Tyneham Valley

 

This morning was our first foray to the isle of Purbeck this year, and what a morning to choose. It was bloody lovely. Purbeck's a special isle, a magical isle, adjacent to an expansive urban sprawl, yet remaining worlds apart. A seemingly timeless place, and an area that mercifully has thus far through a mixture of factors escaped the ravages of development, in some parts remaining to all appearances unchanged for a hundred years. As you walk all around you the visible remnants of 5000 years of history and human activity are etched on the landscape, with every period well represented from prehistory to present day. The photo is across the Tynehan Valley to Tyneham Cap, with Swyre Head and then St Aldhelms' Head in the distance. Beautiful.

Chapmans Pool to St Aldhelm's Head and back again; part 3, Emmetts Hill

Rested and St Aldhelm's Head conquered, it was time for the return leg of the walk. The views from St Aldhelm's Head along the Jurassic coast are outstanding; different headlands and coastal features highlighting the regions unique geological mix of limestones, chalks, clays and sands; a World Heritage Site after all. You'd have hoped that reaching the top of the head the walking thereafter would all be relatively level, but you'd be mistaken; first the two huge sets of stairs that run down, through, and up the other side of a steep sided valley between St Aldhelm's Head and Emmetts Hill had to be conquered. The stairs down are one thing, the stairs up are something else; though once completed the remainder of the walk is a cakewalk; follow the well trodden cliff top path that winds around Emmett's Hill, and take in the lovely vista of Chapmans Pool and the coast beyond as you go. At just 4 miles, not a long walk; although beyond the very beginning and the Emmett's Hill section, it was technical and challenging throughout. You can't beat walking in Purbeck for blowing away the cobwebs.

Chapmans Pool to St Aldhelm's Head and back again; part 2, St Albhelm's Head

 

If I thought the under-cliff around Chapmans Pool was difficult terrain I was in for a shock; the terrain on the second portion of my walk upped the ante somewhat. I continued along the shoreline, rather than the escarpment route; a decision which in retrospect I came to regret. There'd been a fair amount of slippage and collapse, and most of my passage around the coast was over and through various sized boulders and loose rock; it was quite intense going, and looking at my course ahead I began to question how sensible my choice of path had been...of course, the alternative could've been just as problematic. As it happened, the climb up the escapement wasn't much better; jumping between bramble and ivy covered boulders, gave way to loose wobbling rocks and shifting rock scree; by the time I'd reached the top of the escarpment I'd got all hot under the collar (I'm not good with heights; sometimes worse than others...today was a 'sometimes worse' day); everything appeared steeper today, more extreme, more sketchy than I remembered. I'd intended to explore and chill for a while before I undertook the last climb up out of the quarry, although I scrubbed that deciding instead to make the climb right now; I feared it may have become insurmountable in my mind, and I didn't relish retracing my steps. Even though I'd taken this route hundreds of times before, and it's not particularly difficult, the ascent was made challenging by my over-thinking of it; still, in the end I made short shrift of it and after scrambling and reaching the quarry top lay in the hot sun catching my breath, my hands shaking. A bit of adventure.

Houns Tout loop

Today we were back out to Purbeck, well, it would be rude not to on a morning as glorious as this. Today we took the ridge out to Houns Tout from Kingston, it was lovely. For me, the views from the ridge into the Encombe Valley and over towards Swyre Head never lose their shine, nor do those from Houns Tout, which was windswept. I'm not too fond of heights and the Tout is exposed with a narrow path across it, quite nerve wracking, although nothing compared with the steep descent towards Chapmans Pool with an excited Geoff, the angle of the slope and the length of Geoff's lead were at odds with each other. I calmed myself with a mantra of profanity, usually works. There are very steep steps down, a lot of steps, steps which feel too close together, and as so are hard to negotiate. It was not a comfortable descent, and I was grateful to reach the bottom of the steps without incident, then promptly fell on my arse...gave me a laugh. One last look across Chapmans Pool at Emmett's Hill and St Aldhelm's Head beautifully illuminated in the autumn sun, and it was back off towards Kingston.  A bracing, if not briefly terrifying, Sunday walk.

Egmont Rocks

Out over Chapmans Pool with St Aldhelm's Head beyond one way, looking towards the Kimmeridge ledges the other, the views from Egmont Rocks along the foreshore below Houns Tout. Overseen by a defiant sun, above us an expanse of azure sky, the only clouds to be seen were far out on the western horizon, the summer continues. Our autumnal October day walk felt very much like an early summers day walk. Through the night and in the morning though, you know it's autumn proper, and you can feel Jack's icy fingers reaching out and you know winter's fast approaching too.

Jurassic

Walking in the footsteps of dinosaurs today, the Jurassic Coast. Rugged and timeless, the Isle of Purbeck is a landscape of wonders. Not a long walk  though a walk taking in some stunning views, Chapmans Pool, Emmett's Hill, St Aldhelm's Head, a perfect day for it too.

St Aldhelm's Head and Chapmans Pool

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We were over Purbeck today, exploring the rugged terrain of the Jurassic Coast, and to make it more challenging, for most of the walk (walk really being a misnomer) we created our own route over, or followed animal tracks over, a rough boulder strewn landscape, across acute slopes of loose dried clay or through a dense carpet of bramble and thorn.  It made for an interesting outing. It started with a bracing stroll out to Houns Tout with its beautiful views into the Encombe Bowl and the Jurassic Coast as it unfolds west, before we descended to Chapman's Pool. Between Chapman's Pool and the western slope of St Aldhelm's Head there has always been a narrow path, it's course would occasional change, through the path remained a constant, not so now. Although some sections of the path remain, for the most part the path is gone; the sea has eroded so much in recent years, the coast is raw and fluid, blasted with pebbles flung by the waves. There's no path to follow. There's something primeval about making your own way through nature, you are forced to take notice of your surroundings more, to look ahead as well as your footfall. Over the years, as with everywhere else, the brambles here have invaded and colonized the boulders, rocks and quarry waste beneath St Aldhelm's Head, they tangle your feet or rap themselves around your legs with incredible efficiency, they really are a pain the arse.  Though the views we were afforded as we moved up and around the headlands were more than compensation for our injuries. Eventually we climbed out of the old quarry mouth, turning to take in the dramatic view back into the quarry and the sea a 100 meters below us. It struck me how green the post industrial landscape had become, when we started coming here in the 80's the scene was one of starkness a bare stone landscape. How much its changed. The views from St Aldhelm's Head in all directions are phenomenal. Kicking back in a depression of long rough grass, I think, I could lay here all afternoon soaking in the autumn sun and scenery.  Though we're not sat for long, before it's off west in the direction of Emmett's Hill and Chapman's Pool. This time the paths are defined and well kept, easier walking but for the deeply cut blunt valley between the two headlands, which is all steep stairs and aching. The light catches the cattle lines which mark the valley's steep grassy sides. It's not only the cattle tracks which are picked out, but also depressions and hollows, and a track which cuts diagonally across the slope and which once would have reached the tiny bay below, though now ends abruptly meters above the sea. A testament to the erosion of the years. Once around Emmett's Hill we drop into Hill Bottom, it's wooded core holds a secret. Over the fence (for sometimes you just must) and you're into a deeply cut wooded gorge through which a stream flows. A gentle stream today, though in the wet season a torrent. It's a magical place of gnarled trees, waterfalls, sparkling pools and luscious ferns. If you chose to get off the path and roam, nature will always show you her wonders.  We left Hill Bottom and made our way up through grassy fields and nettle choked footpaths until we'd returned to our start point in Kingston. Fabulous walk immersed in natures glory, in good company and under a generous Autumn sun.