beaminster to west bay

October 03, 2021 by Mark Seymour in hardy way

hardy way

wednesday, 29TH SEPTEMBER 2021

It looks like I'm in for some nice weather today with sun all day long but those temperatures don’t look very high.

I start the day back in Beaminster but today, instead of heading out on the Wessex Ridgeway, I head along the Hardy Way heading southwards towards the coast at West Bay. It’s a chilly start to the day.

I follow the road southwards out of Beaminster and pick up a gloomy footpath by the River Brit. I come across my first Hardy Way sign next to a footbridge over the River Brit. The fields are shrouded in mist and dew clings to the cobwebs but the cows don’t seem to mind.

The Hardy Way follows the River Brit out of Beaminster and passes Parnham Park and Parnham House. A fire ravaged Parnham House in 2017 destroying the roof and internal structure but new owners have restored the house although I can’t see it because of dense woodland.

As I approach Netherbury the Jubilee Trail forks to the right but I continue following the river and then to the left of Netherbury Church where the clock strikes quarter to nine as I approach. The church is largely late medieval but was restored in the nineteenth century with protected stained glass windows. It contains brasses of the famous local seafaring Hood family from the eighteenth century.

I enter the village of Netherbury which is looking lovely and where I come across a telephone box full of books.

I amble through Netherbury and then leave the village via a track.

I then pass Slape Manor which is the original home of River Cottage from way back in 1999 and I do indeed pass right next to the cottage. I try to take some photographs of the cottage but it is densely surrounded by trees so all I can really get is the chimney.

I pass through a rather posh Slape Manor housing development before entering Waytown where I pass the Hare and Hounds.

I leave the village via a minor road and then turn right at Pineapple Lane towards Salway Ash before joining a bridleway opposite a barn at the end of a large cider apple orchard at Marles Farm.

I pass Dorset Nectar Cider Farm before leaving the road.

It is now an uneventful walk over farmland to reach Ash Lane where I pass a wind turbine and then pass Ash Lane Farm, Higher Ash Farm and then Lower Ash Farm. They are certainly radical when it comes to naming their farms around here! I photograph some of the flowers by the houses and they turn out OK unlike a lot of the other photos I take today.

I pass through a field where a cow looks rather shiftily at me but luckily she’s behind an electric fence. I found out why she’s not looking particularly friendly when I pass by her calf who is one the other side of the electric fence next to the footpath.

The bridleway continues past Middle Pymore Farm and through the grounds of Washingpool Farm where I pass a herd of red poll cows.

I now have sudden views over Bridport. Who knew it was so close.

The bridleway joins the road at Court Orchard housing estate at Allington and I amble along the B3162 into Bridport where I pass the Oddfellows Arms.

The route is now familiar as we have visited Bridport many, many times over the years. It is Wednesday market day today.

I amble along West Street and then down South Street before turning right behind St Mary’s.

I wander through the community orchard here and then pick up a path which passes Bridport Football Club.

I cross the road next to a weir and pass behind Palmers Brewery.

I pass beneath the A35 and cross meadows once used for growing flax and where, unusually, I come across a herd of cows.

I walk through West Bay Holiday Park which is still quite busy even this late in the season, to reach my destination for the day, the harbour at West Bay.

FLORA AND FAUNA

Flora and fauna encountered on the walk today includes :-

himalayan balsam
cows
pheasants
horse chestnuts
holly
hogweed
ivy
beech
quince
fuchsias
acanthus
sheep
roses
asters
dahlias
hemp agrimony
blackberries
apples

PODCAST

The podcast of today's walk is now available. You can subscribe via Apple Podcasts or listen using the player below.

MARKS OUT OF TEN?

According to my phone I've walked 9.4 miles which amounts to 21044 steps. It has taken me four hours. I’ve had pretty nice weather all day long, especially for this time of year and the temperature later on in the day has been a lot higher than forecast. Nine out of ten!

WALK DETAILS

Well bugger me! All of my tracking apps have worked for me again today for a third day running. The elevation maps below actually vaguely resemble each other.

map

lyme regis to burton bradstock

September 26, 2020 by Mark Seymour in south west coast path

south west coast path

monday, 21st september 2020

I should have a warm and sunny day today with very little in the way of wind.

Lyme Regis high tide: 09:58

Lyme Regis low tide: 15:37

I start the day back at the Charmouth Road car park above Lyme Regis. A sign here tells me that there are 114 steps down to the foreshore. I climb a few of the 114 steps down to the foreshore where I have a view of the Black Ven landslip and the coast path walk for the day is laid out in front of me.

I can see over to Golden Cap and in the distance, East Cliff and West Cliff at West Bay and Burton Bradstock and just beyond those, Chesil Beach stretches out to the Isle of Portland. This is one of my favourite stretches of coast on the whole coast path.

I climb back up to the Charmouth Road car park and head towards Charmouth Road.

Today's walk has typically in the past been dogged by landslips resulting in several inland diversions starting with an inland diversion at Lyme Regis.

I head upwards through fields high above Lyme Regis, photographing the wild flowers and I have a final view over the Cobb.

I enter a wood and the sign posts are very confusing so I wander aimlessly along tracks through the woods until I'm then dumped out onto a busy road above Lyme Regis where I enjoy some of the garden flowers.

I continue along the road until a sign points me to a path through Lyme Regis Golf Club.

I continue walking through the golf course following white stones before I head through some woods and I come out onto the main road into Charmouth next to the Fernhill Hotel.

It is now an uneventful walk through the back streets of Charmouth but there’s a lack of coast path signs.

I head off of the coast path and descend down towards the beach where I come across some beach huts and the Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre.

I wander along the beach here which is very quiet apart from a few dog walkers.

I head up from Charmouth Beach to rejoin the diverted coast path. There is a distinct lack of signs so I follow a sign for the Monarch’s Way instead and gradually amble along the path, passing behind Seadown Holiday Park and past the fire station and the old toll house. I turn right at Stonebarrow Lane and it's now a steep and long climb upwards towards Stonebarrow Hill. I enjoy the wild flowers in the hedgerows.

I come to a break in the vegetation where I have lovely views from the lane back to Charmouth.

I continue to the top of Stonebarrow Hill where a National Trust shop can be found located in an old radar station.

There’s still a lack of coast path signs so I vaguely follow paths down the slopes. I have lovely views over to hazy Golden Cap from up here.

I finally come across a coast path sign at Westhay Farm and head back down a footpath as it rejoins the coast just before Golden Cap. There are a few clouded yellow butterflies feeding on the knapweed which are tricky to photograph but I manage a few.

I walk through a field full of cows and calves where there seems to be a relatively fresh landslip.

I climb slowly up on to the top of Golden Cap. A runner passes me but soon slows down to a walk.

It's a long way up at 627 feet and the highest point on the south coast but it’s a surprisingly easy climb. I enjoy the magnificent views from up here. In one direction I can see out to the Isle of Portland and in the other direction back to Lyme Regis and beyond.

There are masses of martins - probably sand martins - flying around up here and they seem to be enjoying themselves.

Golden Cap is named after the distinctive outcrop of golden greensand rock at the tip of the cliff and is owned by the National Trust. There is a trigpoint s3752 on the eastern side which must have one of the best views of any of the trigpoints.

I hang around for a while admiring the views before taking the long descent down to the Anchor Inn (@anchoratseatown) at Seatown.

I crunch my way across the pebbly beach before heading across a footbridge at the car park and then climb back onto the cliffs.

I climb up Ridge Cliff high above Seatown where I have magnificent views back over Seatown.

It’s getting quite hot now and I’m getting seriously sweaty. After descending the other side of Ridge Cliff there’s an even higher climb up Thorncombe Beacon and then it's now another long descent, this time down to the village of Eype where there's another pebbly beach at Eype Mouth

I head over the footbridge over a stream where I come across some colourful pebbles.

Another ascent and descent over West Cliff takes me to the charming West Bay.

I've lost count of the number of times I've visited West Bay, but it's an awful lot. I round the harbour passing The George (@georgewestbay), the Bridport Arms Hotel, The West Bay Hotel (@westbayhotel), the amusement arcade and all of the food shacks dotted around the harbour. It is very busy.

I pass Samways the fishmonger and head out onto the sandy beach. It's definitely a beach day today so I ignore the iconic, crumbling yellow sandstone East Cliff and walk along the beach instead.

At Freshwater Beach Holiday Park I have to head inland in order to cross over the River Bride.

Normally I'd continue inland to walk through Burton Bradstock and, since it has been 17 months since I’ve been here, that’s what I do today instead of heading along the coast path.

I wander through the village past the Three Horseshoes and behind the church next to the river before crossing the busy coast road.

I pass Hive Beach Cafe (@hivebeachcafe) on my way back down to the beach. The National Trust car park here is absolutely heaving and Hive Beach is pretty busy so I’m not going down there.

That’s my walking done for the day. It has been another highly enjoyable days walking.

FLORA AND FAUNA

Flora and fauna encountered on the walk today includes :-

fleabane
marestail
ribwort plantain
red clover
ragwort
yarrow
field scabious
red valerian
fuchsias
swallows
speckled wood butterflies
red admirals
clouded yellow butterflies
martins - probably sand martins

PODCAST

The podcast of today's walk is now available. You can subscribe via the iTunes store or listen using the player below.

MARKS OUT OF TEN?

According to my phone I've walked 15 miles which amounts to 33811 steps. It has taken me six hours. I love this stretch of coast despite the inland diversions and it has been warm and sunny. Ten out of ten!

WALK DETAILS

You are taking the piss Ordnance Survey app. Seriously?!

That’s it, I’m definitely given up on using my Ordnance Survey app for showing elevation details as it is clearly incorrect. Instead I’ve started using the myTracks app which does a much better job even if it’s not entirely correct.

map

bridport to cogden

June 13, 2018 by Mark Seymour in south west coast path

partially along the SOUTH WEST COAST PATH

in search of bee orchids

saturday, 9TH june 2018

Today's weather forecast looks to be pretty good, and I should have sun with cloud all day long. There shouldn't be much wind but it is blowing in the wrong direction which it has done for most of this year.

Bridport low tide 08:29

Bridport high tide 15:25

The aim of today is to find bee orchids in the fields above Cogden Beach. I've been here quite regularly over the years so I should have a very good chance of finding them.

It's farmers' market day in Bridport today which is held on the second Saturday of each month.

We leave our apartment, conveniently located in the heart of Bridport, at just after nine 'o' clock and amble around all of the market stalls while stopping off in the various bookshops. I manage to add to my Roald Dahl collection, start my Paddington collection with five books and add to my nephew's growing Ladybird collection.

It is now time to head for the National Trust car park at Cogden. I head down West Street and then follow the River Brit as it heads out of Bridport.

There are some rather nice roses clinging to the fences surrounding the allotments next to the playground.

I head behind St Mary's and then pass next to the grounds of Bridport Football Club.

I pass behind Palmers Brewery and amble along the river bank enjoying the wild flowers.

I head across fields towards West Bay where I come across a herd of cattle. Even though there are quite a few calves with their mums they aren't in the slightest bit bothered by me.

The grass in the fields has been cut recently. We saw an awful lot of tractors making their way through Bridport yesterday loaded up with hay.

I head through West Bay Holiday Park where I take photographs of the various flowers.

The early morning grey clouds have started to lift and it's starting to get rather warm. I amble though West Bay and head through The Customs House emporium.

I head out on to West Bay Beach where there are loads of people enjoying the sunshine and warmth.

I amble along the sandy beach below the iconic, and very crumbling, West Cliff.

At Freshwater Beach Holiday Park I have to head inland in order to cross the River Bride over a wooden bridge. I head back to the coast again and head along the sandy beach towards Burton Bradstock.

I head along Hive Beach at Burton Bradstock which turns into Cogden Beach where the coast path heads inland. I walk along a rutted and baked dry path where I come across my first bee orchid all on its own.

I continue along the baked path and come across a lovely patch of flag irises.

Next to the irises I come across a large clump of southern marsh orchids. This is turning into a rather successful orchid hunt!

I pass a National Trust sign for Cogden and head inland across fields. It is a properly warm day now and the skylarks are making a racket above the fields.

I amble along the flower strewn fields keeping a beady eye out for bee orchids but instead I spot a pyramidal orchid, just coming into flower. This is swiftly joined by loads of other pyramidal orchids. This is now my third orchid species of the day.

I should be seeing bee orchids by now but instead spot another orchid species which I don't initially recognize but turns out to be a greater butterfly orchid (it could be a lesser butterfly orchid but I haven't a clue how to tell the difference between the two) which I haven't seen for years and I don't recall seeing them in this field before.

This greater butterfly orchid is all on its own but further along the field I find a small clump of some more.

My orchid field guide tells me that I can tell the difference between the greater and lesser butterfly orchid because the two pollinia are set wide apart on the greater. I guess they must be greater butterfly orchids then.

This has turned into a fantastic day for orchids. Four species in one day! Bee orchids are turning out to be elusive though. However, finally I spot another bee orchid.

And then I start to see more bee orchids - not as many as I was expecting - but on a day like this I'm not complaining.

I pass behind Orthona, a spiritual and community retreat, and then continue along the fields until I reach the National Trust car park at Cogden. My orchid hunting is over for the day.

I head back down towards Cogden Beach where I enjoy the sea thrift, sea poppies and the sea cabbage.

It's time to head up onto the cliffs. I head through Old Coastguard Holiday Park and then drop down towards Hive Beach again.

I head behind Hive Beach Cafe before climbing back onto the cliffs at Burton Cliff and then clamber down the cliff at Freshwater Beach Holiday Park.

I head inland to cross the river again before walking through the holiday park and clamber back onto the cliffs at East Cliff. I walk past Bridport and West Dorset Golf Club and then have magnificent views over West Bay.

I head through West Bay and then back towards Bridport where I pass Palmers Brewery again.

I head through Bridport Community Orchard and pass behind St Mary's.

I head past the market stalls which are now packing up for the day and my walking is over. It has been a fantastic orchid hunting day.

FLORA AND FAUNA

Flora and fauna encountered on the walk today includes :-

swifts
rabbits
cows
roses
cow parsley
hogweed
wild carrot
elderflower
geums
agapanthus
aquilegia
ribwort plantain
bee orchids
flag iris
southern marsh orchids
pyramidal orchids
greater butterfly orchids
birds-foot trefoil
sea thrift
sea poppy
sea cabbage

PODCAST

The podcast of today's walk is now available. You can subscribe via the iTunes store or listen using the player below.

MARKS OUT OF TEN?

According to my phone I've walked 16.5 miles today which amounts to 35583 steps. It has been another beautiful day's walking today with some great orchid success. Ten out of ten!

Hmmm. My Ordnance Survey app failed me again. My other app I use to track elevation worked but it's showing a decidedly dodgy graph!

MAP

lyme regis to abbotsbury

May 17, 2016 by Mark Seymour in south west coast path

south west coast path

monday, 9th may 2016

It feels like the last two days I've tested the good weather to its limits so I may well be back to manky 2016 weather later on today. Still, it's better than the weather forecast for tomorrow which doesn't look good. I was going to have a rest day today but due to tomorrow's forecast I've decided to continue walking.

Lyme Regis high tide: 09:15

Lyme Regis low tide: 14:43

I start the day back at the car park above Lyme Regis. A sign here tells me that there are 114 steps down to the foreshore. This is all new to me so I climb the steps down to the foreshore where I have a view of the Black Ven landslip and the coast path walk for the day is laid out in front of me.

I climb back up to the Charmouth Road Car Park where a sign tells me about the recent developments here. The Church Cliff to East Cliff stabilisation works were completed in 2014 at a cost of £19.5 million, providing protection to around 400 metres of the coastline and 480 properties. It includes the new footpath I've just walked on from the new sea wall to Charmouth Road Car Park.

Today's walk has typically in the past been dogged by landslips resulting in several inland diversions starting with an inland diversion at Lyme Regis and probably ending with a slight diversion inland at Burton Bradstock.

I cross the car park and head upwards through fields and woods where I come across my first bluebells of the day.

I'm then dumped out onto a busy road above Lyme Regis which I follow until a sign points me to a path through Lyme Regis Golf Club. Dorset golfers seem to be rubbish! I watch one person tee off, the golf ball hits a tree and the ball pings off 50 metres behind where he teed off. His second shot hits another tree and lands on a green but not the green he was aiming for.

I continue walking along the golf course and come to a path made of scallop shells. Here the coast path signs run out so after pondering which direction to take I head through some woods and I come out onto the main road into Charmouth next to the Fernhill Hotel.

It is now an uneventful walk through the back streets of Charmouth.

It has been years since I've seen Charmouth because of the diversions so I decide that it is time I visited the beach here again so I head off of the coast path and descend down towards the beach where I come across some beach huts and the Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre.

I wander along the beach here and do a bit of fossil hunting.

I head up from Charmouth Beach to rejoin the diverted coast path and gradually amble along the path, passing behind Seadown Holiday Park and past the fire station and the old toll house. I turn right at Stonebarrow Lane and it's now a steep and long climb upwards towards Stonebarrow Hill. I enjoy the wild flowers in the hedgerows.

I come to a break in the vegetation where I have lovely views from the lane back to Charmouth.

I continue to the top of Stonebarrow Hill where I come across a National Trust shop located in an old radar station.

I have lovely views over to Golden Cap from up here.

I head back down a footpath as it rejoins the coast just before Golden Cap, heading through a field full of buttercups.

I climb slowly up on to the top of Golden Cap.

It's a long way up at 627 feet and the highest point on the south coast. I enjoy the magnificent views from up here. In one direction I can see out to the Isle of Portland and in the other direction back to Lyme Regis and beyond.

Golden Cap is named after the distinctive outcrop of golden greensand rock at the tip of the cliff and is owned by the National Trust. There is a trigpoint up here which was covered in visitors.

I hang around for a while admiring the views before taking the long descent down to the Anchor Inn (@anchoratseatown) at Seatown.

I crunch my way across the pebbly beach before heading across a footbridge at the car park and then climb back onto the cliffs.

I climb high above Seatown and then it's now another descent, this time down to the village of Eype where there's another pebbly beach at Eype Mouth

Another ascent and descent over cliffs takes me to the charming West Bay.

I haven't brought any provisions with me today so I grab a bag of chips and happily munch on them next to the harbour, admiring the views out to sea.

I pass the newsagent where I grab a much needed ice lolly and then pass the fishmonger and head out onto the sandy beach. It's definitely a beach day today so I ignore the iconic, crumbling yellow sandstone East Cliff and walk along the beach instead.

At Freshwater Beach Holiday Park I have to head inland in order to cross over the River Bride.

Normally I'd continue inland to walk through Burton Bradstock but today I stay on the coast path and dart back out onto Burton Cliff which is also crumbling away. The weather is now closing in on me and it starts to rain and become foggy so it's time for my waterproof jacket.

The coast path diverts inland slightly towards Hive Beach due to a fatal cliff fall in 2012 and I pass Hive Beach Cafe (@hivebeachcafe) on my way back down to the beach.

TODAY'S GEOLOGY LESSON

The distinctive cliffs between West Bay and Burton Bradstock date from the early Jurassic period and are a bright yellow colour, made of 190 million year old yellow Bridport sandstone.

Limestone beds made of Inferior Oolite, dating from the early to middle Jurassic period (180 million years or so ago) can be found below the cliffs.

I trudge my way above Hive Beach and then behind Cogden Beach before the coast path takes me inland behind Burton Mere. I continue on the path behind the beach and the path becomes shingle which is very difficult to walk along. I come across housemartins skimming across a stretch of water. I continue along the shingle to reach West Bexington where the beach is a lot more pebbly and noticeably now part of Chesil Beach.

The shingle path continues inland of the beach before finally becoming a metalled path and the walking becomes a lot easier. The weather improves slightly so it's off with the waterproof jacket and I can finally enjoy some more of the wild flowers around here. There are what appear to be some kind of allium, possibly crow garlic?, everywhere.

I continue along the path to reach the car park at Abbotsbury, and the end of today's walk. The views back along Chesil Beach where I've come from and onwards along tomorrow's walk should be magnificent, but unfortunately they are engulfed in fog.

Driving back to the cottage in the car, it doesn't half look and feel like I've walked a MASSIVE distance today! The body doesn't feel it though.

FLORA AND FAUNA

Flora and fauna encountered on the walk today includes :-

swifts
magpies
rabbits
buzzards
wild garlic
bluebells
herb robert
ribwort plantain
garlic mustard
larches
cow parsley
primroses
lords and ladies
chiff chaffs
sparrows
blackbirds
speckled wood butterflies
peacock butterflies
orange tip butterflies
one sorry looking orchid
sea thrift
sea beet
skylarks
housemartins
cowslips
bladder campion
crow garlic?
bird's-foot trefoil
bittersweet
marestail

PODCAST

The podcast of today's walk is now available. You can subscribe via the iTunes store or listen using the player below.

MARKS OUT OF TEN?

According to my phone I've walked 19.96 miles today - again, I wasn't expecting that distance - which amounts to 45196 steps. Blimey! I love this stretch of coast despite the inland diversions and some iffy weather at the end of the day doesn't spoil things. Nine out of ten!

My total ascent today has been 837.70 metres, helped by the ascent of Golden Cap, or 2748 feet.

bridport farmers' market

January 11, 2014 by Mark Seymour in south west coast path

south west coast path

11th january 2014

Today's weather forecast looks like it will be fantastic, especially considering the amount of rain we've had recently, and does, indeed, turn out to be bright, sunny and warm. Must make the most of it as it doesn't look like it will last vey long.

Today is Bridport Farmers' Market day which is a perfect excuse for heading out to the South West Coast Path at West Bay. The farmers' market is held on the second Saturday of every month in the Arts Centre (@BridportArts).

Producers attending the market today included :-

Barley Sugar Bakehouse (@TheBarleySugar) - yummy treacle tart with orange and ginger today
Bothen Hill Produce (@bothenhill)
Bridge Farm Cider
Bridport Gourment Pies (@bridportpies)
Daisy's Woodland Chicken
Dorset Coffee
Elwell Fruit Farm
Fussels (@andy_fuss)
Homemade by Lizzie and Bekki- the baking birds (@bekkibemrose and @lizzibakingbird)
Leakers Bakery (@leakersbakery)
Meat Free Martha (@meatfreemartha)
Mere Fish Farm (@MereFishFarm)
Stockland Venison
Woolsery Cheese (@woolserycheese)
Wyld Meadow Farm

First up is a wander around Bridport (including stocking up on supplies at Leakers Bakery (@leakersbakery)), exploring the saturday market and along the way passing The Ropemakers, the George Hotel, the Woodman Inn, The Greyhound, The Bull Hotel and The Hope & Anchor.

After that I head out to West Bay along the Monarch's Way to join the South West Coast Path. It's pretty muddy out so I squelch along the fields at a very slow pace before reaching Park Dean Holiday Park at West Bay.

After exploring West Bay for a bit - passing the George Hotel and The West Bay Hotel - I trudge along the beach to reach Freshwater Beach Holiday Park, enjoying the mild January weather.

Here I head inland slightly, walking through the holiday park - it's pretty dead at this time of year - and then through fields to reach Burton Bradstock. I turn left to walk through part of the village and then head towards St Mary's church. I cross the stream that burbles away here and then cross fields to reach Hive Beach.

Often I'll continue walking along Cogden Beach before doubling back on myself, crossing fields to reach the National Trust car park above Cogden but today is a short walk day so I end my walk by the Hive Beach Cafe, which is closed this week for annual maintenance but is open for business again on Monday.

FLORA AND FAUNA

Flora and fauna encountered on the walk today includes :-

sheep
robins
lots of dogs
lots of gulls

MARKS OUT OF TEN?

I've walked about 5.5 miles today. My pedometer app failed me again but it should be about 12000 steps.

Love Bridport.

Love West Bay.

Gorgeous weather.

10 out of 10.

We'll be back next month.

View bridport to burton bradstock in a larger map

I didn't do any recording today but below is a recording from farmers' market day back in October. It includes recording from Bridport itself, Bridport Farmers' Market, the river behind Palmers Brewery, West Bay, Harbour Amusements in West Bay, West Bay beach, St Mary's Church, Burton Bradstock and Hive Beach at Burton Bradstock.