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| The Durdle Door, on Dorset's Jurassic Coast - UNESCO World Heritage coastline |
Greetings, Readers, from the Apocalypse!
Given the current state of global welfare, I was in two minds about whether to share my little jaunt down to Dorset that I managed to sneak in just before things changed drastically here in the UK.
That trip was to replace my planned mini-break to Bruges and Brussels via Eurostar in mid March, which I had wisely decided to cancel a couple of weeks ahead, in the firm belief that the Coronavirus situation was about to ramp up. Of course, it did - and I was glad not to be stuck in quarantine in Belgium as a solo traveller.
Well, here we are in the UK's third week of lockdown (actually I'm in my fourth week now as I voluntarily stayed home a week ahead of that), so I've decided people might enjoy seeing some pictures of the beautiful Jurassic Coast... particularly as travel is currently a thing of the past.
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| Springtime in the very cute village of Worth Matravers, with The Square and Compass pub perched on the hill behind (sorry about the sign for the public loos...) |
We've visited Dorset several times and just last year we stayed in Lyme Regis on the far western fringe of the county, but I'd long been keen to explore the stretch of coast between Weymouth and Studland. I booked a self-contained cottage, annexed to a farmhouse not far from Corfe Castle.
I had to drive through the village of Corfe Castle to get to my accommodation, so I took the opportunity to stretch my legs and visit the ruins on the way. They tower above the village and there is evidence to suggest this area has been occupied since 6,000 BC. The castle itself was built by William the Conqueror soon after the Norman Conquest in 1066. It's just one of 36 fortified buildings he erected within a 20-year period... that Will.the.C was mad for castles!
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| The castle ruins at Corfe Castle, on a glorious early spring day |
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| View of the village and surrounding countryside, from the castle ruins - Corfe Castle |
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| The village of Corfe Castle is very quaint, with most of the buildings constructed from local Purbeck stone |
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| The main street in the village of Corfe Castle, with the castle ruins looming above |
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| Another view of the castle ruins, this time from the Corfe Castle village cemetery |
My Air B&B accommodation was comfortable enough, pristinely clean and in a nice, quiet location, but I wouldn't choose to stay there again. Aside from a pleasant outlook over fields if you stood up to look out of the the windows, it was just a dwelling. I had considered booking something with a sea view, but a lot of self-contained accommodation in the UK is only bookable for a full week and I wanted just three nights.
If I ever return to this part of Dorset I'll try to get something in Lulworth Cove or Studland Bay. I'll pay a bit more but it will be worth it to have a beautiful outlook.
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| My accommodation - nice enough (I think that's called 'damning with faint praise' !!) |
On my first morning in Dorset I rose early and headed off in the car to Lulworth Cove, a delightful gem of a spot and the starting point for the hike to see one of Dorset's most famous landmarks. The Durdle Door is a natural limestone arch jutting out of the sea, but you can only reach it by walking a stretch of the South West Coast Path.
This area is thronged in the warmer months, but in the second week of March at 09:00 I was the only schmuck trudging up this part of the coastal path from Lulworth Cove to Durdle Door. The first section really sorts the keen walkers from the not-so-keen; it's 600 metres of 33-40% gradient, made more difficult on this particular day as I was facing a ferocious head wind all the way.
However, it was worth every step...
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| Is that a smile or a grimace?! Halfway up the gruelling path from Lulworth Cove to the cliffs above the coastline |
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| The fabulous view once you reach the top of the climb - chalk cliffs along St Oswald's Bay |
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| Yep, I had the whole path to myself! (trust me - this is an enviable and highly unusual situation in crowded England) |
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| The Durdle Door jutting out from Dungy Head |
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| Durdle Door viewed from the shingle beach, accessed by a steep path. Wow, this is a beautiful spot! |
Having reached Dungy Head where I was rewarded with the magnificent views you can see in the photos above, I realised I wasn't the first visitor of the day.
Initially I thought I had stumbled across Kate Bush from her Wuthering Heights days. Below me on the path leading down to the beach was an ethereal creature, dressed in a flowing red dress. Was I seeing things?!
Alas, I was not about to meet my musical heroine. It was only a model with a photographer, doing a photo shoot.
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| 'Faux Kate' - a romantic apparition on the path leading down to the beach at the Durdle Door |
Something I will never get my socialist head around is the fact that such incredible places in the UK can be, and frequently are, privately owned. The Durdle Door is no exception - the Welds family owns 12,000 acres of Dorset, known as the Lulworth Estate, which encompasses this section of coastline. I suppose we minions should be thankful that they graciously open this glorious place to the public.
After drinking in the views, inhaling the fresh sea air, and enjoying the mesmeric pounding of the waves, I retraced my steps back to Lulworth Cove to enjoy a reviving cup of Earl Grey at The Boat Shed Café - a teensy-weensy establishment perched right above the cove. It was high tide when I visited, and the waves were quite literally lapping just below our feet on the terrace.
People were relaxing in the spring sunshine with their cuppas and their dogs obediently curled up under tables or perched on laps. I passed a very companionable twenty minutes sharing a table with several humans and their canine family members.
Then it was on to explore Lulworth Cove village and the adjoining village of West Lulworth. Both are utterly charming, with thatched cottages galore and a number of little places to eat and drink. I spent a further couple of hours walking around in admiration.
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| Cove Cottage in Lulworth Cove - yours to rent if you have the cash... |
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| ... it has its own pond! |
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| Doors and shutters painted in vibrant colours complement the natural stone of these thatched-roof houses in West Lulworth |
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| 'Dogs and wellies welcome!' The Castle Inn, West Lulworth |
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| Plum Tree Cottage in West Lulworth. Yep, you can rent this one as well |
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| *oooh* A pink one! |
My intended visit to nearby Lulworth Castle was thwarted when I arrived to find that, although only the grounds were open that week (alas the castle buildings were closed), the lone parking ticket machine was out of order and I wasn't going to risk a fine. Somebody should let those Welds know! Yep - they own the castle as well.
So instead I drove to the nearest large town, Wareham, and enjoyed a late lunch comprising a glass of crisp rosé and some triple-cooked chips, at The Old Granary which sits right on the River Frome.
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| My lunch venue - The Old Granary in Wareham |
Having indulged in alcohol and carbs, I decided to walk the route around the town that follows the ancient walls from Saxon times. There's very little of the actual wall still intact, and much of the route is on an elevated, tree-lined mound.
It was a good way to get a sense of the town's environs but you're not missing much if you don't get to do this walk.
Fun fact:
On the Walls Walk I was delighted to discover that the River Piddle runs through Wareham, and it occurred to me that it was the same River Piddle that I recall one of my first bosses talking about, back in the 80s. I didn't know whether to believe him at the time, but he had told me that his mother was from a place called Puddletown on the River Piddle, in Dorset. I wasn't sure whether he was making this up, just to amuse me. But here I was, nearly forty years later, and it was confirmed - there is indeed a place called Puddletown, and it sits on the River Piddle. Roger Williams, if by some chance you're reading this, I BELIEVE YOU.
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| Setting off on the Walls Walk in Wareham |
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| The town hall in Wareham |
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| My favourite part of the Walls Walk - I met this little cutie pie |
The National Trust car park at Studland Bay was the starting point for me walking another section of the South West Coast Path which passes the chalk formations known as Old Harry Rocks and The Pinnacles. These mark the most eastern point of the Jurassic Coast.
On a sunny day the white brilliance of the chalk is truly beautiful against the changing tones of the sea, ranging from deepest blue to acquamarine.
The walking is much less challenging here, so although I started out with only a few other people on the track, within an hour there were large groups of walkers on the headland, many of whom had walked north from Swanage whilst I had headed south from Studland.
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| Old Harry Rocks at Studland Bay |
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| The Pinnacles, not far from Studland Bay |
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| Another view of The Pinnacles |
With another morning of solid walking behind me (I had clocked up 12 kilometres by 1pm), I treated myself to lunch at a nearby pub, and actually this would turn out to be the last time I would dine out before my self-imposed social distancing and then lockdown took effect. Thank goodness it was an enjoyable experience. The pub was very old, and quite crowded with walkers, but I managed to grab a tiny table for one which was perched in a nook halfway up a set of stairs, from where I was afforded a good view of my fellow patrons.
A quick scamper around Studland Bay and then it was back in the car to head to my next destination.
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| The-Pig-on-the-Beach at Studland Bay - a boutique hotel with a restaurant, bar and variety of accommodation options, including cottages |
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| The Lookout, a dovecote cottage available to rent at The Pig-On-The-Beach in Studland Bay, Dorset |
Lunch was well and truly worked off by an unexpectedly long 'stroll,' just outside the little hamlet of Worth Matravers.
My good friend Lesley Williams had told me there was a very interesting Norman chapel in the area, and on the map it didn't look very far from the 'car park' (which was more like a lake, and simply a fenced off area in the middle of farmland). I set off along a rutted and muddy road as the weather turned overcast. The adjacent farmland had just been covered with fertiliser and the relentless and increasingly icy gale did a great job of delivering the pungent manure smell into my nostrils. Delightful!
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| Setting off on the very long, very windy walk out to St Aldhelm's Chapel, from just outside Worth Matravers |
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| Delightful conditions on the walk out to the chapel... |
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| A glimpse of the sea between verdant hills |
At long last I reached St Aldhelm's Chapel which is perched in a very lonely spot atop the St Alban's headland. I couldn't help but ponder why on earth a place of worship was way out there in the middle of nowhere. Admittedly, the chapel has stood for 800 years - perhaps back then this was a local hub of civilisation!
The chapel is of unusual design, clearly built to withstand the constant assault by wind and sea spray. Aside from one farmhouse, the only other structure in sight is the coastwatch station which is staffed by one or two coastguards and usually welcomes visitors, however in the interest of keeping staff safe during those early days of Coronavirus they were not admitting anybody.
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| St Aldhelm's Chapel - an 800-year-old Norman chapel in a very lonely spot, perched on the St Alban's Head clifftop, just outside Worth Matravers |
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| The font at St Aldhelm's Chapel |
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| The altar, which occupies about one-third of this tiny chapel |
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| The coastwatch station at St Alban's Head - right opposite the chapel |
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| Memorial to radar research, on St Alban's Head near the chapel |
After 5 kilometres (return) of wind-buffeted footslog I was glad to reach the car and head back to my cottage for a final night.
The next day I called in at National Trust property, Kingston Lacey, as I was practically passing it anyway and it's more than ten years since we visited. It was a very wet day but I stoically wandered the gardens until the house opened. It's a nice house, but the grounds are nothing special and I wouldn't hurry to return.
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| Kingston Lacey, a National Trust property near Wimborne Minster |
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| The Stables at Kingston Lacey |
My three-night break felt much longer and although I was sorry not to visit a new European city as I try to do annually at this time of year, the Dorset coast suited me very nicely.
I'll leave you with a few photos of our little corner of Surrey in full spring mode. Over the past week, with endless hours of sunshine and several days reaching the mid 20's temperature-wise, the landscape has transformed.
All the previously bare trees are now vibrant green - not quite in full leaf yet, but it is extraordinary how quickly they have changed. A week ago there was the odd bluebell in flower, and now great swathes of woodland are carpeted in purple.
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| Grape hyacinths, gathered on one of my daily walks |
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| Our crabapple tree is in flower |
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| The Greater Spotted Woodpecker enjoying some peanuts |
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| This young Sparrowhawk spent a long while sitting on our garden fence one morning in early April |
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| Trees rapidly coming into leaf - this photo was taken 24 hours after the 'lunch' one above. Note how much greener the oak tree on the right is! |
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| One of the ways we've been keeping occupied during lockdown. HOLY COW there are a lot of sky/cloud pieces... this is going to take us weeks! |
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| The village pub (The Holly Bush in Frensham) is, of course, closed during lockdown - but the owners have still taken the trouble to decorate for Easter |
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| I gathered these bluebells and wood anemones on one of my regular walks |
If we've got to be in lockdown and confined to our local area for once-a-day exercise, how fortunate we are to be in this beautiful, uncrowded place.
There's unlikely to be further Tunnels of Green posts for a while, but in the meantime I hope this finds all of you well, safe and STAYING HOME. And to all of you medical staff, carers and other key workers keeping civilisation afloat during these challenging times, a thousand times:
💝 Thank You 💝
Until next time (whenever that may be),
- Maree xo
