To a Long Steep Hill

  As we check out, sewage is appearing in our toilet.   We do feel we are leaving a sinking ship. We are encouraged by the thought that we are now liberated from the A303 and its bottlenecks.   Instead we take A35/A31 to the M27, expecting to do it in a much shorter time.   This proves not to be.   The traffic is very slow and it ends up taking just as long as driving from West Hill.   We are home for a late lunch.  We have lots going on in May and June, so our next SWCP session will be July or August.  Poole? Possibly.

                                                    Massive cliff fall on Jacobs Ladder Beach, Sidmouth   This trip has been very notable for cliff falls and tedious diversions.   It has become known as the Jurassic coast which sounds solid, but actually the cliffs are quite soft.   Some of the falls are dramatic and make the national news.   Of course, it is this crumbliness which keeps exposing the fossils for which the coast here is famous. Apparently, there are some biggies ahead of us as well.   We are led to wonder how long the SWCP will remain viable in East Devon and Dorset.   By the way ‘Jurassic Coast’ was unheard of when I lived in Sidmouth in the fifties.   Just a modern marketing term.

  Rest day   We decide to skip the two miles from Ferrybridge into Weymouth.   Instead, we decide to visit the Northe Fort.   But not before going into Boots Opticians where I get new glasses and sunglasses.   As creatures of habit, we get coffee at The Custom House. Then take the rowing boat ferry across the harbour.   I ask the ferryman if it gets to be hard work when the tide is running.   He says the wind is more of a problem.   He looks to be not much younger than me. I find the fort very interesting.   It was started by Henry the Eighth and has seen service and updating right up to the Second World War and beyond.   There are well presented displays about D Day and other matters military.   Weymouth was a major embarkation point for the Americans who went to Omaha beach.   How many of the young men in the photos were killed on the beach. We walked back to the Custom House and had crab sandwiches.   Spent th...

  Abbotsbury to Weymouth (Ferrybridge).   10.9 miles We get an early bus to Abbotsbury and have a coffee in a little deli and butcher which I spotted yesterday.   We get bacon rolls for lunch.   Surprisingly, it’s run by a South African couple. The walking is mostly easy, but the distance is at the outer limit of our ability.   We definitely would be struggling if there were cliffs to climb. Much of the walk follows the shore of the Fleet lagoon.   There are interesting birds, but of course I don’t have my binoculars.   Whilst taking a break overlooking the lagoon I manage to stand on my glasses.   Fortunately, I never do SWCP without a spare pair.   But still. As the evening approaches and we are cold and very tired, we are confronted with a ‘path closed’ sign.   From bitter experience we have learned to take these signs seriously, but we can’t face the detour which will add a mile.   Luckily a local woman tells us that it’s ...

  West Bexington to Abbotsbury.   3.7 miles It’s another taxi situation – hopefully the last of this trip.   We drive to Abbotsbury.   We are meeting our driver in the car park, but we avoid the charges by parking in the street. Our driver is Garry, an interesting man indeed.   He lives completely off grid in a horse box parked on an industrial estate in Bridport.   Originally from the Midlands, he went with his parents to South Africa as a child.   He came back as an adult and worked as a machine tool operator.   He then had a serious health problem, which is why he has ended up living in a Dorset horsebox driving taxis.   He seems perfectly happy.   The journey to West Bexington cost £25.00. It's another easy walk which takes in some Abbotsbury sightseeing.   We pay £27 each to visit the Swannery.   Apparently swans are normally solitary and territorial.   It’s unique for them to all come in a great huddle. ...

  West Bay to West Bexington.   5.6 miles Getting our car out of the Jubilee car park is an operation.   They are packed in like sardines and everyone has to leave their key at reception.   If you are blocked the receptionist plays Rubik Cube with the cars until you have a clear exit route.   Knowing we will have an early start, we ask to be put in pole position the night before and we are off to West Bexington where we park for £15.00.   Taxi to West Bay is £20.00.   We are missing John Sheaves.   Chris found our taxi in Bridport.   Driver is a cheerful lady from London who has recently moved to Bridport and is loving the life away from the smoke. She drops us outside the Cornish bakery and we have a coffee. There is a smell of pasties baking.   I find a ‘large traditional’   hard to resist, and I don’t.   In spite of the extreme exercise, I never lose weight on the SWCP.   We start with yet another diversion, but...

  Rest day We have a late breakfast and amble towards the harbour.   I buy a post card for Stuart. We have a coffee at the Customs House Café on the old harbour.   I have an urge to go to Portland, since we are planning to duck the walk round it.   We find a bus.   Portland is actually pretty grim.   Rows of 1 9th  Century housing mixed with pretty grim modern estates. It reminds me of Middlesbrough.   We go to the end of the bus route and stay on board to come back.   We do see some of the stone quarries, but apparently most of the stone is now mined underground using Italian cutters developed for getting out marble. Lunch is smoked mackerel sandwiches back at the Customs House. Still in penance for our splurge at ‘Catch on the Harbour’, we get fish and chips and eat them sitting on a bench by the harbour.

  Charmouth to West Bay   7 miles Early start with breakfast at 0800.   Jubilee breakfast buffet is not bad.   We then drive to West Bay.   It’s essential that we get the 09.28 bus from West Bay to Charmouth.   We are starting our walk there following the advice of our official guide book.   The Lyme to Charmouth section is mostly on roads   as the golf club doesn’t allow walkers along the cliff top. There’s panic at West Bay because we can’t find the long-stay car park.   When Chris tracks it down we can’t get the ‘pay by card’ machine to work.   Minutes are ticking by.   It turns out that the bank has blocked my card. Using a different card we get to the bus stop just in time. In Charmouth we find a delightful bakery who give us great coffee and beautiful croissants. We sit and enjoy them in the sun.   It’s a moment.   There’s a bitter-sweet aspect to these moments.   I am about to be 81 and I know that I wi...

  Moving day We have a very enjoyable morning being tourists in Lyme, including selfies on the Cobb and a very interesting visit to the museum.   Lyme used to be quite an important port.   It was where the Duke of Monmouth landed for his ill-fated attempt to seize the throne.   Many men from Lyme were killed at Sedgemore or were executed in the Bloody Assizes. We fancy crab sandwiches. “If you are planning to eat them outside, watch out for seagulls,” warns the man in the bakery. We sit on the beach.   I am halfway through my second half sandwich when there is a sudden flapping of wings and a sharp nip to my finger.   The rest of the sandwich is gone.   To make matters worse I realise that I have been sitting on chewing gum. Who do I hate most – the seagull or the tow-rag who left their gum on the beach?   Answers on a post-card. So, on to Weymouth, where we have reserved an Airbnb.   It starts to go pear-shaped when we turn int...

  Seaton to Lyme Regis 5 miles Becky and Luna are walking with us again.   Becky seems to be really enjoying this. We park in the long stay at Seaton £8.50.   We are on the path as usual by 10.30.   This section takes us through the Undercliff, the extraordinary feature where the entire section of cliff slid down, creating a wild lost world.   It’s now a nature reserve and there is a well-marked path through.   It is a tough hike, and we are exhausted by the time we emerge into Lyme.   We fall into The Cobb Arms at 16.20 for a welcome cuppa.   By the time John comes to pick us up, it is raining.   We say our goodbyes in the car park at Seaton and drive back to Lyme where we check into Lyme Town House, a lovely boutique hotel.   If only we had stayed there a bit longer – as will be clear in the next post. We book into Rockfish.   We unaware that this branch has literally just opened.  

                                                                               Beer   Branscombe to Seaton 4 miles John drives us back to Branscombe.   It is such a luxury not having to worry about buses or taxis.   It is another brilliantly sunny day, but the wind is cold.   I have found another pair of sunglasses lurking in the car, but I forgot to fill my water bottle.   As it’s a shortish walk today, I decide to soldier on.   We are on the path by 10.30.   We are faced with an immediate steep climb up East Cliff.   After that it is an easy cliff top walk in wide-open grass past Beer Head and down into Beer.   My grandfather’s name was George Beer Brokenshaw.   There must be a connection, but I don’t...

  Sidmouth to Branscombe  5 1/2 miles Weather is still glorious, but there is a cold wind strong enough to send spray over the sea front.   Becky comes with us, bringing Luna the Dubai rescue dog. We begin by climbing Salcombe Hill.   The path I used to go up with Granny-ma doesn’t exist any more due to cliff erosion.   I will be doing a separate post about this.   Instead, we go up residential roads for the first stage of the climb.   I have happy and powerful memories of helping Granny find the first violets and primroses in the nineteen fifties.   Although it’s all familiar, this is a really tough section.   Salcombe Hill, then Dunscombe are steep.   The trail guide tells us we will climb 2,000 feet by Beer. This time we are only getting to Branscombe.   Luna is mainly well -behaved, but just before lunch above Weston, she spots a deer and nothing can stop her.   There is a hedge and fence separating them so the deer...