By gads it's Tyneham Cap

Another early start over to Purbeck this morning, this time though Bel was having none of it and remained hidden beyond the cloud, the coastline was shrouded in sea mists too, lending this magnificent rugged landscape an eerie air. This mornings walk was westwards along the ridge of the Kimmeridge Bowl out to Tyneham Cap and Townley Shenton's Seat...and as always the views were stunning. On reaching Tyneham Cap I was surprised (and a touch dismayed) to find Townley Shenton's Seat missing! I don't know what that's about, though I hope it returns as it's become a bit of a landmark for me, a place to sit and take the views that Townley so much enjoyed. I didn't know Townley, although I know he loved these views, the views he hoped we'd enjoy too (I know that because it said so on the memorial plaque on the afore mentioned missing seat). As always fabulous walking.

Townley's view

A harsh wind raked the ridge around the Kimmeridge bowl this morning as we made our way along it towards Tyneham Cap, and although the sun shore brightly, it was no match. A bright cold day indeed, great for walking, and we did at quite a pace. On reaching the Cap one of the Jurassic Coasts many spectacular vistas comes into view; in the foreground Gad Cliffes, beyond, a sweeping view across the Tyneham Valley and Worbarrow Bay, over the ramparts of Flowers Barrow Iron Age hillfort, across to Mupe, and Portland on the horizon. Quite something. The Jurassic Coast at it best. No wonder Townley Shenton loved this view.

Kimmeridge

Although the sky was a clear blue and the young sun shone brightly over Kimmeridge Bay, still on the surrounding hillsides and in the valley and hollows beyond, snow clung on. It was a great day for walking, the air was crisp and clean, and there were few people about. I was expecting to walk out around the Kimmeridge bowl to Townley Shenton's seat, though I found the range gates locked when they shouldn't have been. I don't know what that was about. So, anyway, instead I took the cliff top east towards the base of Swyre Head. Man, the cliff top path along here feels sketchy walking at best, it's very narrow, and slightly slopes towards a high sheer drop, add mud and ice and it was terrifying at times.  Some way along the path, over the fence in a field, is an abandoned military observation post, which at one time clearly had other features associated with it, now long gone, with only mounts and rubble remaining. I stopped for a while, the views through the posts small embrasures along the coast in both directions were fantastic. It must have been a nice posting in the summer, though I'd imagine bleak and foreboding in bad weather, or the depths of winter. Back on the scary cliff top the path rose and fell, with several little foot bridges crossing narrow gullies through which water raced before cascading off the cliff. Eventually, after what seemed like an eternity, my route turned inland, away from the frightening cliff path and I could relax. I don't know why take routes that scare me so, maybe it's a to challenge my fears, or maybe I'm just a fool. I walked back through the valley below the snow capped ridge which makes up the eastern length of the Kimmeridge bowl, before climbing back up to quarry overlooking Kimmeridge. As you can imagine, if the snow endured on all the sunny southern faces of the Purbeck Hills, the predominantly north facing slopes of the Purbeck Ridge remained firmly under winters snowy embrace. The roads over the ridge at Grange Hill and Cocknowle were both glazed and treacherous driving, as I found out descending from Cocknowle, I thought I'd be through the fence at one point.  Another memorable day at the coast.

Worbarrow Bay

Taking the opportunity of the Lulworth ranges being open over the Christmas period, we set off early for Purbeck, and on arrival we found the quarry above Kimmeridge already filling with cars. Our mission today was Worbarrow Bay again, though approached from a different direction affording us different views. The ridge above Kimmeridge is always a lovely walk, allowing aspects over Kimmeridge bowl, across the Tyneham and Corfe Valleys and in both directions along the coast, with a fantastic pay off upon reaching Tyneham Cap and Townley Shenton's seat.  From there we made our way along the top of the towering Gad Cliffs, and down the slippery hillside to Worbarrow Bay. It had been a while since we'd walked around the pebbly shore of the bay, it's a walk to to nowhere, as the beach abruptly ends at Cow Corner and the chalk cliffs which lead round to Arish Mell. Although it's December, the warm sun and inviting chalk hued seas looked inviting, though I'm certain that deception would be quickly seen through if we'd taken the plunge. The last time we walked this way the beach was clear, a long sweeping curve of graded pebbles, today though though the beach is truncated by a massive landslide from Flowers Barrow Hill. Large boulders now need negotiating if you're to get to the bays far end. We decided to return over the landslide, climbing to emerge about half way up the hill. There may have been huge boulders on the foreshore, though behind them the chalk is cherty and gritty, and appears as if shattered into irregular, though rough similar sized, pieces. The scar of the slide is massive and imposing, the land surface scoured of vegetation, it's alien in aspect and eerie to walk, possibly added to by the air of danger. When we emerged out onto the hillside I admit to being relieved, though was happy to seen immensity of scar first hand.  It's easy to think of this rocky coast as a static thing, although in recent years in particularly that view has been challenged in light of the numerous and often immense slides and the changes they bring.  We walked back up through the Tyneham Valley to the quarry, a good walk on a lovely day.    

Tyneham Cap & Gold Down

The valiant Sun, shining wearily in a pale blue sky whispered autumn, though the chill winds that scour Tyneham Cap and Gold Down shouted winter. To add to the confusion, throughout my walk sporadic blocks of cloud delivered moisture, because rain is loyal to neither season and will happily fall in any. The coast though was absolutely stunning; it always is. Standing at Townley Shenton's seat, high atop the 167m high knoll of Tyneham Cap, no matter in which direction you point yourself, you're faced with jaw dropping views of exquisite natural beauty. It doesn't matter how many times you've seen these views (and we've seen them hundreds of times), they never loose their wow factor. As cloud scoots across the sky, light dances over the rugged coastline and cliffs, across the ancient drystone walls, copses and hedges of the arable/pasturable patchwork which cover the valley, and through the high rough grassland which cap the hills and ridges.  These appear timeless scenes, scenes which draw you in, scenes that touch something deep inside you; there's something about wild places, or places steeped in history which make your spirit soar. Purbeck is one of those places, Purbeck is a landscape you feel. As if to reinforce my feeling that I was walking in a landscape walked for thousands of years, I picked up some worked flint flakes, from the edge of a ploughed field high on the ridge and was instantly connected to someone who walked here in prehistory. Marvellous.