store first, we buy water and fruit bars because we probably do not see anything where we can eat or drink today. At the shop they ask if we come from Scandinavia and if we answer that we are Dutch, we hear that the wife of the man behind the counter is also Dutch. She stood next to us and after very briefly exchanging some words of Dutch, today’s walk really starts.
First we walk to Lulworth Cove this is a round cove that originated naturally. We walk around it. We start across a pebbly beach, man, is that a hard walk. A little after half of the cove there is a staircase that we take to walk further up around the cove.
Pretty soon after we leave Lulworth Cove behind us we arrive at a military training ground. This area is usually closed but in the weekends (with a few exceptions) they are open and you can walk through them. Not long after we have entered the military training grounds we reach the first real hill of today. At Lulworth Cove we also went up but that wasn’t very much, that was mainly getting away from the beach. The first climb is immediately very steep and hard but when we are up there is a nice picnic bench where we can get a break. While we are sitting there we see someone catching up quickly behind us. When he is up, we chat a little and ask if he wants to sit. He answers that this is not necessary because he still needs to go quite a distance and after we have wished him a nice day he runs away. Pff he came up very quickly where we had just dabbled and now he just runs on. A lot of respect because I do not do that, especially in full sun.
After having rested we continue and then we immediately go down again. As we walk down we see several military vehicles including a number of tanks with lots of cows around them in different colors running from one side to the other. Once we got down we immediately go up again and so we started the second climb of the day. On the way up we saw some left behind cows running behind the rest and once up it was time to catch our breath. From the top of the hill we could also see a castle, or what was left of it. After you have gone up you usually end up going down again. We did not have to wait long because almost immediately after we got up we had to go down again but now we also stayed down.
After a stretch without too much height differences, we arrive at a beach where there are a lot of people (still on the military terrain). Here we have the choice to walk further along the Coast Path or to go to Tyneham. Tyneham is a ghost village, it was abandoned in 1943 by all residents so that the army could prepare for D-Day. Because the village is still in military training grounds, the residents have never been able to return and it has become a ghost village. The church and the school building have been refurbished and there should be touchscreen signs with the stories of the former residents. Of course we choose to take the detour and take a look in the ghost village. When we get there, we first walk into the parking lot in the hope that there is someone who sells drinks. But we are unlucky, no one is selling anything. So we walk to the old buildings that we had left behind for a moment. This should be Tyneham. But we do not find much more than a farm with a shed, some stables and a chicken coop. Where the school and church are is a big question for us. After looking around for a while, we decide that it is a real ghost village. At the moment it is pretty much gone, but if so many people claim that it is here, the village will occasionally be ghosting around here.
When we leave the ghost village behind us it immediately goes up again and then slowly but surely zigzagging down. On the way we meet several cows again, this time only in 2 different colors. Eventually we walk out of the military terrain and shortly after we arrive at Kimmeridge Bay. There are a lot of people on the beach here and there is also a parking space nearby. Here we are more fortunate, someone sells not only bottled water but also ice creams. We fill our water supply and both order an ice cream that we then eat at the edge of the cliff above the beach. When the ice creams are done we continue and we briefly go inside the Marine Center. There we have a short chat and after we tell them that we are not going to the beach but are walking, we are asked if we have empty water bottles that we would like to fill. To fill the water supply a little further, we have two empty bottles that are filled and then we quickly move on.
Of course, it immediately goes up again, luckily with steps, otherwise it would have been very annoying to go up the steep hill. Here the steps go almost completely up to the top but that is not always the case. In the previous climbs we had today, we had either no or only a few steps up. But when there are no official steps, there are often a kind of stepped treads where people have often walked.
When we arrive at the next climb there are also partly steps that we can use and at the top we have a rest on a bench. When we have recovered, we walk on, down again. When we get down, it is not long before we can go up again, again with some steps. When we are up again, we have a nice view of a part of what we still have to do. But before we get there, we first have to go a bit inland. We have the hope that we will remain the same height for the time and only have to go down again with the part that we already see in the distance. But unfortunately, nothing is less true and after a short walk we have to go down steeply. Here we meet people again for the first time after the Marine Center. When we are almost down again we walk through a meadow full of sheep. We have come across sheep today, but these make a lot of noise. First they mutter one by one and eventually all together in unison.
Now that we have walked inland, we can walk to the village where we spend the night, but we can also walk a part of tomorrow’s route. That saves us a lot of mileage tomorrow and is not very far because the village where we have to go is still on the other side of the headland where the Coast Path runs around. So we walk that piece too. My feet do hurt but tomorrow we go walking again and I already have blisters so then we better go on for a bit so that tomorrow we have an easier route. Of course it immediately goes up again with here and there steps that have been created by the walkers who have gone before us. There is a bench at the top but we decide to continue because the climb was not very steep and now we can walk straight ahead. Then we come to the dip that we had seen coming from afar and we have to go down steeply and then steeply up again. Both sides are fully equipped with steps and that is only good because it is a lot steeper than we expected. When we are up we rest on a bench again before we continue with the last part of the route of today.
After our short break, we walk on a stretch that remains fairly even at first and then slowly begins to go down. Eventually we end up at Winspit Quarry, this is the end point of the route today. But even though this is the end point we are not there yet. We still have to get into the village. So we go from the mine inland towards the village. Near the village we first have to go through a pasture with cows and then we end up in the village. Here we first pass the pub, but now we walk past it. We still have to check in and we are already too late for that. We had to call in advance that we were not going to make it but in the middle of nowhere there was no reception and when we came closer to the village we also got no reception because it turns out they do not have that in this village. Fortunately we can still check in and after a well-deserved shower we go back to the pub for pasties and something to drink.
Weather
It has been sunny all day with a clear blue sky and here and there some sheep clouds. Sometimes we had a nice breeze from the sea.
Lyric of the day
Today we have gone up a lot, sometimes quite steep and sometimes less steep but almost every time with steps (or a natural variant). And because there was nothing nicer than getting your breath after the trudging up (especially with the steeper hills) today Stairway To Heaven by Led Zeppelin because a bench after such a climb feels really like heaven.
There’s a lady who’s sure all that glitters is gold
And she’s buying a stairway to heaven.
When she gets there she knows, if the stores are all closed
With a word she can get what she came for.
Ooh, ooh, and she’s buying a stairway to heaven.
There’s a sign on the wall but she wants to be sure
‘Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings.
In a tree by the brook, there’s a songbird who sings,
Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven.
Ooh, it makes me wonder,
Ooh, it makes me wonder.
There’s a feeling I get when I look to the west,
And my spirit is crying for leaving.
In my thoughts I have seen rings of smoke through the trees,
And the voices of those who stand looking.
Ooh, it makes me wonder,
Ooh, it really makes me wonder.
And it’s whispered that soon, if we all call the tune,
Then the piper will lead us to reason.
And a new day will dawn for those who stand long,
And the forests will echo with laughter.
If there’s a bustle in your hedgerow, don’t be alarmed now,
It’s just a spring clean for the May queen.
Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run
There’s still time to change the road you’re on.
And it makes me wonder.
Your head is humming and it won’t go, in case you don’t know,
The piper’s calling you to join him,
Dear lady, can you hear the wind blow, and did you know
Your stairway lies on the whispering wind?
And as we wind on down the road
Our shadows taller than our soul.
There walks a lady we all know
Who shines white light and wants to show
How everything still turns to gold.
And if you listen very hard
The tune will come to you at last.
When all are one and one is all
To be a rock and not to roll.
And she’s buying a stairway to heaven.
