In Bridport: the Jurassic Coast - Three Seasons Around France: Summer - CycleBlaze

September 3, 2022

In Bridport: the Jurassic Coast

The weather really does look like it’s taking a hard turn for the worse.  Today should stay overcast but dry, but with a 15-20 mph south wind blowing in off the channel.  Beyond that though, every day until we catch the ferry for France promises rain and 15-30 mph winds, as well as several days of threatened thunderstorms.

We discussed this over dinner last night, and this morning seeing that nothing had changed overnight we came to two decisions.  First, it doesn’t sound appealing to bike through this.  I stewed on this off and on during a restless night: the Friday night crowds on the street beneath our window didn’t finally quiesce until after 1:30, and by 4:30 the sea gulls woke up and woke me along with them.  I discussed my thoughts with Rachael, we adjusted our bookings, and the upshot is that our bicycle tour of Britain essentially ends here instead of in Plymouth.  Details to come.

Second, if we only end up with one dry day this week and aren’t going to be biking along the coast after all, we should be taking a hike today instead of the bike ride I had mapped out.  Rachael, who’s coming to enjoy hiking nearly as much as biking lately quickly agreed, so I mapped out a walk for us - an out and back to the coast and then a walk east along the coast on the South West Coast Path.

I mapped the route out to the highest point along the coast within reasonable walking distance - roughly 12 miles.  It was only later that I realized that we were hiking to Golden Cap, a National Trust property that at 191 meters is the highest point on England’s southern coastline; and was reminded that this stretch of coastline is part of the famously beautiful Jurassic Coast, England’s only natural World Heritage Site.

As a brief thumbnail description of the hike: it begins with a flat two mile walk from Bridport to West Bay, a fishing/resort village on the coast at the mouth of the small River Brit.  From there we walk northeast along the South West Coast Path.  It’s a roller coaster, starting with a hill climb/descent to Eype Beach at the mouth of the small River Eype.   Then, another hill climb, this one twice as high and three times as steep before dropping to Seatown Beach at the mouth of the small Rver Winniford.  Finally, a third climb, half again as high as the second, to the crown of Golden Cap.

Then walk back the other way.  

Or, an even briefer summary: five steep climbs, followed by five steep descents.  Hard on the knees, in case you have knee issues.

On the way back, we stopped in West Bay for refreshments (one half of the team had a pale ale, the other sparkling water) as a way to recover somewhat and to kill some time before walking back to town where we had dinner at Mercato’s, an Italian market that also serves up nice pizzas, salads, and wine.

By the time we made it back to the hotel we’d put in 15 miles, the longest hike I’ve taken in since forever.  The first 12 miles were fine but by the time we made it back to the room I felt like I was on a death march, barely shuffling one foot in front of the other.  Rachael was kind enough to say she was plenty tired too, but then this is really only a few miles longer than many of her walks.

At the end of the day, three things are true.  First, we made the best use of the day.  We’re both so glad that we decided on a hike, a decision we made only this morning.

Secondly, today at least I think I’ve just seen about the prettiest coastline of my lifetime.  It’s an astonishing area for its sheer geographic beauty as well as for its raw, elemental feel.  As tired and achy as I feel tonight and expect to feel in the morning, I wouldn’t trade today’s experience for much of anything.

And third, I’m exhausted.  I’ll throw in a few captions for context, but mostly I’ll leave it as a photo gallery to help us remember and relive this exceptional day.

We were slow to get out of town because we had to wade through the crowds here to celebrate and participate in the Bridport Hat Festival. I’ve never seen such an absurdly flamboyant collection of hats walking around.
Heart 8 Comment 3
Bob KoreisI could not help but notice the sign for California Almonds in the background. An organic food store that sells a product shipped from so far. But to be fair, CA does produce about 4/5ths of the world's almonds.

Interestingly put together outfit on the far right.
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1 year ago
Scott AndersonTo Bob KoreisThe woman on the right was a lucky addition, a last minute walk on. Nice that she has sensible shoes at least.
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1 year ago
Keith AdamsHats! and a Hat Festival! Now *that's* my kinda town.
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1 year ago
It’s Hat Day!
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There’s enough. You get the idea.
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Gregory GarceauSuddenly I feel inspired to start a Hat Festival in MY Town. Weird hats only.
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1 year ago
Keith AdamsA longtime friend of mine also has a hat fetish. She's got dozens of the things. At one point she remarked that she ought to have a hat tree, and her husband mumbled a response that caused their son to laugh, but which she herself hadn't quite made out. The son, on being assured he'd not suffer unpleasant consequences for merely repeating what his father had said, clarified: "Hat *tree*? No, you need a hat *FOREST*."
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1 year ago
Rachael AndersonTo Gregory GarceauGood idea!
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1 year ago
Starting the first climb, from West Bay. That’s Rachael ahead, stepping out. We’ll meet at the top, or when she picks me up on her way back if I don’t make it that far.
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Oh, wait. She held up long enough to take a shot of me before moving ahead.
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Patrick O'HaraGreat shot, Mr. Anderson. Looking good!
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1 year ago
The view inland to Bridport. Too far away to see all the funny hats.
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Dropping down from the first climb to Eype Beach, and looking ahead to the day’s second climb, up Doghouse Hill.
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Looking forward to the very steep climb up Doghouse Hill. Note the suspended fence that has lost its footing. We’ve passed signs all along warning us to keep well back from the cliffs.
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Cows on Doghouse Hill.
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Know your sheep! This is an easy one because its colors are so distinctive: the Badger-faced Welsh Mountain Sheep. There are two varieties. This is Torddu, distinguished by its white fleece and black belly and facial markings. The other, Torwen, has the color pattern reversed.
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Keith AdamsFed, presumably, nothing but Oreo cookies?
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1 year ago
The view back east, along Chesil Beach.
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Looking down to Seatown and up to the Golden Cap.
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The climb up Golden Cap begins with a walk through a bracken forest.
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Keith AdamsEvery time I see steps on a rugged, difficult path I marvel at the amount of work it must have taken merely to transport the materials to the job site, let alone put them in place.
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1 year ago
Looking back west.
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Still climbing Golden Cap. The summit is on the other side of the scrubby oak woods ahead.
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The English Channel. It’s a dry but wild day, with 15-25 mile winds testing our balance all day long.
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Looking down at Seatown Beach.
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The view west from the summit of Golden Cap. Views in all directions are enormous and breathtaking. The 20+ mph winds contributed to the effect.
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Looking inland across Dorset, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
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We got a bit of sun on the way back, so a whole new set of photos was called for.
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The view west on Seatown Beach.
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The view east.
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Some riff-raff on the beach.
Heart 8 Comment 2
Steve Miller/GrampiesThe same old guy keeps photo bombing your pictures.
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1 year ago
Scott AndersonTo Steve Miller/GrampiesAt least he finally got a haircut.
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1 year ago
A prevailing wind indicator.
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One good sheep deserves another.
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Chesil Beach again. The protruding pier is at West Bay, where we’ll turn inland if we make it that far.
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Graham FinchYou could have taken this novel with you....

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_Chesil_Beach
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1 year ago
Scott AndersonTo Graham FinchIndeed, but it would be a reread. I remembered the title when I saw this on the map, but couldn’t recall which of McEwen’s it was and had to look it up myself when I got back. Rachael and I tried to remember when we were waiting for dinner. If I hadn’t been so tired I might have written it into the narrative. Back when I was a reader McEwan was one of my favorite authors.
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1 year ago
Another view into the interior.
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There’s that hanging fence again. I couldn’t decide which perspective I liked best so I included them both.
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Hiking stats today: 15 miles, 2,500’ 

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Comment on this entry Comment 3
Gregory GarceauI've always believed a little hiking makes for a more well-rounded bike tour. This hike proves my point--to the extreme. Holy mackerel, that's beautiful.
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1 year ago
Graham FinchI lived in Dorset for a while in my thrities and loved cycling in that wonderful part of the UK around Bournemouth. You seem to have skirted my regular ride - a short ferry ride from Sandbanks, then south to Swanage and beyond... sometimes to Durdle Door.
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1 year ago
Scott AndersonTo Graham FinchOh, then I’ll bet you’ve seen Puddletown too then, you dog! You’ve probably even taken a pint there. I’m so envious.

I’ve been keeping a mental list of places I’d like to make it back to if we return some year. Dorset’s high on it.
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1 year ago