Gad undercliff

 

Gad Cliffs is a striking section of cliff on the Jurassic coast. A 150 year old layer of Portland Limestone capping steep scree slopes of Portland sand and shale between Kimmeridge Bay and Worbarrow Bay.  The undercliff is a particularly rugged piece of terrain, and I'm not certain if it's strictly open to the public, so wouldn't advise  it. It's certainly a wild piece of the coast. 

Range walk

 

Today's walk was not a long one, though a challenging one. A particularly hilly route through Lulworths' military range; Whiteways car park to Flowers Barrow to Arish Mell to Bindon Hill to Mupe Bay. We paused at Mupe for a welcome rest, some refreshments and a chilly dip in the crystal clear sea. Noice. Then; Mupe Bay to Bindon to Arish Mell to Flowers Barrow to Worbarrow Bay to Tyneham to Whiteways car park. That's only 8.7 miles but with a 2,256 ft elevation gain. Bloody lovely though, top of the leader board of this years walks.

Worbarrow Bay and Tout

 

Worbarrow Bay and Tout. But for ephemeral remains glimpsed through undergrowth and thicket you'd never imagine that until the Second World War this was the site of a small fishing village and Coastguard station. Military involvement with this landscape has been a double edged sword, both destructive and protective.

Purbeck

Back to the Isle of Purbeck this morning, an early-ish start too, as the day had the potential to deteriorate...which it did, a bit.  It was another bright spring day to start, although a thin misty haze hung in the air and clouds could be seen gathering sneakily on the horizon...I see you cloud! Again we parked below the castle and set off along the footpath running along the base of the Knowle Hill, between the rough grassland and gorse of the hills and a matrix of hedged fields and small pockets of ancient woodland that define the Corfe Valley. Our path rose briefly as it transferred from Knowle Hill and Ridgeway Hill at bare Cross, affording us vistas along the Valley. They were short lived though as we soon descended again into the fields of the Corfe Valley, crossing it's titular river before rising up past Hyde Wood to the ridge above Kimmeridge, with stunning views of the Kimmeridge Bowl and along it's western arm...our direction of travel. We passed fields of bright yellow rapeseed which shone like gold, so vibrant. The western arm of the Kimmeridge Bowl is a favourite walk, views into the bowl and out to sea on one side, and into the Tyneham Valley on the other, really lovely. Out here it's hard to imagine you're so close the expansive BCP conurbation. A couple of miles undulating path and we reached the extent of our outward walk, Tyneham Cap and Townley Shenton's Seat with the most stunning view over Gad Cliffs and Worbarrow Bay towards Weymouth and the Isle of Portland. In Weymouth Bay you could see the cruise liners still hunkered down at anchor due to covid. We sat a while to take it all in before beginning our journey back. Another lovely walk, 11.7 miles. I don't mind walking alone, you can really connect and absorb, which I enjoy deeply, though it would be nice to sometimes share these walks again with others.

Greengage

For years now I've been creating a mind map of the wild resources to be found around my various roams, the Forest, the Chase, Purbeck, where ever I wander. Over the years it's become more and more expansive, you'd be surprised what out there to found, what nature has to offer. I'm for ever adding new finds and locations. Today I added another wild resource to my map of things, one that I'd not logged before, even though I'd passed them countless times, a group of Greengage (Prunus domestica) trees amongst the ruins of the fishing settlement at Worbarrow Bay. Nice.

Here we go again

Sunday's meant Purbeck of late, well, why wouldn't it, the weather's been very conducive to fabulous walking and the Jurassic Coast is a fabulous landscape to walk. Up and out early, again we had the morning to ourselves, and glorious it was. Having enjoyed last week's walk so much, we decided to take the same route again, the Povington Hill down to Tyneham Village, out to Worbarrow and up to Flowers Barrow, then back along the ridgeway to Povington Hill loop, not long, about 4.5 miles. And again it was wonderful walking, just as last week. Although it was considerably hotter from the get go this morning, by 0900 it had become a sweat fest with Old Bel showing he wasn't spent yet, the air was still and warm too, affording no relief. I can't imagine how hot it must've been by midday, Another thing different this week was that Worbarrow Bay was filled with yachts at anchor, I say filled, there were 15 or so, and you could understand why, what stunning views to wake to.

Tynehan Valley & Worbarrow Bay

It was up early and out this morning, Geoff and I were on a mission to Purbeck, Tyneham and Worbarrow to be precise. Visiting Purbeck in the summer can be a tricky operation, as the summer sees the area thronged with thousands of visitors. You need to get there early to avoid the traffic chaos on the way out, and get away early to avoid the traffic chaos on the way back. As a consequence we arrived arrived at the gate down to Tyneham by 0830, unfortunately only to find the gate wasn't opened until 0900. Still, no biggy. We were the first in, and bar a few overnighters who'd outstayed their welcome on the range the night before (something I noted with interest, and something I'll remember for future overnight missions), we had the valley to ourselves, and lovely it was too.  I think the Tyneham Valley is one of the most beautiful spots in Purbeck, taken by the army for training purposes during the war, it was depopulated (and many of it's building levelled after damage and subsequent neglect) and hasn't seen any post war developments and therefore retained an air of semi wilderness. It's bitter sweet mind, as the pre war occupants were told they would be able to return to their homes and lands after the war, only for the army to keep hold of the land, land they still use and control today.  It's about 3/4 of a mile from the deserted village of Tyneham down to Worbarrow Bay, the track runs alongside a narrow though deep cut stream, it's a lovely walk with great views. The bay was clear  and as we walked the pebbly beach the sun started to warm the land, so much so that by the time we reached the far end of the bay we were ready for a swim. Man, the swimming was nice today, clear water, cool but not cold, you feel revived and refreshed afterwards. I noted it was colder here than the swimming we've been doing at the Head, it's always a touch colder here than round our ways though. Once dried off, it was up Worbarrow Tout, or Mud Mountain is we know it, a lump of rock and clays protruding out into the sea, named so by us after the slippery side of it we used to, foolishly, climb. From the top you get this wonderful view up through the valley, as well as stunning views along the coast in both directions. I could have stayed up there for hours, just watching, just being here in the wild place were sea and land meet, communing with nature. Though, as with most days, I've got a ton of stuff to be getting on with, and all too soon we were on the road home. I'm grateful for any opportunity to escape though, and know we're so lucky to have places like this to escape to.

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.

Worbarrow Bay

The opportunity arose for a walk over Purbeck's Jurassic Coast, and well, you'd have been mad not to on such a glorious day. Taking advantage of the ranges still being open we opted for Worbarrow Bay and Flowers Barrow for today's destinations.  We parked up on the Purbeck Hills, and walked down towards the Worbarrow Bay, as we walked we were afforded fantastic views along the Tyneham Valley, and of the ruins of the village which until the Second World War thrived there. The exploded hulks of tanks and armoured vehicles litter the Gad Cliff side (seaward side) of the valley, though there's no firing today, all's serene. On reaching the tide was out and you could see the steep angle of the pebbly beach at the Worbarrow tout end (eastern end) of the bay. I don't like swimming here, it's like Mupe Bay opposite, it gets very deep, too quickly for me for a beach. It's not too bad walking around the bay today, with the tide out you could walk on more stable intertidal, much easier. Once you've passed the colourful sedimentary strata of the Wealden Beds, reminding me of Alum Chine on the Isle of Wight, you come to the high chalk cliffs of Cow Corner and the end of the bays beach. High above is Flowers Barrow, the western end of the Purbeck Hills ridge, capped with the ramparts and ditches of an Iron Age Hillfort, and our next destination. The ascent was going to be tricky, the whole cliff face below the hillfort has suffered extensive slides in recent years, leaving an alien landscape of boulders, scree and mud. Certainly on the recommended route, although one we've taken for years, and in it's current state one we traversed as quickly as we could. Eventually, after a scree scramble, and then the slow climb up the hills steep grassy flanks, we sat within the ancient fortifications. Our reward, views, man, spectacular views. What a fabulous walk, in a fantastic landscape.

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.    

Colourful layers of time

A fallen boulder afforded us a colourful view of the layers of time.

Tout

Sticking out into Worbarrow Bay, but for a thin piece of connecting land, Worbarrow Tout is all but an island. Known to our group as 'Mud Mountain' on account of the viscus marl clays which we clamber up to reach the summit. The tout may not cover an extensive area, though what there is is packed with groovy stuff. If you dig geology then there's plenty to float your boat here; mad stratigraphy, layers through time exposed one on top of another, a deep slab of our planets history. Huge boulders encrusted with Gypsum deposits, as well as dinosaur foot prints, fossils, and a fantastic rocky intertidal, with rock ledges thrusting seaward. Although it's all very nice and interesting, it's also really hard going, uneven loose surfaces, made slippery when wet, make it difficult terrain to negotiate.  Inevitably we'll go out along the intertidal and return up through a wide shallow gully towards the end of the tout (pic3, if you look carefully there's a person at the bottom for scale). It may be quite an undertaking when wet, and a touch scary whenever, and you come out on a narrow spur of the end of the tout with a short steep slope off a high cliff, which you need to keep in mind; even with all that said it still makes for an easier return. Now, I'm not that good with heights, and sometimes I'm worse than others, I remember at least 2 occasions over the years that when, after the long climb, I'd reached the top of the tout and had to crawl until I felt safe. Today was not so bad, I just did a hurried stooped walk, whilst cussing. Well, you've got to make your walks interesting. It is always worth it, the views from the touts rough grass summit are always stunning, and time was required to appreciate and acknowledge them. Far out.