Broad bench

You've got to make the most of what you get, so bright and early off we set to the coast. Kimmeridge our destination, to enjoy our intention. The sea was mill pool still, the sort of blue you can never reproduce and cool, not cold, just spartan enough to revive and refresh. A dip in the blue, bathed in sun, cooled by an almost invisible breeze as you sat on rocks as old as time; it was elemental, man.

The shore was clear and the lure of the unfamiliar strong as we made our way to the base of Gad Cliffs. Gad Cliffs, always out of bounds, being the overshoot area for the nearby tank ranges. We'd never been here before, in all our years of exploring the Purbecks; although I'd often spied the area with longing. We were not disappointed. Following animal paths we made our way through lush undergrowth, fragrant with an abundance of wild flowers, beneath towering ramparts of cliff, up, and then up some more we climbed, until we reached our goal of Townly Sheltons seat and our reward as the finest views of the Jurassic coast were afforded us. The rise in spirits is tangible