Monday 7th April 2025

By: Mike

                                            Burton Mere with the beach and sea beyond
 


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 the walk is easy, although signage leaves a lot to be desired.  At a pause to check the route, I manage to tread on my sunglasses.  So that’s two pairs gone.

We find an idyllic picnic spot behind Burton Mere.  The Cornish pasty does not disappoint.  When the path finally hits the beach, we find trudging through the pebbles exhausting and we are glad to put our boots on the tarmac of the car park.

There’s a nice, in fact rather posh, café above the car park and we pop in for a nice cup of tea, served in proper tea pots.  I succumb to Dorset apple cake, which is delish.  It’s been another glorious day and easy walking.

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