swanage to south haven point

October 01, 2013 by Mark Seymour in south west coast path

south west coast path

1st october 2013

The weather forecast for today looks to be a bit on the gloomy side again. This turns out to be true but with the wind blowing, doesn't feel as warm as promised.

Today's walk, at 7.5 miles (according to Paddy Dillon's South West Coast Path book), is the shortest walk on the South West Coast Path and, unless I dawdle, shouldn't take me longer than 2-3 hours. I start off by walking along the High Street and then the promenade to leave Swanage passing the Ship Inn, the White Swan and the Red Lion pubs.

I walk along the beach until I reach a beach cafe below The Grand Hotel where I climb some stairs to reach the cliff top. I'm then forced to follow a series of roads to reach Ballard private estate. From here I reach another sandy beach before climbing up to the clifftop and head across Ballard Down to reach Ballard Point.

Below can be seen loads of pinnacles and stacks including Old Harry Rocks. These are all that remain of what was once a large stretch of chalk between Purbeck and the Isle of Wight.

I head on around Handfast Point and onwards towards Studland, dropping down on to South Beach. Somewhere just offshore can be found seahorses. Despite this, Studland Bay was dropped as one of the potential Marine Conservation Zones recently.

The route out of South Beach seems to be closed because of a landslip so I head inland to Studland, passing the Bankes Arms Country Inn and the Isle of Purbeck Brewery (more use of Flash on their website I'm afraid) from which emanates a lovely smell of beer. I pass the Manor House Hotel, which is currently closed for refurbishment, to reach Middle Beach.

From here it's a two mile stroll along the beach to reach South Haven Point.

WARNING - part of the beach is given over as a naturist beach. It was blowing a gale and felt pretty cold so there weren't many hardy souls out today!

And that's it really! I remove my boots and socks and paddle my way along the beach to reach the end of the South West Coast Path at South Haven Point. Well, in my dreams! I suspect the water was pretty cold today. At South Haven Point I take time to photograph the sculpture marking the end of the path.

FLORA AND FAUNA

Flora and fauna encountered on the walk today includes :-

lots of sea weed
sea horses
razor clams
swallows
cormorants
seagulls
sweet chestnuts
oaks

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 9.5 miles today which amounts to 20459 steps. The weather has been excellent for walking if a little on the dull side when it comes to views. 7 out of 10.

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isle of portland

September 30, 2013 by Mark Seymour in south west coast path

south west coast path

30th september 2013

The weather forecast for the day looks to be on the damp and dreary side.

The sun did try to burn off the mistiness throughout the day but only managed to break through once before getting covered up by mist again.

On the plus side it didn't rain and it was perfect walking weather but it wasn't great for photography.

The walk begins at the Chesil Beach Visitors Centre located at the Ferrybridge car park. The road onto the Isle of Portland is extremely busy so I quickly cross the road and drop down onto the trackbed beside the road which used to be a railway line.

I reach what used to be Mere Tank Farm, an old oil storage depot, but this has now been demolished as part of the Olympic developments around here. What an eyesore it used to be but I rather liked the depot welcoming me on to Portland and I can't see anything of merit that has replaced it.

I head in to Fortuneswell to Victoria Square, passing the Little Ship pub and the Royal Victoria Lodge (another eyesore!) which seems to be for sale. I check my pockets for loose change but don't have quite enough to make an investment. Instead I head for the Cove House Inn where the coast path goes along the sea wall before climbing steeply at West Weare. There are fantastic views back behind me over Chesil Beach. At least there should have been but it was a bit on the murky side.

'The Spirit of Portland' sculpture, showing a fisherman and a quarryman, is found a little way down the pavement in the opposite direction of the coast path.

I usually head through Tout Quarry instead of following the official coast path so I do this once again. The limestone from this quarry was used for St Paul's Cathedral and Buckingham Palace. Not to be outdone I pocket a few bits of limestone for myself. The quarry is now disused and contains a sculture park which is well worth visiting and is also a nature reserve. I spend a bit of time photographing some of the sculptures.

I regain the official coast path after exiting the quarry and head along the cliffs towards Portland Bill. The coast path should run along the cliff tops at West Cliff but subsidence has closed the path here and there is a diversion inland. The diversion didn't last for long and was soon back on the clifftops. The path passes between a disused lighthouse and the National Coastwatch Station and heads down the grassy slopes towards the red and white lighthouse at Portland Bill where the Lighthouse Visitor Centre can be found. A few clumps of feathers lie amongst the grass as if someone has recently made a killing here.

Pulpit Rock stands offshore so I spend a bit of time exploring the rocky shore as well as recording some video and audio and munching on a sandwich.

The place is deserted and I've never seen it so quiet.

The path continues past loads of beach huts. One of these huts could cost you around £25000! A fat and rather guilty sparrowhawk is perched on one of the beach huts!

The path then changes direction to head roughly north up the eastern side of the Isle of Portland. It heads along quarried cliffs where a couple of hand cranes can be found as well as Cave Hole, a large cave with a blow hole where I recorded some more video.

After navigating more quarry works the coast path continues along a grassy verge beside the road and reaches Coombefield quarry which is still in use.

The path reaches a viewpoint at Cheyne Weare. A sign here claims that I can see the chalk coastline along Weymouth Bay, the Purbecks, St Albans Head near Swanage and Lulworth Cove. Dream on!! All I can see is mist.

The path continues down to Church Ope Cove. I pause to admire the beach huts here before climbing back up some steps to reach a viewpoint.

The path continues past Broadcroft quarry and reaches Portland Young Offenders Institution and then Verne Citadel, now used as a category C men's prison.

I pass a sign pointing to King Barrow Quarries before encountering some wallabies!!

A tunnel leads to Verne High Angle Battery, a derelict fort built in 1892. From here the coast path seems to take a new route - either that or I've never found it before - and looks over a misty Castletown before descending to what seems to now be called Osprey Quay. Needless to say, I didn't encounter any Ospreys!

I head back along the track next to the noisy A354 to reach the end of the walk back at the car park at Ferrybridge.

FLORA AND FAUNA

Flora and fauna encountered on the walk today includes :-

lots of swallows
lots of snails
fox moth caterpillars
sparrowhawk
great tit
rose hips

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 13.5 miles today which amounts to 29068 steps. The weather has been excellent for walking if a little on the dull side when it comes to views. 7 out of 10.

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abbotsbury to ferrybridge

September 29, 2013 by Mark Seymour in south west coast path

south west coast path

29th september 2013

The weather forecast for today looked a bit dull and damp when I looked at my weather app first thing this morning.

As it turned out, it was a thoroughly pleasant and sunny day. I thought I hadn't taken a screenshot of the weather forecast this morning (it turned out I had) and maybe I was making the gloomy forecast up so I checked the weather forecast again while I was out walking and it had changed completely. Not very often my weather app gets it completely wrong.

Today's walk is perhaps not the most exciting walk, largely being inland due to the presence of Chesil Beach, but it's great to be back walking on the Dorset coast. Apparently Chesil Beach consists of 180 billion pebbles but I've not got time to count them all as I've got some serious walking to do.

The walk starts at the car park behind Chesil Beach just before Abbotsbury. I head down to the beach to admire it's majesty before heading back to the coast path. The path detours inland towards Chapel Hill where St Catherine's Chapel can be seen.

The coast path passes Abbotsbury Swannery before taking to grassy hills with some lovely views back over Chesil Beach.

Abbotsbury

Abbotsbury is a village and civil parish in the English county of Dorset. It lies in the West Dorset administrative district, and is known for its swannery, subtropical gardens and historic stone buildings.

The path passes above Clayhanger Farm and through loads of fields with the coast at some distance. I detour inland again, this time to visit Langton Herring and the parish church of St Peter as well as the Elm Tree Inn. The reviews for the inn don't look too hot so it's a good job it's too early for opening time.

I head back to the coast path to reach West Fleet with a view over to Herbury Island.

I finish listening to an episode of Ramblings here, featuring Werca's Folk Women's Choir. Well worth a listen if you like folk choirs or grew up watching Bagpuss.

The path continues past Gore Cove and the Moonfleet Manor Hotel and Restaurant, named after J.M. Falkner’s novel Moonfleet in which he describes a lake of brackish water full of “sea-fowl, herons, and oysters ... shut off from the open Channel by a monstrous great beach or dike of pebbles”.

“sea-fowl, herons, and oysters ... shut off from the open Channel by a monstrous great beach or dike of pebbles”

— moonfleet

East Fleet Touring Park can be found here and some gallops are close by but I didn't see any horses today.

I continue along the shore to reach East Fleet where I visit the remains of Old Church. Only the chancel remains and the rest of the church was destroyed in a storm in 1824 which breached Chesil Beach.

Chickerell Rifle Range is reached but the red flags weren't flying today so I was able to cross the range without any problems.

I carry on to reach Lynch Cove and then accidentally walk into a swamp and end up covered in stinky mud before having to head inland again to bypass the Wyke Regis Army Training Area.

I continue back to the coast before finally reaching a beach at Pirate's Cove. The path passes in front of a caravan site and then Crab House Cafe. It occupies a ragged boatyard of a site overlooking the eastern end of the Fleet lagoon, just before the bridge to the Isle of Portland.

I pass the Ferrybridge Inn at Ferrybridge before heading on to the end of the walk at the Ferrybridge car park next to Chesil Beach Visitors Centre.

Ferrybridge

Ferrybridge is on the causeway to the Isle of Portland, Dorset and is the point at which the Fleet lagoon joins Portland Harbour.

FLORA AND FAUNA

Flora and fauna encountered on the walk today includes :-

lots of swallows
lots of pheasants
sheep
geese
roses at Langton Herring

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?

My pedometer app failed to start today so I don't have any step figures today but the walk is about 12 miles. Relatively easy walking and lovely weather. 6 out of 10.

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lanivet to fowey

September 11, 2013 by Mark Seymour in the saints' way

the saints' way

11th september 2013

The weather forecast for the day looks a bit on the dull side but at least it will be cooler than the last few days.

Today's walk features loads of wayside crosses along the way. The churchyard of the parish church of St Nivet at Lanivet contains two finely carved crosses. The first, a wheel headed cross can be found to the north of the church and the second, a four holed cross, can be found to the west of the church.

The Way climbs out of Lanivet village and goes under the A30 to Reperry Cross. A wheel headed cross can be found here on top of a hedge. A granite guide stone is encountered, pointing the way back to Lanivet. Thomas Hardy visited here in 1872 and wrote the poem 'Near Lanivet'.

“There was a stunted handpost just on the crest,
Only a few feet high:
She was tired, and we stopped in the twilight-time for her rest,
At the crossways close thereby.
”

A bit further on another wayside cross is encountered close to St Ingunger farm. The path continues through Fenton Pits where another cross can be found at the side of the road.

The path reaches the hamlet of Trebell Green and continues to Helman Tor Gate. At this point the Way splits into two, one way travelling to Fowey via Luxulyan and Tywardreath. My route today reaches Fowey via Lanlivery and Golant.

I take a detour to climb the summit of Helman Tor Gate at 680 feet to visit the remains of a 6000 year old Neolithic enclosure. The view today is fantastic, if a bit on the dull side, and I can look back to the Atlantic coast and the start of the Way, and forwards to the English Channel and the end of the walk.

The path continues towards Lanlivery along an ancient granite hedged ridgeway before joining a minor road. Menawink Cross can be found here.

The path continues over Pennant Crossroads to reach the village of Lanlivery. The path passes the Lanlivery Parish Church, St Brevita and the Crown Inn where I'd have been tempted by a pint of Doombar but it was nowhere near opening time.

The Way leaves the village and briefly follows the A390 to Lostwithiel where a wayside cross known as Crewel can be found at No Man's Land.

The path turns right at some granite gateposts. A filthy bridleway was shut here so I had to divert close to Lostwithiel before reaching Castle and Milltown and continued under the railway bridge of the Paddington to Penzance line, passing Lantyan and Woodgate Woods where the Fowey River can now be glimpsed.

Our home from home for the week, Golant, is reached where St Sampson's Church can be found as well as the tempting Fisherman's Arms. A pint of Doombar here can wait until the walk is finished.

The path leaves the village by a footpath up onto the downs with lovely views over the estuary and continues through woods down to Sawmills Creek.

The 17th century water mill found here now houses Sawmills recording studio where the likes of XTC, Robert Plant, The Stone Roses, Oasis, The Verve, Supergrass and Muse have all recorded.

The path continues across a stream and ascends to Penventinue Farm before reaching the main road in to Fowey. It passes the Bodinnick Ferry at Caffa Mill before finally reaching Fowey.

The last stretch climbs Bull Hill to reach the end of the Saints' Way at the Church of St Fimbarrus which means it's Doombar time so after pottering around for a bit in Fowey I head back to the Fishermans Arms in Golant.

A guide pack of The Saints' Way can be obtained from the Fowey tourism website for £4.99 plus £2 postage at the time of writing. The pack features 13 full colour, laminated and illustrated cards: eight route cards, each showing a map section of the journey including information on distance, time, terrain, and facilities, as well as descriptions and information about places on the route.

flora and fauna

Flora and fauna encountered on the walk today includes :-

dead badgers
dead squirrel
dead shrew
cows
swallows
robin
grey wagtail
ferns
lichens
llamas

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 miles today which amounts to 34420 steps. The way marking has been excellent again so for a change I haven't got lost once and I've only been stung by nettles once so that also makes a pleasant change. 8 out of 10.

Why do so many websites in these parts use evil Flash though?

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padstow to lanivet

September 10, 2013 by Mark Seymour in the saints' way

the saints' way

10th september 2013

This is the first leg of a two day walk along The Saints' Way, a walk across Cornwall from Padstow to Fowey. The first day's walk is from Padstow to Lanivet and it's an unusual walk for me as it leaves the coast behind almost immediately.

The weather forecast for the day looks fantastic so I might be in for another hot and sticky day. Fortunately the distance covered won't be as much as the previous three days.

Today's walk begins at the lych gate of St Petroc Church, a little inland from Padstow's harbour. A Celtic four holed cross by the door of the church hints at the original Celtic monastery that would have once inhabited the churchyard.

The footpath leaves Padstow (good luck finding any signs) via Hill Street, Dennis Road and Dennis Lane with the Camel estuary on the left and climbs Dennis Hill with a granite obelisk on the top. There are some lovely views across the Camel estuary here.

The path continues to Trerethern Creek where a tidal mill, 'Seamills', used to work by impounding the waters at high tide and then releasing them as the tide receded.

A 14th century church is reached at Little Petherick. The church was rebuilt in the mid 1800s and the interior was restored in 1898.

The Saints' Way follows the A389 for a bit before reaching Mellingey, a hamlet containing a handful of cottages and a five storey mill, before reaching the hamlet of Trenance.

The Way crosses the A39 and passes West Park Farm and No Man's Land before climbing to St Breock Downs. The Bronze Age St Breock Longstone - the heaviest standing stone in Cornwall, weighing 16.5 tonnes - is found together with a number of burial barrows. There are spectacular views back to the Camel estuary to the north and the china clay tips to the south. The prehistoric hill fort of Castle-an-Dinas can be seen to the west.

It's windy up here!!

The Way then drops down to Hustyn Wood passing a number of wind turbines. The Way passes through Tregawne Valley to reach Tregustick and then a ford at the Ruthern River.

The path continues to the village of Withiel with its medieval church of St Clement before reaching the hamlet of Retire and passes Tremore Manor gatehouse. A Celtic cross can be found in the road verge here. I struggled to find it so it might be hidden amongst stinging nettles at the moment.

Just before reaching the granite clapper bridge spanning the River Ruthern at Tremorebridge, a 19th century cast iron guidepost can be found.

The Saints' Way then heads towards the destination for the day and the half way point, Lanivet village and the day should have ended with a refreshing pint of Tribute in the Lanivet Inn but it was closed so I headed back to the Fisherman's Arms instead.

flora and fauna

Flora and fauna encountered on the walk today includes :-

little egrets
cows
swallows
pheasants
pigeons
blackberries
swans
japanese anemones

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 17.3 miles today which amounts to 37119 steps. What a thoroughly charming walk this had been today especially considering that the coast was left behind so early on in the day. 8 out of 10. After leaving Padstow the way marking has been fantastic and I'd have never have found my way without them. Can whoever is responsible move on to do the South West Coast Path now! Thank you.

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