Date: 20180716
Time: 9:20 – 16:05
Distance: 25.9 km
Stay: Cafe Guest House 34, Poole
Walk
During breakfast I got a nice card with two photos that David himself had taken. One photo of the sculpture at the beginning of the Coast Path in Minehead and one photo of the sculpture we are going to see today, the image at the end of the Coast Path in South Haven Point.
After breakfast and saying goodbye to our hosts, David and Ann, the last walk finally started. Lise had some problems with the blisters of yesterday, but still wanted to try to walk.
After leaving Worth Matravers behind us, we returned to the Coast Path at the quarry at Winspit. After looking around for a while, we continued where we had stopped yesterday.
In principle, we had an easy route today. A lot of mileage, but hardly any height differences. One hill, just after Swanage and for the rest relaxed flat.
The Coast Path took us past fields and through smaller parts of vegetation. The path was easy to walk. Nevertheless, the pace was somewhat low. Lise did her best to continue, but did only progress slowly.
We passed some more quarries, a few mile markers and the Anvil Point lighthouse.
After a while the pace became slower (without Lise being aware of it). I already noticed that this was not going to happen, but we had to come to the civilized world first before I could do anything.
Fortunately, we came to Durlston Castle at one point. Here it was time for a break in the café and to take a look at how to proceed now. The latter was solved quickly enough, from Durlston Castle there was a bus to Swanage and from there another bus to South Haven Point.
So after the break, I put Lise down at the bus stop and continued to finish the last part of my mega adventure alone. Soon after Durlston Castle I arrived in Swanage. After walking through it, it was time for the only real climb today to Ballard Point.
In the meantime, I kept in touch with Lise through the app. She had arrived in Swanage and had to wait for the next bus.
During the climb to Ballard Point I met a whole bunch of school kids who apparently had a walking trip. It took me a while before I was past them.
Once I arrived at the top, another nice piece of walking followed over the cliff to Old Harry Rocks. They are indeed impressive to see.
From Old Harry it slowly went down to end up on the beach. The last kilometers went over the beach to South Haven Point where Lise was waiting for me. After passing a bit of nudist beach, the end sculpture came into view.
Of course we made the necessary photos with the end sculpture. Unfortunately there was nothing to drink in the neighborhood of the end sculpture. So with the ferry and the bus to Poole for a well-deserved pint.
I’ve done it!
Weather
The start of the day was cloudy, nice to walk. Later the sun came through and it became sunny and quite warm.
Lyric of the day
Today not some symbolic lyrics just because I made it, but the tune that Lise had in her head when she went on walking step by step, Links 234 by Rammstein:
Kann man Herzen brechen
konnen Herzen sprechen
kann man Herzen qualen
kann man Herzen stehlen
Sie wollen mein Herz am rechten Fleck
doch seh ich dann nach unten weg
da schlagt es links
Konnen Herzen singen
kann ein Herz zerspringen
konnen Herzen rein sein
kann ein Herz aus Stein sein
Sie wollen mein Herz am rechten Fleck
doch seh ich dann nach unten weg
da schlagt es links
links zwo drei vier
Kann man Herzen fragen
ein Kind darunter tragen
kann man es verschenken
mit dem Herzen denken
Sie wollen mein Herz am rechten Fleck
doch seh ich dann nach unten weg
da schlagt es in der linken Brust
der Neider hat es schlecht gewußt
Links zwei drei vier
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).
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.
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.
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.
The first part is a very relaxed walk along the Weymouth promenade. There were more than 100 Porsches lined-up here yesterday. Apparently the English Porsche club has a weekend in Weymouth.
After the break, I encounter a large number of runners. Apparently there is some competition today that is partly along the Coast Path. I give them as much room as possible. It is no fun to run up and down hills with this heat.
Then, when I am busy with the highest ascent of today, a whole cloud front suddenly comes rolling up the land from the sea. I currently walk above the clouds. But if I descend later, I end up in the middle of them.
I walk up here over the chalk cliffs. I go down and up steeply a few more times. The runners keep coming. Then I see, very vaguely through the clouds, Durdle Door. I try to take pictures of it, but that does not work out too well. So on it goes.
After another ascent and descent I finally have a good view of Durdle Door. I should not have worried, it has to be very foggy if you can’t see Durdle Door.
But I have a few nice photos and walk on quickly, between all the tourists. That goes on until Lulworth Cove. There is a huge parking lot and from there you can see all the tourists slogging up the hill…
I quickly turn to West Lulworth, a minute or 10 inland. We have a B&B there tonight and I have arranged with Lise to meat each other at the Castle Inn. West Lulworth is a small hamlet where almost all buildings have a thatched roof. Even the bus shelter has a thatched roof…
When Lise arrives, we drink something together and then we take the car to the parking lot at Durdle Door and walk there again. It would be a shame if Lise was so close and did not see it.
It immediately goes all the way up the hill. Here I walk through a surreal landscape of rocks that seem to be thrown down here and there. Here, in the past, many rocks and stones have been ‘harvested’ for all kinds of construction projects.
I walk back on the eastern side. Here it mainly goes along the cliffs. Until the last part where I go all the way up again. There are many butterfly bushes here. But, unfortunately, only relatively few butterflies.
Along the prison it goes towards the harbor. The prison here, Verne Prison, has a ‘nice’ record to its name. In December 1955, John Patrick Hannan escaped from this prison using knotted sheets (of all things) and he has not been arrested again to this day. This makes him the longest fugitive prisoner ever.
Many rocks today, the whole island is rock and rock is also mined. And all because someone once said 
After a while I arrive at The Fleet. 
About halfway through this part I arrive at the Moonfleet Manor Hotel. Until that time I feel totally Remy, from the Swannery to Moonfleet Manor I have not met anyone and I have not seen anyone. Nice and quiet.
During the second part of my walk along The Fleet I see more people. This part is clearly more popular. There is also more civilization here, holiday parks and military sites.
After the second and last caravan park, the Coast Path goes through the bushes for a while. A little later a not so nice part follows along a fence of a military training camp.
Eventually I arrive at Ferry Bridge. Here the Coast Path goes two ways, to Weymouth (I will go there tomorrow) and to Portland (I walk there today). The route to Portland is a little boring, just along the busy road to the island.
In the beginning I have a few cliffs that I have to climb, but they are getting lower and lower. After a few kilometers and the first cliff I am in West Bay. Here I fill my water supply.
One last cliff and then follows a very long flat stretch along Chesil Beach. Chesil Beach is about 29 kilometers long (so I’m not rid of yet) and consists of all pebbles. That in itself is not so bad, if you do not have to walk over them. If the gravel layer is too thick, then there is almost no getting through. It is like walking on loose sand.
Unfortunately I return to the beach and follow a long stretch over and through the gravel. That is heavy working. The only way to bring some improvement here is to walk as much as possible over the vegetation that is occasionally there. When I get to a parking lot, I hope I’ve had it. Unfortunately, after the parking lot the gravel continues.
After this break, I have a small stretch of pebble and then it’s over for today. It goes again along ordinary hiking trails and also inland. I follow the Coast Path to the Swannery. In principle I wanted to go inside, but £ 12.50 to see a few swans is a bit too steep. The rest of the Swannery is probably nice, but more aimed at children.
I walk to the village first and on the way I fill my water supply at the Co-op. Then it continues along the sea and soon also up. Through a number of fields and a forest.
Unfortunately, there is a diversion. Once again a cliff has fallen down and as a result they had to move the Coast Path. This diversion goes for a large part along the road and for a large part also along a busy road. There is a part that is easy going, right across a golf course. However, that is annoying for the golfers. Normally I walk along the edge of a golf course, here I walk right through it and a few golfers have to wait until I pass.
Eventually I arrive at the top of the cliff at Stonebarrow. From here everything is going to be better. Now follows a nice piece of cliff walking. Before I start the climb to Golden Cap, I decide to walk off the route to walk through Stanton St Gabriel, a tiny hamlet from the 13th century.
The descent of Golden Cap is fairly easy, to Seatown. Here it is time for coffee at the beach shop. I still have a bit to go (and to climb) before I get to Eype’s Mouth, where my hotel is for today.
Today is all about the English jungle. But before that happens, I first go into the local store in Beer to get a lot of water. It is very hot again and I don’t want to run out of water today.
After getting the water it goes up immediately. I have one more cliff to go and then I come to Seaton. Seaton is only a short distance away from Beer (but with a cliff in between). In Seaton I follow again the promenade, the route along the beach.
At the end of Seaton I leave the coast for a bit to cross the river Axe by the oldest concrete bridge in England, the Axmouth Bridge (1877). Then it goes up steeply to a golf course. I walk right through it and then I come to the point of no return. A sign warns me that the next piece is 3.5 to 4 hours walking and that there are no possibilities to go to the sea or inland. In other words, if you start this, then you have to finish it or go back.
I consider all options and check that my jungle equipment is complete. After much deliberation I decide to take a chance and I go in to the jungle. The jungle we are talking about here is the Axmouth – Lyme Regis Undercliff, an area where in the past several landslides have taken place (read cliffs falling down). Because the area is too unstable, man has never really intervened. This has led to a green area that is unique in England. The Coast Path goes right through it, a route of about 13 kilometers.
The first part goes past fields and over cliffs and is in general rather disappointing with respect to jungle. But then I come to a sign that describes the Undercliff and from there it is indeed through the jungle. Everything is green and grows together here. It is also humid here, despite the drought elsewhere. There is a great diversity of plants and trees. In the end, I distinguish two types of terrain. Where there are no large trees, everything is overgrown with shrubs and other low plants. Where there are large trees, the ground can still be seen and there are more ‘open’ spaces.
To make it easier for walkers, they have build a tower halfway. That’s handy, so you know you’re halfway through. Here is also a road and there is even a car parked. It is not so remote here.
Now there is still a stretch along the beach of Lyme Regis. Here it is very busy, good weather and Sunday. At the Rock Point Inn I stop for a pint on the terrace. Then I walk up the hill to my hotel for the next two nights.
All in all today was a completely different experience than the Coast Path so far. Certainly nice for the variety. What I found disappointing about the jungle was the amount of flowers. According to the descriptions many (unique) flowers grow here. I did not see them, everything was green and there were only few flowers. Probably the wrong time of the year.
Well, I ran a bit through the jungle today, therefore 
I start on a relaxing route today. Along the beach in Sidmouth. However, that is short-lived, after the beach it quickly goes up to Salcombe Hill. That is the first of three big climbs that I have to deal with today. Fortunately they are all three in the beginning of the route.
But at Weston Mouth it goes down again, completely this time, down to the beach. And immediately up again. This is the last big climb today. What follows is a lot of cliff top walking where I slowly walk down. It goes through meadows and there are quite a lot of people. That is probably because it is Saturday.
When I arrive at Branscombe Mouth, it’s time for a break. Fill-up the water supply and a can of juice. Because I did the worst of today and because today is a short route, I decide to walk to Branscombe village. There are some nice cottages and there is a pub somewhere.
When I walk to the second hamlet via the road, I find the Masons Arms there. That is good, a pint on the terrace in the shade seems nice to me.
After this welcome break I find my way back to the Coast Path. That is not very difficult and once arrived at the coast, I follow the lower cliff path along Hooken Cliff. That does not mean that I do not have to walk up, but only that I first walk underneath and only then climb up. However, it is not such a big climb (relatively speaking).
I now walk around Beer Head. At the beginning I can look back completely to Start Point (I was there a week ago). When I walk around Beer Head, I can look all the way ahead and see the largest part of the Coast Path that I still have to walk, all the way to Portland.
From Beer Head it goes quietly down to Beer. Fantastic name for a village in England 🙂 Here I go straight to the Anchor Inn, my address for the night. That’s good, because here they have a Beer Garden and life music. After my pint I check in and I take a shower. In the meantime, England starts the match. When I’m done and want another pint, I have to find my way between football fans who are all staring at a (rather small) screen (and all in front of the bar of course). I sit outside in the Beer Garden again and start this report. In the end, I think England won …
I start today with a long walk along the beach (not over) in Exmouth. I walk all the way to the end and there it goes up. From here it goes over narrow paths and through meadows to a large holiday park. I have a good view of the next part of the route, it goes up again before I am in Budleigh Salterton.
At the end of the sea wall, I arrive at the river Otter. There is no ferry here, but the Coast Path goes via the first bridge that lies a bit inland. A few kilometers flat walking along the river estuary.
When I get back to the coast, it goes up and then follows a fairly flat stretch where I at some point in the distance see the real challenge of today, High Peak / Peak Hill.
After I have walked through another holiday park, I begin this challenge. It goes up to High Peak and the last part is very steep. Then follows a flat section and then it goes up to Peak Hill. All that on the last kilometers of the route.
