(Section 69 in the South West Coastal Path Guide)
Though we left the Coastal Path at Seacombe, rather than Winspit to assend to Worth Maltravers
Total 21.4km 11.35 along the coast
We saw the sun rise from outside the van, and so a good day was promised. Just a short walk from the Ulwell campsite, we returned to the official Coastal Path, which follows the road down into Swanage. Along the promenade, past a few new beach huts and then the Mowlem cinema and theatre. Mowlem owned local quarries that provided the stone for the houses of parliament.
There are some elegant terraces on the waterside, now mainly holiday let’s, and the Fish and Chips shops are also in interesting buildings. The path takes you past the Pier entrance, a fairly low key pier, but now looking well maintained and quite pretty.
From here a number of alternative paths lead to Peveril Point, and the start of the harder rock, once again the magnificent views back to Old Harry, Bournemouth and beyond, included the now familiar five anchored Cruise Liners.
After passing a few houses, an alternative path leads through woodland to the Durleston estate, dominated by the castle. Well worth a visit in its own right.
We stopped for coffee, but had to follow a one way system through the building, that seemed to increase rather than decrease social contract – however the views are magnificent.
The next length follows the cliffs, past many old quarry workings, that now look like square caves in the cliffs, but the men who worked here would have had a hard and dangerous life producing stone for many expensive, and probably impressive buildings in London and elsewhere.
We stopped for a picnic lunch at Dancing Ledge, where it is possible to get down the cliffs to a semi natural pool. No doubt also a result of former quarry working. Only another mile brought us to Seacombe where we left the path and climbed to Worth Maltravers.
There is quite a well known pub here, the Square and Compass, and it seemed a pity not to stop, however it took rather longer than we expected. First we had to register, using the NHS app and collect a number, then follow the one way system back to the garden. After some time a very friendly waitress called our number and took the order, which she brought quite quickly, however the ”contactless”
Payment system needed about five attempts due to “internet problems”, the beer was welcome, but it will be nice when you can order at the bar again.
Only another 8km back to the campsite, firstly along “Priests Way” and through footpaths on the edge of Langton Maltravers, where we saw some wonderful examples of the art of dry stone walliing, both new and old, across the Corfe Castle to Swanage Steam railway line, looking rather better maintained than many of the national railways. This took us directly back to the campsite, apart from having to shimmy under an electric fence.
