Dungy Head and St Oswalds Bay

Beyond Stair Hole to the west, up past the big houses, if you follow the footpath you'll come out on the cliff top path which runs along Dungy Head. If you're feeling adventurous you can make you way down the steep grassy slope here to the rocky shoreline below the head. Obviously, that's not a recommendation. The grass is course and slippery, although does afford something to hold onto when you start to slip, which you will, it's a hairy decent. I know I say this about everywhere I go in Purbeck, but what a lovely piece of coastline. The shore line is dotted with huge boulders displaced from the cliffs above, cliffs which are a mix of rough grasses and scree, topped in places with fragile limestone faces. We've visited here many times over the years, though one occasion sticks in my mind, probably because I've recounted it so many times, it remains fresh and vivid. It was way back in the 80's, when a group of us would regularly, every Sunday, go walking over Purbeck. Now, I've never been one for heights and on this occasion we had attempted to scale the a very grassy/rocky section between two rock outcrops. I say attempted, everybody else made it up, not me though. I got stuck halfway up a rocky section.  I couldn't go any further upwards and had scared myself so, that I couldn't get back down either. Of course my chums laughed, finding much hilarity in my predicament. How do you think they helped me, what was the best they could do? No, it wasn't encouragement or a helping hand. No. They threw stones at me. Afterwards they said it was to help me, and yes, after a while I was encouraged to get down; though I doubt this was their primary motivation.  Back on the shoreline I still had to get up. I spotted a route that although steep afforded more security, with big rocks to climb around, rocks that would act as back stops if you slipped. I plucked up the courage and set off at speed up the slope. My heart was pounding, but I forced myself on, up and up, past the rocks, slipping here and there, but eventually I was over the cliff top to safety.  Oh how we laughed. As I say, I'll never forget that day; it's one of many good memories of great times.