South West Coast Path - Tuesday 25 June

 

 Now if I woke at 4am at home to answer a call of nature, I'd stagger back to bed. Not today, though. I started packing up in the dawn. The moon was still bright. Away by 5. I hadn't realised there was a camp site in the next field. I still wouldn't have stayed there but I filled a water bottle as I went by. No-one was around. The path closely followed the East Fleet to Ferrybridge.

Half a man poking out of the water (at Ferrybridge)

I walked the two miles over the causeway (known as the tombolo) to Portland and stocked up with food for the day in Fortuneswell. It was a steep climb up to the coast path on the west side of the island.

Fortuneswell

A path diversion took me through a former quarry, now a sculpture park. It was a good diversion.

Rejoining the path, it was a grassy track most of the way to Portland Bill.

The weather got quite hot so mid morning I stopped and put the tarp up to dry. I had a welcome pot of tea at the Lobster Pot Café.

 Moving on a short way, I passed a large number of wooden sheds/chalets which seem to be very popular here. I had seen one for sale in an estate agent's window earlier for £30,000.  

Yours for £30,000

I stopped for lunch on the rocky beach at Church Ope Cove - more sheds here. The colour of the sea and the rock strewn landscape was very reminiscent of southern Europe.  

 

 

 

Church Ope Cove

 The path then went inland, past the YOI and then HM Prison The Verne before dropping down to Castletown. I didn't feel it was cheating to get the bus across the tombolo to Ferrybridge.

Looking from Portland to Weymouth

The walk around Portland Harbour to Weymouth was quite pleasant and I was very impressed with the centre of Weymouth, which was busy. Lots of tempting pubs and restaurants. I think Olympics money was lavished on the place in 2012. Then all along the promenade looking out to sea at Weymouth Bay. At Overscombe, I met a lady and her elderly mother having a drink on the terrace of their holiday apartment. I asked for my water bottle to be filled and was treated to some unexpected trail magic - a bottle of cider. We chatted for a while and I then moved on to sort out a pitch for the night. I'm on the edge of a large pasture area overlooking Weymouth Bay. The area is criss crossed with paths. All the people out walking up here have now gone. Twenty miles walked. I've now covered about sixty miles with only forty to go. I shall take it easy a bit.

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