Mupe

Just look at that. 185 million years of strata, Earths' ancient geological history on show, representing the entire Mesozoic era. It's no wonder that the Jurassic Coast is a World Heritage site; a landscape of international geological importance, particularly the section between Mupe Bay and Dungy Head, where the strata is buckled and folded highlighting the raw power our planet is capable of. Mupe was our destination this morning, such a lovely spot, and what a lovely day for it. I've always loved this place, it's wild and rugged, with moods that change with the weather; welcoming today, though in stormy conditions another place altogether.

Studland wood

This is the way.

The Pinnacle and the Haystack

 

The way the chalk cliffs here have eroded has formed Pocket Bays filled with flint pebbles, the motion of which cause the pockets to erode further, which in turn creates stacks. The Pinnacle and the Haystack above represent the latest chalk stacks in a multi millennia spanning parade of stacks, and their replacements are already being created.

Isle of Wight

 

Being were we are on the coast you get so used to seeing the Isle of Wight a certain way, from Purbeck though you get to see it from a whole other angle. It's always nice to get another perspective on things. The island looks so different too, much bigger. Until 100 thousand years ago Purbecks' Old Harry Rocks and the Isle of Wights' Needles were part of the same a chalk ridge created at the time of the Cretaceous Paleogene extinction event. Time and the elements did for that though.

Coastal path

In part our walk back from White Nothe was along the undulating coastal path, back towards Durdle Door. It's a well worn route as shown by it's multiple narrow deep cut paths. At this point of the walk both the ups and downs were taking a toll on tired legs. But the views. Man, the views. And on such a smashing day too. Have I ever mentioned how blessed we are living in this part of the country. 

White Nothe smugglers path

White Nothe is a 160m high chalk headland overlooking Weymouth and Portland, it marks the western end of the high Cliffs which begin in Swanage, the coast beyond known as the Weymouth lowlands, although lovely, is far less dramatic. The headland is most famous for its zigzag smugglers Path up from the undercliff, which is thought to be the smugglers path featured in the 19th century novel Moonfleet. The path is one of the best on the Purbeck coast. Mind, the smugglers path is not for the weak hearted or those with a fear of heights, it's really steep and at one point buttock clenchingly scary. Even though I've navigated the path countless times over the years it still gives me the willies, the exhilaration and views though on completion are worth it.     

White Nothe undercliff

White Nothe undercliff

Studland

Geoff and I had the beach between Shell bay and North Beach to ourselves this morning, not a soul in sight. Morning walks like this are elevated to spiritual experiences, opportunities to commune with nature.

Down but not out

I'm not certain how far up the cliff side this Type 25 pillbox was originally sited, but I do remember it sitting above the level of the orange/yellow sands back in the late 1970's. Along with other structures around Studland it was built hastily in 1940 by the Directorate of Fortifications and Works (FW3) to offer some defence against the believed imminent German invasion. Necessity driven by war meant that around the country not all structures were completed to a high standard, clearly 85 years exposed to the elements and still standing ready suggests this one certainly was.

Purbeck

A walk in Purbeck, along the Jurassic Coast, our first World Heritage Site, a landscape of natural wonders, and a memory repository of countless Sundays exploring, of adventures, not always undertaken safely nor in appropriate conditions if truth were known. Since the early 80's Purbeck has been a place that has called to us, so many memories of days roaming its' wild landscape with dear friends. A treasure trove of fond memories. Walking those same coastal paths this morning, scrambling amongst boulders and scaling slides with one of those dear friends was a welcome exercise in timelessness.

Houns Tout

 

I'd seen that the coastal path down from Houns Tout to Chapmans' Pool was closed back at the Summer Solstice, though this is the first time I've seen the landslide that caused it. Hell of a slide. A whole section of the cliff has gone, the coastal path with it, slumped towards the shore. In time the fences will be moved a few meters inland and a new path established, for now though it's a fair detour inland from Houns Tout to Kingston and then seaward again to Chapmans' Pool. Nice though. The Purbeck coast is in flux. It was ever thus.

Encombe

 

The picturesque Encombe valley; for my money one of the loveliest pockets of Purbeck.

Townley Shentons' Seat

Tyneham Cap or Towney Shenton' seat (as I know it) is without doubt one of my favourite spots on the Jurassic Coast, with it's spectacular views along the Jurassic coast in both directions and a clear sweep across the entire Kimmeridge bowl it's easy to understand why. The halfway-ish point on our mornings walk, it was the perfect place for a break. Whilst chilling I got chatting with a chap who it turned out had been born in Kimmeridge in '44 and has lived and worked here since. How cool is that, to have that depth of connection to a particular parcel of land must be something special. His stories brought the landscape and places around us to life, stories of childhood capers, of family connections, of farming and more, the nuggets of information he shared adding to my knowledge of the area. I think he was up here visiting his brother 'Mivvi' whose ashes had been spread here a couple of years back, so after a while I thanked him for his time and left him in peace. I really find it a privilege chatting to people. I'm a huge fan of oral history and recording peoples stories, it's a resource too often overlooked and to valuable to waste. We could learn so much by listening.

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.

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.

Climb out of Swanage

From Ballard Down we'd approached Swanage via the inland Whitecliff route and climbed out of Swanage up to Ballard Down via the coastal path this morning; a picturesque route with lovely views, and one that appears to have changed little in the decades I've known it. The first time I walked this route was on an ill fated camping mission at 14; a friend and I, enthusiastic though poorly equipped and prepared, had walked from Bournemouth to Swanage, had a disastrous camp amongst the old quarries above the town, and after spending our bus fare home on ciggies and chips, tired and weary, had trudged up this very path towards Ballard Down before descending to spend a cold night in the dunes followed by the first ferry across the harbour mouth. I learnt a lot of what not to do camping on those early camping trips. 

Return to Studland

 

Studland beach is off limits to hounds between May and September, which is reasonable, though with October here the magnificent dune backed sands are once again accessible. What a joy to be back, what a glorious sunrise to welcome our return, and what a fabulous walk; Shell Bay to Swanage and back via Ballard Down and the end of the Purbeck ridge. Whether it was the beautiful walking conditions, or the coffee and cake that fuelled my return leg, but the walk passed easier than I'd expected... you can't underestimate the sustaining qualities of coffee and cake! Ever been to Swanage? It's great, a traditional seaside town in a beautiful setting, pretty much as I remember it in the 70's and 80's; a rare thing.

The beach

We've neglected the coast of late, so our walk this morning was to and along the beach. Beautiful morning, and hardly a soul about.

Gad Cliff

Gad Cliff from Worbarrow Tout. The coastline below Gad Cliff is permenantly off limits, never accessible to the public, and even if it was I don't imagine anyone beyond the most determined walkers would entertain it; it's a challenging landscape of slips, scree, sucking mud and irregular boulders, with only animal tracks available to you as passage. A properly wild stretch of the Jurassic coast.   

Tyneham Valley

Through a cutting in the outer rampart and ditch defensives of Flowers Barrow (an ancient Iron Age hillfort) you get your first glimpse of the magical Tyneham Valley beyond; a spectacular view of a landscape frozen in time. I love views like this. The severity of your descent just beyond the rampart can be challenging, although nowhere as challenging as the ascent is.