Day 82 - Saturday 21 June 2003 - Weymouth to Chesil Visitors' Centre

 14.5 miles walked today

884 miles walked in total (10.78 average)

I got to Weymouth station today at nine fifteen and had just enough time to pad my feet up, put my boots on, go and find the facilities and get the number of some local taxi firms before Sue and Mark turned up.

Sue and I started walking just before ten and Mark went back to their caravan to make sure Lydon, their son, had done the washing up!  Our first stretch took us along the Esplanade and round to the harbour where we learned that the ferry hadn't turned up yet and wasn't expected until eleven.  So we strode down to the road bridge which was raised to let a number of boats through.  A large queue was forming and, when the bridge was lowered, we got swept along by the crowd and made our way to Nothe Fort.

From here, we followed the path round for a little while until we found ourselves back to where we started.  Must remember that right, right again, next right and first right equals a circle!  We had a stretch on roads then through Wyke Regis and Ferry Bridge onto Portland.  It wasn't long before we were heading uphill through residential streets to the cliff top paths, past a fort, a prison and a borstal.  The path was quite tough on the feet - no springy grass tracks this morning, just mile after mile of quarried Portland stone, which has been used in many buildings, including Buckingham Palace and St Paul's Cathedral.

At Church Ope Cove, we followed the path into the village and stumbled across the Mermaid pub where refreshments were taken.  Sue was about to collapse with hunger pains so we found the pub just in time.

After lunch, we walked back down to the path and visited the thirteenth century remains of Rufus Castle Church.  We thought we could make out where the walls had been, but were perplexed at a gravestone standing in the middle of the church.   A job for Time Team methinks.

We were on road for a little while then before heading back on to the path at Freshwater Bay towards Portland Bill.  We walked through yet more disused quarries and it wasn't long before we saw the lighthouse and the much anticipated cafe!  We had a sit down and had a drink and both removed our boots to give our feet a rest and a massage.  (Sue had previously taken her boots off in the pub when we had lunch!)

It was four o'clock at this time and we really needed to be getting a move on as we still had three or four miles to do.  This last bit was lovely - on cliff tops and on grass.  At least it was lovely until the path fell into the sea and we ended up on roads again.  At five o'clock we gave up and summoned a taxi to get us back to the car. 

We got back to the car and made our way to the B&B in Abbotsbury, which Sue was impressed to see was dead opposite the Swan Inn.  I don't just throw these things together ...

After a brief trip around the village, it turned out the only pub serving food was, in fact, our local, so we adjourned there for a pie and a pint.   Abbotsbury was in the middle of their annual music festival so, as we walked back over the road to our room, we were serenaded by open air opera, Carmen to be precise.  How terribly civilised!

Day 81 - Saturday 31 May 2003 - Chesil Visitors' Centre to Portesham

 11 miles walked today

869.5 miles walked in total (10.73 average)

The alarm went off at six and, after a mini snooze and breakfast, we were off for the day to Dorset.  It was Andy's suggestion to walk with me instead of going fishing and I must admit I've been trying to talk him out of it, right up until last night.

My "bible" said my next scheduled day was a fifteen mile "moderate" walk around Portland, but the day after that was an "easy" ten miles along the Fleet, the lagoon behind Chesil Beach to Abbotsbury.  This swung my decision to walk out of sequence for the first and, hopefully, only time.  So, today, we were off to the Swannery at Abbotsbury and I'll do Portland the next time I walk at the end of June.

We parked at Chesil Beach Visitor Centre at Ferry Bridge at nine o'clock and had a quick suntan application session before walking at 9.15 am.  The path stayed true to the Fleet all day, but, unfortunately, we didn't!  We saw lots of dog walkers this morning and one lady told us that a local farmer brandishes his shotgun if he sees dogs not on leads in his cow fields.

Just past the Rifle Range at Tidmoor, the mist came in very quickly and it was very eerie walking along, with the Fleet and Chesil Beach no longer visible!  We had a couple of mini sit downs and water stops on stiles and looked at the map to find a suitable lunch stop.  We chose a hotel at Gore Cove, which turned out to be the Moonfleet Hotel, which features in the J Meade Faulkner novel, Moonfleet, first published in 1898.   However, the service was so slow that we left there and walked up a steep track to Langton Herring to the Elm Tree pub.   And that was the last we saw of Chesil Beach!

We had a pint of cider each and cheese, tomato and pickle doorstop at the pub and I noticed a sign in the pub listing the suppliers of all the produce used there, all of which were local I'm pleased to say.  I've become quite a believer in buying locally and not ploughing all my grocery funds into Tescos or Sainsburys, although Andy pointed out that there's not much local produce grown around Heathrow!

After our break, we headed up the road towards Abbotsbury.  Or so I thought.  As it turned out, I was wrong, but, being totally stubborn, wouldn't admit it.  Andy told me I should go on a navigation course, to which I took great exception.  So, for the next four miles, the only words spoken were insults or expletives.  Very childish indeed.

The road was tough though, being very busy and it had got really hot again.  As we walked into Portesham, Andy was clutching his left arm and telling me he was having a heart attack.  Luckily, we soon stumbled across the bus stop for the bus back to Weymouth.  We were at least speaking again by this time, thank goodness.

We got back to the van and drove back to Abbotsbury to the Swannery.  Andy loves swans and I really wanted to see the newly hatched cygnets with him.  We spent ages chuckling at the antics of the babies hitching lifts on their parents' backs, and the male swans fighting and protecting their territories.  A lot of the females were still nesting and we couldn't believe the size of the eggs.  I took a photo of Andy and one of the male swans, having a bit of a stand off - Andy had got far too close to the nesting female for the protective father's liking.

Andy got chatting to one of the Wardens about a "pecking order" for the swans and we were informed that one male called "the Terminator" lives at the far west of the site and never loses a cygnet.   In fact, he's so elusive that it makes feeding him difficult, as they can never find him.  I don't really think they try that hard though as apparently he's quite a violent bird and belts them with his wings!

After watching the swans for ages, we got a lift back on the cart pulled by a shire horse called Maddock, although the kids have a lot of trouble with his name and he's frequently called "Maggot".  Poor thing!

Andy's on nights again, so we'd only planned to walk one day.  He has to have a nap on Sunday afternoons, in time for work on Sunday evenings.  So we headed back to Colnbrook and a hot bath.  Just as well really as Andy's legs were throbbing.  I did point out that my legs used to ache like that when I first started walking, but they don't hurt any more.  He told me that no way was he going to be that proficient at walking that his legs didn't ache any more!

We've both learned lots today.  As we walked beside the Fleet, we could see mini sheds on Chesil Beach surrounded by tents, fishing gear and people on benches.  I was puzzled how the occupants got all their gear over in a small boat, but Andy pointed out that most of the stuff was probably stored in the sheds anyway.  Doh!

And I've explained and demonstrated the principles behind "kissing gates" although Andy said he didn't think "real" walkers were allowed the odd snog as they walked.  Far too flippant for proper outdoor types.  I told him that holding hands was perfectly acceptable too, although I'm not sure he's convinced.

Andy's also learned that carrying a rucksack makes your back sweat.  He informed me that he'd carry the rucksack all day, but soon relinquished responsibility after three miles.

It's been a really good day - we've driven two hundred and fifty-six miles and walked eleven!  And we were both so tired by the time we got home that we abandoned our plan of a Chinese takeaway and had fishcakes and beans on toast!

Faux pas of the day goes to me - inevitably.  I made friends with a dog this morning who leaned against me for a fuss.  After he bounded off, what I meant to say was "did you see he had a leg missing?"  However, what I actually said was "he's only got one leg"!   I blame it on the sun.

Day 80 - Sunday 25 May 2003 - Lulworth Cove to Weymouth

 11 miles walked today

858.5 miles walked in total (10.73 average)

I started to walk at nine thirty today - I had another angst ridden few moments contemplating the hill out of Lulworth Cove, but, again, decided to give it a go, before giving up and driving back to Colnbrook.

It took me half an hour, but I did it and was soon striding downhill to Durdle Door, an arch formed by chalk being washed away to leave more durable Portland stone.  Keen to have a breather, I sat down and looked at what I'd done so far this weekend.  I've been able to see Weymouth and Portland in the distance for some time, so thought I'd look back for a change.  As I got ready to move on again though, Weymouth and Portland had completely disappeared and I could see the rain moving rapidly in my direction!  I got my coat on quickly and set off again - up another hill which afforded no shelter of any description.  The rain stopped by the time I got to the monument at the top of Swyre Head so I tied my coat to the rucksack to dry off.  It was much breezier today and I kept my fleece on all day.

At the top, the path levelled out towards White Nothe before dropping down into woods towards Ringstead.  It was quite tricky here - the path had become very slippery due to the combination of clay and rain - and it took quite a lot of concentration to stay upright.  At Ringstead, I stopped to use the facilities and to sample some Dorset apple cake and a cup of tea.  

It was only a mile walk from here to Osmington Mills through woodland and I was pleased to see the path went through the pub garden of the Smugglers Inn.

Because of a landslip, I followed the road for five minutes before heading up to the cliffs again and over ridges with fantastic views, both inland and seaward.  I could hear children screaming and, sure enough, there was the 3D Education Centre!  The signs for the coast path - with the acorn on them - ran out here so I asked the Education Centre Security Guard where I should be going.  He lamented that he should charge for directions as so many people stopped to ask.  He told me he'd never walked the coast path and never intended to.  "I don't mind walking downhill, but I draw the line at going up."   Tell me about it!  (As I walked, I spent some time pondering why an Education Centre needed a Security Guard?)

As I walked around the perimeter fence, the path was very overgrown and I was savaged by stinging nettles, with no dock leaves to be found.  Once past this obstruction, I needed to sit down and prepare mentally for the onslaught that is Weymouth!  I'm so used to walking quietly now that I'm finding a lot of people quite scary - it was bad enough yesterday getting to Lulworth and it was going to be a hundred times worse at Weymouth.

My guide book had mentioned a huge chalk figure of George III on horseback, 280 feet long and 323 feet high, which had been carved out of the hillside and which could be seen from the clifftop path.  I'd kept an eye out for ages and found myself muttering "where is this huge George the Third?"  This made me giggle for ages as I thought it was very rude.  It was only much later that I realised the proper saying was Richard the Third.  How blonde am I?!

The path came down into Overcombe and I was right to be nervous - far too many people and I had to fight my way along the prom.  Horrible.  I checked out the B&B situation as I walked along, but there were no vacancies anywhere and, indeed, the Tourist Information Centre didn't know of any either.  They did advise me how to get back to my car though - train to Wool and taxi from there.

The man at the station who made me a cup of tea lives on Portland and said he was pleased to meet someone who really appreciated the cliffs and views and not just the touristy bits, ie, Weymouth.

It turned out he knew where Colnbrook is too, because he used to own a pub in Slough!

Day 79 - Saturday 24 May 2003 - Kimmeridge to Lulworth Cove

 7.5 miles walked today

847.5 miles walked in total (10.72 average)

The forecast this weekend was dire and, with this in mind, I had a quick dash around Pompey yesterday lunchtime to get some waterproof trousers.  However, when I woke up this morning, I saw blue skies and some fluffy white clouds, but at least it was dry.

I was walking at ten o'clock and the Lulworth Ranges were open today which meant I didn't need a road detour, but could follow the coast path proper.   There were lots of people out which I was very pleased to see.  (I heard on the radio this week that Mount Everest is covered in climbers because of its fiftieth anniversary of being scaled and that it was busier than Piccadilly Station.  The same could be said of the Lulworth Ranges today!)

My first stretch was up the first of many hills this weekend and I have to say I struggled.   It was very warm, so I walked in shorts and vest, but with fleece, waterproof trousers and coat in my bag just in case.  I also carried two litres of water as I knew I'd need it.  I had a tricky little moment when I lost the yellow marker posts - because the land is owned by the MOD and firing takes place on weekdays throughout the year, there are live shells scattered about, so no wandering off the path is permitted.  I had a quick scramble up and over a ridge to regain the posts - never a good idea on dampish clay (two steps up, four steps back, etc) - but I made it, with nearly all fingernails intact, to get back up onto the path.

I made my way up Tyneham Cap and across Gad Cliff and then walked downhill to Tyneham, the village evacuated in 1943 when the Ranges were extended.  From here, a track wound its way out to Worbarrow and it was here that I nearly gave up.  I didn't think there was any way I'd get up the next hill - it was way beyond my capabilities.   So I sat at the bottom for half an hour and worked out how I was going to tell everyone that I could no longer continue with this walk and that I was going to have to find a new hobby as I no longer enjoyed this one.

However, having said all that, I don't mind walking from one place to another or even doing a circular walk.  But I resent walking somewhere, only to follow the same route back.  So I determined to give Worbarrow Hill a go and, if it seriously didn't work, I'd come back down and give up.

I made it!  Bloody hard work and I gave myself a huge mental pat on the back and 'phoned Sam to tell her how I was feeling.  Sam, being Sam, told me to stop whingeing and just get on with it - there was no way she was going to let me give up now!  (When I later told Dad it was hard, he pointed out that I've still got Golden Cap to do - the highest point on the south coast.  Cheers Dad!)

I had a steep down then to Arish Mell and sat at beach level for ages, again contemplating my next hill.  It didn't look as bad as Worbarrow, but I certainly didn't want to get complacent.  So I did that one too!  And had some chocolate to celebrate when I got to the top.  The views were amazing and I was so happy to be there.  I laid down in the grass for a while and told myself how clever I was!

I was on level ground from the top of Arish Mell and followed the track that led eventually into Lulworth where, true to form, it started to rain.  Apparently it had chucked it down at Kimmeridge all day and my car was parked in a bog when I got there.   I, however, had acquired a most attractive fuchsia pink colour on my travels and had been seriously overheating all day.

The taxi driver who took me back to my car had been the Senior Ranger for some years and told me how the Rangers used to clear the path of shells by bombing up and down on quad bikes, looking for military debris.  He ventured forth the opinion that, while the MOD didn't always particularly look after their men, they more than made up for it in the care of their land.

After a quick packed lunch buying session at Wool and a bath at my B&B (with a mini sea view of the cove) I decided I hadn't climbed enough today, so had a quick dash up the hill to look at Stair Hole which is slowly being worn away to form another cove.  I plonked myself down on a rock to sit and stare for ages.

It's been a hard day, but I should have known that.  According to my bible, the South West Coast Path National Trail, today's grading was "severe".  It certainly was!

I think that, if it hadn't been so hard, I might have enjoyed it!

THE DIARY OF SAM J - 3, 4 AND 5 MAY 2003

 Saturday 3rd

We met Katie in Bournemouth at 10.15 am and, after sorting out footwear and coats, we set off at 10.30 am.  We had a very breezy and grey start along the prom that led all the way to the Sandbanks area of Poole, which would mark the start of the longest long distance path in Britain, the South West Coast Path.  As we reached the ferry at the mouth of Poole harbour, Susan began to wonder why she set out at the beginning of her walk at Cley, not wanting to use ferries.  I assured her that, if that was still the case, I wouldn't be with her this weekend to walk around Poole harbour!

Once over the other side, at Shell Bay, we stopped for a photo call at the big marker post for the path.  (This year is the twenty-fifth anniversary of the path being open and the sign is brand new.)  Then followed a short walk along the sandy beach that would take us to Studland.  As we rounded the corner, we had our first glimpse of Old Harry Rocks and were so excited that we had to sit down and have lunch!  After more photos, we set out along the most hazardous part of today's walk ... the nudist beach!  We thought it would be far too cold to encounter anyone today, indeed the first person we saw only had his trousers off!  However, a bit further along, we saw two men running backwards and forwards in front of us, one of whom asked Katie if she had the time on her.  Exhibitionists.

We reached Studland and had a well deserved cup of tea at the National Trust tea room.  We went inland a bit now as we found the path out to Old Harry.  It was a lovely flat path straight out to the headland and we had to shed one or two layers as the sun had finally come out.  We had a glorious view back to Bournemouth and beyond.  We walked through a wooded area that was full of bluebells and wild garlic that had a really strong smell.  After another photo call at Old Harry, we headed towards Swanage.  The wind really picked up as we descended Ballard Cliff through the gorse, so coats were back on again.  The path goes inland a bit, through a tiny estate and onto the main road into Swanage.

We managed to drag ourselves along the sea front, straight into the nearest tea room for a cream tea at 4.30 pm.  A fantastic day's walking - we managed eleven miles which isn't bad going.  After our sit down, we hobbled back to the bus stop to wait for the bus back to Bournemouth.  Whilst waiting, a young man wandered up to us, saying, "I thought I recognised that face ...".  It was Matt Ilott who I used to work with.  He's now teaching climbing to school children and said that he'd be at Dancing Ledge tomorrow and we said we'd try and find him.

The bus arrived and we had an exciting ride, at breakneck speed, back to the car.  We said goodbye to Katie and then had to try and find our B&B.  We did eventually track it down after casting aside the two sets of directions we had and finally asking a cab driver the way.

After showering and spreading our belongings around the room, we walked two hundred yards down the road to the pub for lasagne and a jar, before heading back for an early night.

Sunday 4th

We were awake at 7.00 am and opened the curtains to reveal beautiful blue skies.  After breakfast, we drove to Swanage via the Sandbanks ferry and parked at the youth hostel where we were staying tonight.

We bought lunch and plenty of water for today's walk - it was going to be a tough day.  We started walking at 10.30 am again today, firstly along the very edge of the bay and then up the cliff to Peveril Point.

We were to see lots of interesting sights today and they were all in the same area of Durlston Country Park.  Firstly, we reached the Great Globe at Durlston Head and luckily we got there when there was no-one else around.  Next were the Tilly Whim Caves and finally the lighthouse at Anvil Point.  There were lots of people around by this time.

After the lighthouse, the path stretched out before us and it looked like it was all quite flat, so we sat down and ate our cherry cookies.  Off we strode and, indeed, the path was good, but it was getting warmer with very little breeze.  We reached Dancing Ledge after about an hour and decided to have lunch.  There were lots of climbers around and we looked around to try and find Matt amongst them.  Then we noticed a very tall, skinny bloke teasing a bunch of school girls - there he was!  He came over while we ate our lunch and he made us try some samphire (tastes better when cooked methinks!) and then we were on our way.  We were beginning to realise that Kimmeridge was out of our reach today and, when we reached Winspit, we followed the path that went inland to Worth Matravers.  Susan found her sprinting legs when she noticed the tea rooms and we settled for another cream tea and lime milkshakes.

It's a shame we couldn't go any further, but it was so hot we would have blown a gasket, so we called for a cab to get us back to Swanage.  We told the driver that we had done seven miles today and he said that, "no way was that seven miles".  What does he know?

We got back to the youth hostel, got the keys to our room which was on the second floor.  Bunch of comedians here obviously!  We emptied our bags again, and there was much hilarity over the top bunk.  After showers, we went out to find food from the place Susan had spotted while in the taxi.  We had scampi and burger in Beavers Restaurant in Institute Road.  No more to be said on that.

We made our way back to the hostel after dinner up the north face of the Eiger (very steep road then!) and made a lot of noise in the lounge before another early night.

Monday 5th

We had an early start today to make use of the cool part of the day.  We were a little concerned when it started raining, but had forgotten that it was only 7.15 am.  We collected our packed lunches, refilled our water bottles and headed for Worth Matravers, to start walking at 8.05 am.  We found the path out to St Aldhelms Head, the chapel being in view the whole time.  The views when we reached the headland were amazing and we could see the whole of Weymouth Bay and the Isle of Portland, even Portland Bill lighthouse.  We could also see that there were no clouds coming our way ... time to get walking before it got too hot again.

The first part of the path dropped two hundred feet (with steps) and then up again to Emmetts Hill and we could see it wouldn't be the last hill for the day.  We followed the path inland a little before plunging into a valley and turning back to the sea.  A scrummage ensued shortly after as we could see the path on the other side of the valley, but it was like a rabbit warren inbetween.  All credit to Susan for getting us through it.

Next, we went through a field of lambs and then up the next headland, Hounstout.  I was really nervous about this one.  We could see it all morning and the path looked to be VERY close to the edge.  However, we waited at the bottom while a couple came down the path and we could see that it was, in fact, quite a good path.  We celebrated when we reached the top - lunch!  Susan even ran to the bench and it was only 11.00 am.

Our target for the day was marked by Clavell Tower, a folly built on the top of the cliff at Kimmeridge Bay and for the last few miles of the day, it was rarely out of sight.  We reached the tower and had a sit down before our walk into the village of Kimmeridge for, you've guessed it, another cream tea!

Susan did her measuring and we'd done nine miles.  That made it twenty-seven miles in all.  Looking back on today's walk, there's no way we could have done that on top of yesterday's mileage.  We had a lot of fun and I can't wait until the next time.

Day 78 - Monday 5 May 2003 - Worth Matravers to Kimmeridge

 9 miles walked today

840 miles walked in total (10.76 average)

The alarm went off at seven this morning and we were up and out by seven thirty ish.  We called at the hostel office to collect our packed lunches and the warden asked what we were up to today.  We told her about our walk and she went off to find a couple of leaflets about the coast path.  Apparently, anyone walking the whole 630 miles will have climbed twenty-seven thousand metres, three times the height of Mount Everest.  Can't wait.

Wondering why we were doing this, we drove to our start point of Worth Matravers and were walking just after eight.  After a not particularly good day yesterday, we'd decided to start earlier and get the main mileage done before the hottest part of the day.   We strode out through a farm and took a path past a quarry out to St Aldhelms Head and the Chapel of St Aldhem, which is eight hundred years old.  We were intrigued by some of the carved names inside the chapel, some going back to 1663.

After a quick breakfast break on the cliffs, we moved off to drop down two hundred feet before climbing another two hundred feet the other side of the cove up Emmetts Hill.  It was hard work, but absolutely brilliant and reaffirmed my belief that I could manage anything if I put my mind to it.  Once we were on the level again, we spotted a memorial just to the right of the path which features a table and benches carved from Purbeck stone by the Royal Marines Association Dorset branch.  The inscription reads "rest awhile and reflect that we who are living can enjoy the beauty of the sea and countryside".  Uplifting words.

The path took a detour inland avoiding Chapmans Pool and our guide book mentioned that the path "wandered".  It certainly did!  Downhill to some houses, along a level track through a cow field, down some more to a footbridge, up through a sheep field and level for a bit up to the steps up Hounstout Cliff, another huge climb.  I'm obviously getting used to these hills now as I really enjoyed that hike!  In fact, on reaching the top and spotting a bench (carved out of cool Purbeck stone, of which there are a number strategically placed along the clifftops), I jogged the last hundred yards and did a hop, skip and a jump and gave a cheer when I got there!   Sam was so amazed at this burst of energy that I even managed to beat her up the hill!   (Sam's strengths are the "ups" and mine are definitely the "downs"!)

The path along the top went up, down, around a bit, some more up, a bit of down and then some more up to the Clavell Folly which overlooks Kimmeridge Bay.  The Reverend John Clavell built this in 1820 and we noted that Clavell was a very popular local name when we visited St Nicholas' Church later on at Kimmeridge.

As we dropped down to the bay and the car park, we checked the firing times for the Lulworth Ranges and, on finding that they were firing next weekend, devised another route for me to take which involves quite a lengthy detour - think I'll need another early start.

We took the road from here into the village for the tea rooms and obligatory postcards and cream tea - our third in three days!  We had a mooch around the church yard while waiting for our lift back to the car and were pleased to see the same taxi driver we had yesterday.  He even commented that we looked much happier today than we did previously!

It's been a great weekend - very hard yesterday, but today more than made up for it.  I've really enjoyed it and I shall be very sorry to be walking on my own again for a little while.

Day 77 - Sunday 4 May 2003 - Swanage to Worth Matravers

 7 miles walked today

831 miles walked in total (10.79 average)

After breakfast, we left just after nine to drive to Sandbanks to catch the ferry to Shell Bay and then drove on to Swanage Youth Hostel to park the car.   At ten past ten, we left the hostel to walk down to the front for provisions for the day.  We got walking properly at half past ten and made our way along the slippery seaweed steps past the pier to Peveril Point, where we turned a sharp corner and climbed the first of many hills today to Durlston Country Park.

It wasn't long before the path fell into the sea so we headed out on road to get to the car park entrance to the country park and made our way along the wooded path to Durlston Head and the Great Globe.   This is a sphere of Portland stone, ten feet in diameter and weighing forty tonnes which has the world carved on it.   John Mowlem, the Swanage born founder of the construction company, placed it here in 1887.

From here, the path was open along the cliffs past Tilly Whim caves and Durlston lighthouse.  As we came round Anvil Point, the path levelled out and we could see over to St Aldhelms Head, our intended lunch stop destination.  It was very hot, so we stopped to sit down a few times and also to drink lots of water to keep us going.

We were on the lookout for Matt Ilott, a friend of Sam's who we bumped into in Swanage last night while waiting for the bus.   Matt's a climbing teacher and was leading a group of thirty American students.  We found him at Dancing Ledge and decided to stop for lunch there before climbing back up on to the cliffs.

Once back up on the top, we saw more caves and old quarry workings and the path meandered up and down for ages.   I was sulking at this point and wanted to give up, but Sam wouldn't let me.  So I refused to talk to her!

The path became indistinct at Winspit and we ended up walking up a track towards Worth Matravers, which we both knew was the wrong way.  However, I'd lost my sense of humour at this stage and was very tired.  My toes were hurting; it was very hot; I didn't have a hat; and I had a fleece wrapped around my middle, all of which went some way to explaining my general distress.  I began to seriously doubt my ability to continue with this walk and I lagged behind Sam feeling very sorry for myself.

As we walked through a field of cows - always guaranteed to make me go quicker - I overtook Sam who was taking pictures.  I headed into the village and spotted the tea rooms - again, always guaranteed to make me go quicker! - so signalled to Sam where I was, went and grabbed a table outside and promptly burst into tears!  A cream tea and a lime milkshake went some way to easing the discomfort, so we had a walk up to the church where I changed my boots for sandals and laid down in the graveyard while Sam went exploring.

We summoned a taxi back to the youth hostel in Swanage and got a bit lary when the warden told us our room was on the second floor and there was no lift!  Within five seconds, the room was a tip and we were in hysterics because Sam expected me to have the top bunk, to which I replied, "don't be ridiculous, I'm an old lady!"  Much mirth ensued and, when the warden knocked on our door, we assumed he'd come to tell us to keep the noise down!   However, it was merely to find out our packed lunch requirements for tomorrow!

We dashed off to the showers before the seventy-nine young girls who are staying at the hostel got back from their day out and headed down into Swanage for tea - scampi, burger and liqueur coffees at Beavers Restaurant.  Very nice indeed.

Faux pas of the day goes to Sam who said that my one sunburnt arm looked like I'd been driving with it out of the window.   How she thinks I drive with my left arm out of the passenger window, I'll never know!

Day 76 - Saturday 3 May 2003 - Bournemouth to Swanage

 11 miles walked today

824 miles walked in total (10.84 average)

I left the flat at 7.30 am to pick Sam up from Epsom before driving down to Bournemouth where we had arranged to meet Katie near the pier.  Katie rang to direct us to the car park and had even negotiated a space next to her car by standing in it!  After a spot of first aid and donning of the boots and fleeces, we set off at ten past ten - but only as far as the facilities on the pier.  The loos were all done out in bright pink, which caused much speculation as to whether the gents were decorated in blue.

The first stretch was on prom along to Poole and the ferry over Poole Harbour.  It was very cloudy and windy, although dry.

We had a bit of excitement as we took the chainlink ferry from Sandbanks to Shell Bay.  This is the start of the 630 mile South West Coast Path to Minehead and is a major milestone for me.  We started off along the beach, stopping every now and then to look at the shells and pink seaweed.  As we turned the corner at Shell Bay, we had superb views to Old Harry Rocks, so decided to stop for lunch as it was quite sheltered.

After a while, we set off again around Studland Bay, but it was very grey, cold and windy which hampered progress slightly.  We had been warned by our guide book that we may encounter nudists as Studland Beach is a naturist reserve.  We thought that it was too cold today for them surely?  However, we spotted two and a half naturists (all male) - the first we spotted was wearing only a jumper, but no bottom half of any description!  The other two were spending their time jogging up and down the beach, presumably to try and keep warm.   One of them even asked Katie for the time and I must say that Sam and I were very impressed at how she kept her composure!

We had a break at the National Trust Cafe at Studland for hot drinks, at which point Katie declared that she was feeling "weary".  I wondered then whether we were going to make it to Swanage, but Katie said she was quite happy to keep going.   

Past the cafe, we headed up the slope to the road through Studland village and out to the path to Old Harry Rocks.  It warmed up considerably here so we all shed a layer of clothing as we strode up the hill.  Once we had climbed up to the top of the hill, the path levelled out and we were on the flat, but still very warm.  We feasted our eyes on the view of Swanage Bay and could see the path meandering down the hill so got ready for our descent.   The smell of gorse surrounding us was wonderful and we kept stopping for a sniff on the way down!  A few people passed us as they were climbing up the hill and one elderly couple passed us, the woman mouthing "we can't talk!" and the old boy requesting "my kingdom for a horse"!

We bounded down the hill and ended up in a really pretty housing estate which took us on roads into Swanage and down to the beach.   We found a great cafe on the front for a cream tea to celebrate our walk before heading to the bus stop.  The bus journey itself was very exciting as we sat on the top deck and were thrown about haphazardly as we sped down all the country lanes back to the Sandbanks ferry and into Bournemouth.

Katie was driving back to Southampton and we were all sorry she wasn't spending the evening with us.  However, I've made Sam and Katie both promise to walk into Minehead with me at the end of the South West Coast Path, although, hopefully, they'll both come walking with me before then too.

Sam and I then spent a fraught half an hour trying to find our B&B (which was very nice) as our landlady had already warned us she was going out at eight o'clock and we wouldn't be able to get in after that.   Tea was taken at the Sweet Hope Inn before lights out back at base.

A very good day indeed.

Day 75 - Sunday 27 April 2003 - Mudeford to Bournemouth

 7.5 miles walked today

813 miles walked in total (10.84 average)

After a full English breakfast and some emergency first aid on my right foot, I left the hotel at 9.10 am.  My boots are really the most contrary pair I've ever owned - every time I've worn them so far, my left heel has been shredded to bits, but the right foot hasn't had a mark on it.  However, after the longest mileage I've done in them so far yesterday, the left foot is totally unscathed but the right foot has lost about three layers of skin.

I reached Mudeford Quay at 9.30 am to find that the ferry doesn't cross the Avon Run until 10.00 am.  However, the ferryman called "do you want to go over?" so I jumped up from the bench I'd chosen to watch the harbour from and clambered aboard.   He was taking some anglers out to their fishing boat so I cadged a lift with them.

I had a quick climb (115 feet) up to Hengistbury Head where I needed a breather and to admire the view.   It's just amazing.  You can see the whole of Christchurch Harbour and as far as Durlston Head at Swanage.   Totally breathtaking.  This is really what walking is all about - not the endless prom and pavement walking.  Fantastic.

As I came down into Southbourne, I could see a lot of policemen in hi vis coats and a flashing police motorbike, guiding runners along the road - the Bournemouth Bay half marathon.  I battled my way along the prom against this oncoming tide of runners, but had lots of mini sit downs.   It's been quite overcast and blustery and hard work walking into the wind.  Desperate for a hot drink and some shelter, I sat on the pier for a while and watched the surfers and swimmers in the sea.

After a hot chocolate, I tried to make further progress, but the wind was seriously buffeting me.  Added to this, I felt that either my old boots had shrunk or my feet had grown another half size overnight, so I gave up at the pier and went in search of a bus back to the car.

Walking back through the park, I was reminded of when Mum and Dad came to visit us in Wickham last year and we had a day in Bournemouth.   Dad took great delight in telling Andy the "Bournemouth hair story".  I was only about three and Amanda must have been eighteen months old.  I had dead straight ginger hair and Amanda had curly blonde ringlets - baggage.  An old lady stopped Mum and Dad to tell them that their daughter had "such beautiful hair".  Obviously, real psychological damage had been done to me by that age as I stood my ground, hand on hips, and pointed out to the old dear that "I've got hair too".

As I was heading off to the bus stop, Sam rang me to say that Paul had given her a pass for next weekend so she's walking with me along the start of the South West Coast Path, a six hundred and thirty mile footpath from Poole to Minehead - hurrah!  (Obviously, we won't be doing it all in one weekend!)

Day 74 - Saturday 26 April 2003 - Lymington to Mudeford (pronounced Muddiford!)

 12.5 miles walked today

805.5 miles walked in total (10.88 average)

I had a late start today - the weather was appalling yesterday and we'd been advised to expect much of the same today.   For this reason, I decided not to pack last night, but to wait and see what was occurring outside this morning.  Instead, I had a domestic (washing machine related) disaster!  And, as I packed this morning in a hurry, after ascertaining the all clear weather wise, the flat is a complete tip.  Andy's due back tomorrow night - he's been white water rafting in Scotland with Jim this week - and I really hope he doesn't get back before me.  He'll go mental when he sees the state of the place and will probably evict me!

Because of the packing and a lay in until seven thirty (I'm seriously fed up of these five o'clock starts to get to Portsmouth during the week), I didn't get to Lymington until eleven o'clock.  The weather did me proud though - lovely and sunny and warm enough for just a tee shirt.

The first bit of the walk was bizarre as I followed exactly the same route I'd walked back in November 2002 on one of our "engineering weekends".   We formed a ragged queue and shuffled out along the marshes - myself, Shiriin (who'd stopped to buy a fleece en route!), Vicky and Trevor, Sarah and Justin, Simon, Ange and Mark.  We met Chris (who'd lapped us twice by then!) at the pub.  Of the non participants, Andy and Joanna (who'd broken her foot so had a legitimate excuse) were back at our digs making soup for us all.   Katie (a supposed walker!) and Roy went shopping instead.

I've seen oyster catchers, redshanks, egrets, swans and cygnets, cormorants, loads of twitchers, and a chap with a bicycle and a didgeridoo!  And I've smelt the coconut scented gorse and some very pungent seaweed.

At 12.30 pm, I got to Keyhaven and had lunch at the Gun Inn with the two walkers who'd pointed out the egrets to me.  They'd come down from Manchester for a long weekend and were staying at Lymington.  He planned to walk out along the spit (a twenty minute slog according to my guide book) to Hurst Castle, but she planned to sit in the pub garden and wait for him.  A woman after my own heart.

I chose not to walk out to the castle either, but carried on along the thrift covered cliffs to Milford on Sea, Barton on Sea and Christchurch.  I had many sit downs today in the sunshine and one bench bore the inscription "Mrs Olga Mary Allen 1916-1998 who travelled the world and chose this view".  She certainly picked a stunner - the Needles, Isle of Wight and Hurst Castle to the east and Hengistbury Head, Bournemouth and Poole Harbour to the west.   

Three paragliders were cruising up and down the coast, waving to me occasionally, and one called down, "do you want a lift"?  Silly sod!   Made me smile though.

I got chatting to a seventy-one year old lady about the views - she and her husband moved from Reading and bought a bungalow and tried to walk each day, although she said she was very arthritic now.  She hadn't done badly though as where I met her was quite a climb from the car parks dotted along the cliffs.   As we said goodbye, she grabbed my hand and wished me luck.  It's people like that who make the pain and the blisters worthwhile.

As I got nearer to Chewton Bunny, a stream that flows into the sea and which marks the Hampshire/ Dorset border, I ran out of path and road.  However, another very helpful lady gave me directions through a caravan site and into Mudeford.   She goes walking a lot with her husband, but their trips have to be much more organised than mine, as they take their dog with them and not all B&B establishments are animal friendly.  I followed her directions, but, instead of walking along the shingle beach, I headed up to the road as I needed to find accommodation.  It was four o'clock at this time, getting chilly and trying to rain, but the first place I tried had a room - very nice it is too!

So, after a quick bath, I headed (in the car!) to Christchurch for dinner and a wander.  It's a pretty little town but incredibly busy and parking spaces were thin on the ground, as there was some concert going on down at the Priory.  I had a quick mooch around and found myself a bustling little pub for food and some people watching.

It's been a magical day - I've really enjoyed it.  The blisters haven't given me too much trouble either.  However, I have the stupidest tan I've ever seen and will need a gallon of fake tan to make this look halfway acceptable!

Day 73 - Saturday 5 April 2003 - Bucklers Hard to Lymington

 8.5 miles walked today

793 miles walked in total (10.86 average)

I was parked at Bucklers Hard this morning and ready to walk just before ten.  I haven't walked for a few weeks now as we've had a couple of busy weekends.   Two weeks ago, Andy and I went to Brussels for four days which was fantastic and last weekend we moved from our little country caravan to the sprawling metropolis that is Colnbrook, near Heathrow.  I've been dreading the move as I knew I'd miss our country idyll, but I'm really enjoying being only ten minutes away from a tube line and am looking forward to utilising London's attractions to the full.

It's been a glorious day with not many people about.  The only traffic on the small lanes from Bucklers Hard were cows, horses, donkeys and myself.   It's been very peaceful, with the only sounds being the breeze through the trees, birdsong, horses neighing and peacocks squawking.  I've seen a solitary bluetit sitting in a hedge, crows flying with twigs in their beaks, primroses, periwinkle, trees and bushes breaking into bud and lots of people out in their gardens.  I passed a jogger as I walked along and we greeted each other again half an hour later.  From looking at the map, I reckon she must have run three miles before she lapped me!  On the lanes through South Baddesley, I saw loads of pheasants, big fat bees, a butterfly and a dead adder.  I knew it was dead as it was in the middle of the road with a huge tyre track running through it.

After a little while, I had another sit down - one of many today - to take my boots off.  I wasn't having blister trouble today, but I'd lost all feeling in the toes of my right foot, so decided to try and get my circulation going again before the last stretch into Lymington.  I knew I was coming back into civilisation as the road was getting busier - although it still felt more like a Sunday than a Saturday.  While sitting down, a chap came by on a bicycle with a Jack Russell in the front basket and chuckled as he saw me massaging my feet!

It didn't take long to get into Lymington and lunch at the Old Quay.   I was debating whether to carry on walking, but spotted some good shops and gave up for a spending spree!  Lymington was full of people in the sunshine and there was a half hour wait for lunch in the pub as it was so busy.

Have really enjoyed today - brilliant to be out in the sunshine and well pleased with the mileage.

Day 72 - Saturday 15 March 2003 - Exbury to Bucklers Hard

 6 miles walked today

784.5 miles walked in total (10.89 average)

Katie and I were parked and ready for walking at about ten thirty this morning.  The weather was glorious and, despite the sun disappearing for short bursts, we were confident we'd soon be in bright sunshine again.

The first stretch was on a minor road through the New Forest to Otterwood, where we had to join a busier road to Beaulieu.   We saw cows, ponies, donkeys and even a jockey racing through the scrub on his horse.   There were lots of people about - as soon as the sun comes out, everyone comes out to play!

In Beaulieu, we crossed the Beaulieu River and headed out onto a path - the Solent Way - which follows the river out to Bucklers Hard and beyond.  According to my guide book, the village gets its name from the Latin "bellus locus" or "beautiful place".   Its name was changed in the thirteenth century to the French equivalent by the resident monks.  When Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries, the abbey was destroyed and its stone was used to build Calshot Castle.

The path went through a private drive and then followed the woods, through Keeping Copse, and out to the marina.   Katie spotted a couple of deer bounding about in the fields and we stopped and watched them until they disappeared from sight.   It felt very springlike today as we saw loads of daffs and primroses.  People were wandering around in teeshirts and it seemed that we're finally through the winter.

Just passing the marina, we rounded a bend and headed up to Bucklers Hard where we stopped for a celebratory cider at the pub.   The village has two rows of cottages leading down to the quay where boats were built between 1698 and 1827.  It's ideally placed as it's sheltered, secure from coastal attack and surrounded by woods - apparently it took sixty acres of timber to build a man-o'-war.

I've really enjoyed today - nice to be out in the sunshine.   Katie wore her sunhat and sunglasses all day and it won't be long before I'm in my shorts again!

Day 71 - Sunday 2 March 2003 - Calshot to Exbury

 5.5 miles walked today

778.5 miles walked in total (10.96 average)

As Sam and I drove over Portsdown Hill this morning to get out onto the motorway towards Southampton, we saw a buzzard - what a brilliant start!  The sun was out, the sky was blue and the views were superb - we could even see where we'd got to yesterday.

We were parked at Calshot at 10.40 am and went down to have a look at Calshot Castle, which was built in 1539 by Henry VIII.  We walked around the outside of it - it's very neat and compact and we could see for miles up and down Southampton Water.  At this point, we had fleeces on as it was very bracing, but it wasn't long before the fleeces were off and we were walking in thinner layers.

We had lunch very early - eleven o'clock!  We could see that the tide was in and that we'd need to wait for it to go out a bit before we could get around the foreshore to Lepe.  The sun was very warm and we sat on the beach and watched the numerous yachts that were sailing between us and the Isle of Wight.  Glorious!

After our lunch, we carried on around to Lepe but had a number of obstacles, which found us climbing over and crawling under trees that had fallen off the cliffs.   We found some lovely shells too and generally took it very gently and slowly today, with lots of exploring.

As we came around into Lepe, we found ourselves trapped by barbed wire.  Undeterred, we coolly took off our rucksacks and threw them under and then shimmied under the fencing ourselves.  Bad girls!  We'd walked on shingle all morning and it was playing havoc with our joints so, as soon as we saw a grassy path, we followed it up the (short) cliffs and along the top round to Lepe village.  From an information board, we understood that the name "Lepe" could have come from the fact that there had been a causeway between here and the Isle of Wight and it was just a short "leap" to get across the water.

We'd found some postcards yesterday of Lepe lighthouse so were on a mission to find it.  As it turned out, it wasn't strictly a lighthouse, but a millennium beacon - it was very neat and looked like it could have been in a model village - very pretty though.

From here, we were back on shingle, mixed in with mud and seaweed, around to the Beaulieu River and up to the road, which we followed into Exbury, our destination for the day.   Exbury Gardens is over two hundred acres in size, and has over a thousand varieties of rhododendron and azaleas, none of which were in bloom today!  Sadly, neither were the daffodils, although we'd seen the odd daff and primrose in the hedgerows.

The gardens were hosting an African sculpture exhibition with over a hundred specimens, but, before we went and had a fun couple of hours laughing at some of these pieces, our main concern was for the tea shop!  Feeling refreshed, we were left with a couple of hours to wander around before the gardens closed and we were perturbed that, if we started off in the shop and the plant sales, we'd never get to look around the gardens themselves.  However, due to the fact that I'm potentially about to move to a flat with no garden, I couldn't bring myself to look at lovely plants that I couldn't buy, so we headed straight into the gardens proper.

I've had a fantastic weekend - it's been great walking with Sam - she's always highly entertaining, especially when suffering with too much sun!   And I must admit that, had Sam not been down here, I wouldn't have walked yesterday in the rain.  Sam, you're such a bully!   But thank you!

Day 70 - Saturday 1 March 2003 - Southampton to Calshot

 7 miles walked today

773 miles walked in total (11.04 average)

The alarm went off at eight o'clock this morning and Sam and I finally got up at 8.40 am.   At this point the weather was fine.  However, twenty minutes later, it was tipping down!  We faffed around for an hour with breakfast and decided to give it a go anyway, so, armed with packed lunches and waterproofs, we set off.

Our journey started with a trip on the Southampton to Hythe ferry, which was very exciting!  Hythe Pier is 700 yards long and was opened on 1 January 1881.   The electric train which runs up and down the pier to meet the ferry has been doing the journey since 1922 and famous passengers include Lawrence of Arabia and King George VI.  We were in excellent company!

From Hythe, we were on roads unfortunately as the paths were all far too boggy due to the torrential rain.  We kept our waterproofs on all day and our style alternated between the drowned rat look and gently steaming when the sun came out.

My boots were giving me a few niggles again, but, being unusually sensible today, I'd packed my old boots in my rucksack so changed them when we came to an open recreation ground, much to the astonishment of the fishermen on the other side of the lake there.

It wasn't long before we were off the main roads and on the quiet roads past Fawley oil refinery and power station down to Calshot beach, where we sat on the beach and ate our lunch in the rain.  We saw (and heard) oyster catchers and watched all the ferries in and out of Southampton to Cowes on the Isle of Wight and beyond.   Considering the weather, there were quite a lot of people about, which was good to see.

When the rain began to get a bit heavier, we decided we ought to make a move so headed out to Calshot Spit and the activity centre.  What a fab place!   We walked in to find about four or five climbing walls, a dry ski slope and a velodrome and hundreds of people attempting each of these obstacles.  Our main priority though was the bar for a cup of tea and the toilets to try and dry ourselves off.

We wanted to head down and look at Calshot Castle (closed until 1 April) but our taxi driver turned up earlier than expected and we were soon on our way back to the car.   Our driver was a mine of information and fed us snippets of local information as we drove back to Hythe.  

In Calshot, there's a road called Tristan Close and this is because of a volcano on the island of Tristan da Cunha.  The residents of this island were moved to Calshot when they were evacuated - this caused Sam and I much pondering as we wondered why on earth they'd come here.  However, we discovered later that a lot of shipping comes to this area from the West Indies, which went some way to explaining this.

As we drove past Fawley power station and oil refinery, our driver told us about an exercise that had been carried out the week previously to counter any terrorist attacks which may happen.  Apparently "if half the army are in Kuwait now, the other half were in Fawley last week"!  Sam was slightly disappointed that she'd missed this excitement and looked quite wistful at the thought of all that khaki!  We were also informed that Fawley power station is manned by only twenty people as it's nearly fully automated and that houses in the Fawley area were a bit cheaper than anywhere else in the area - surprising, that!

Day 69 - Saturday 18 January 2003 - Warsash to Southampton

 6 miles walked today

766 miles walked in total (11.10 average)

I started walking today at eleven o'clock.  It was very grey and quite chilly - 8 degrees according to my car thermometer.

The path went from Hamble Point Marina through woodland, where I walked through reddy gold bracken and flowering gorse.  Is there a time of year when gorse isn't in flower?!

Despite the industrial nature of the area, there have been hundreds of people out and about - walkers, fishermen, kite flyers and yachtsmen.  The path soon left the woods and I had to walk along the sea wall past the BP oil depot, before getting to a shingly beach at Netley.  Today, I think I've walked nearer the sea than I have so far on this walk.  I had the shock of my life when a squirrel leapt out at me - I screamed and then laughed my head off, as I imagined people watching me and wondering what on earth was going on.

Just past Hamblecliffe House, I had to walk through the Royal Victoria Country Park, which used to house the hospital ordered to be built by Queen Victoria.   The pier head is all that remains of the pier where the hospital ships used to drop off their patients.  As the water is very shallow, they had to use smaller boats to transport their human cargo for treatment.  

What my guide book and map didn't mention was the Netley Chapel, which is an absolutely stunning building with a huge dome.   I wondered if the hospital had been converted into this structure, but couldn't find any information.  And, unfortunately, the chapel is only open on Sundays until April and I couldn't get in to investigate.  I think though that I'll have to have a drive down here one Sunday to take a better look.

I detoured slightly inland through Netley village to go and have a look at Netley Abbey which must have been enormous in its day.  The weather had changed for the better by now and the abbey was very picturesque with the sun on it.   It was quite an eerie place though - it's run by English Heritage, but there's no admission charge and, consequently, no staff and no people around.  Quite spooky in fact.  Maybe the horrendous smell of dog poo in the grounds has put any visitors off!

I followed the path back out to the sea into Woolston (home of Vosper Thorneycroft shipbuilders, my current employer) and strode up the steps onto the Itchen Bridge to cross into Southampton proper.  That was very exciting as it was very gusty - glad I didn't have a hat on!  It was all I could do to avoid being blown off the bridge into the water below.

I decided to save the ferry to Hythe for the next time I walk - my feet were killing me (yet more blisters) and I was starving!  I popped into the pub for a cider - no food unfortunately as it was full of footie fans watching Man United v Chelsea on Sky Sports.  The Southampton game was an evening kick off - otherwise I'm sure I wouldn't even have got a seat!