On Monday morning most of the group gathered at the town square in warm sunshine for a final walk along the coast to Durlston Country Park, led by Sandy. We passed the pier and headed uphill, passing the Portland Stone Ionic columns dating from the early 19th century. We headed uphill, pausing at the Coast Watch station on Peverill Point. Later we entered Durlston Country Park. After a mile or so walking through woodland along the coast we came to Durlston Castle with it’s cafe and globe. The great globe is one of the largest stone spheres in the world, made of Portland Stone. It was constructed in Greenwich in 1887 in Mowlem’s stone yard, and brought to Swanage by sea. John Mowlem the stonemason was born in Swanage and is commemorated in the town.
All too soon it was time to head back to Swanage by an inland route – no time to visit the cafe sadly. A lovely end to a great weekend. Thanks to the organisers and walk leaders.
The Strollers walked from Corfe Castle to Swanage along Nine Barrow Down. Nine Barrow Down is described as “an elongated hill” stretching for about 4 miles, according to my OS Maps app. We travelled to Corfe Castle on the Swanage Railway and our train was hauled by a Bulleid Pacific locomotive, 34028 Eddystone. This locomotive was recently overhauled at a cost of £350,000 and at one time worked from London Waterloo to Bournemouth and Weymouth. On arriving at Corfe we spent some time looking round the village. I went to the bus stop to see if anyone had decided to come by bus, while the rest of the party went for a coffee, following an old Stroller tradition.
Eighteen hikers took the bus from Swanage to Langton Matravers on what promised to be another glorious, mild, sunny day. We made our way to Spyway Barn a listed building which is said to have been used by smugglers in the 19th century. Continuing down to the coast we soon arrived at the steps down to Dancing Ledge. This was a Purbeck limestone quarry and the platform by the sea left from the quarrying gets its name due to it being a similar size to a ballroom and the waves ‘dancing’ over it. One member found one of the many fossils to be discovered in this area of the Jurassic coast. We then continued west along the South West Coast Path to Winspit. One observant Poly pointed out the strip lynchets on the hill side. These are among the best preserved examples of this form of medieval agriculture in Britain. We looked into the caves at Winspit which remain from when, until about 1940, this was a quarry which provided stone for many London buildings. Some have been sealed off as they are home to the Greater Horseshoe bat, Britain’s largest bat now in danger of extinction. We watched climbers practising on the rugged rocks. Continue reading SWANAGE – SUNDAY HIKERS WALK – LANGTON MATRAVERS CIRCULAR→
The Strollers met at Swanage bus station to catch the no 50 to the stop at the foot of Ballard Down. After getting off the bus we crossed the road to start the climb up to the flat, grassy ridge which is Ballard Down. At the start of the ridge there is an obelisk, erected in 1892 , which commemorates the new supply of drinking water to Swanage. For the next 2.5 miles we walked along the ridge. The fine, sunny weather had brought many people out, many with their dogs and we met a pair of poodles with unusual grey and black markings. As we approached the Old Harry Rocks we met more and more people. Although it was warm and sunny the visibility over Poole Bay wasn’t good enough to see the Isle of Wight and we could just make out the Admirals Walk building in Bournemouth. Some members of the group ventured out on to the edge of the cliffs while the more cautious ones, myself included, stayed well back. Continue reading SWANAGE STROLLERS WALK – BALLARD DOWN – SATURDAY 9 OCTOBER→
Geoffrey had the honour of leading a walk on his birthday!
Some 17 Poly Ramblers gathered at Swanage bus station to catch the 10am bus to Corfe Castle village. The weather was bright overcast. We all alighted in East Street and walked towards the centre of the village, passing a square beside a church with a view of the castle on a green mound behind. Continuing downhill where the main road continues through a narrow gap, we took a right turn Eastwards along a narrow lane passing under the Swanage railway, where we started to go uphill. At this point we had a photoshoot, as looking back, there was a spooky dramatic view of the ruined castle rising up over the rail bridge in the mist. After 200yds or so, at Challow Farm we joined the Purbeck Way track gradually climbing up further east, past a mast onto the ridge at Rollington Hill. As the ridge continued, taking us over Brenscombe Hill, the mist started to clear, offering us to our left, good views of Poole Harbour in the distance with areas of heathland and woods in the foreground. To our right, a green valley of farmland with the occasional sound of a steam engine whistle. Now we were on Nine Barrow Down, where some 3 miles or so from Corfe, our track started to descend into a valley between Round Down and Godlingston Hill, onto a busy lane where we turned North and took a North path up Dean Hill to cross the B3351onto another heathy path. This heathy path stayed flat and took us Eastward into Studland. Continue reading HIKERS WALK – CORFE, STUDLAND AN OLD HARRY ROCKS – SATURDAY 9 OCTOBER→
The Polytechnic Rambling Club – Walking with friends
