Great South West Walk

Tuesday August 7

Section 13. WEST BAY TO ABBOTSBURY. Miles: 9.4. Grading: Moderate

Start time and location
Could you please report for registration at the West Pub on Station Road at 1pm.
The walk will commence at 1.30pm.

Parking
Plenty of parking avaialble at start points.

Bus Services
The X53 service runs between Exeter, West Bay (George Hotel), Burton Bradstock and Abbotsbury, Weymouth and Bournemouth. If you wish to obtain a bus timetable from Dorset CC, you need ‘Area 1 – Bridport and Lyme Regis Area’. Confirmation of all buses should be obtained from Traveline on 0870 608 2608, www.traveline.org.uk

Trains
Axminster or Weymouth/Dorchester are the nearest stations to this section. For information on train services, please telephone National Rail Enquiries on 08457 484950.

Maps
Ordnance Survey Landranger series (scale 1:50 000) Numbers 193, Taunton and Lyme Regis and 194, Dorchester and Weymouth.
Ordnance Survey Outdoor Leisure series (scale 1:25 000) , Number 15, Purbeck and South Dorset.

General Information
WEST BAY - accommodation, café, restaurant, pubs, shops, public telephones, parking and toilets.
BURTON BRADSTOCK – accommodation, shops, pubs, café, parking and public telephone.
BURTON BEACH - café open all year (in winter 10am to 3pm and after Easter 10am to 5pm), toilets and parking.
WEST BEXINGTON - shop (seasonal), toilets and parking.
ABBOTSBURY BEACH – parking and toilets.
ABBOTSBURY – accommodation, pubs, cafés, shops, parking, toilets and public telephones.

TOURIST INFORMATION CENTRES
47 South Street, Bridport, DT6 3NY. Tel: 01308 424901

TAXIS
Abacus Taxis 01308 423455, Pat’s Cabs 01308 424715, King Cabs 0800 585365,
Bridport Taxis 01308 424252, Beeline Taxis 01308 425555. Otherwise you could ring the National Taxi Hotline on 0800 654321, and you will be put through to the nearest participating cab firm.

The Route
WEST BAY TO ABBOTSBURY

From this point the geology and landscape of the coast changes dramatically - from the hilly terrain experienced from Exmouth the route to Abbotsbury becomes straight forward and follows the vast Chesil Bank although the going is likely to be no less
arduous.

Follow around the edge of the inner harbour, and pass to the right of St John's Church and carry forward to the West Bay Public House ahead, opposite which is the coast path sign pointing at an angle across a gravel area to the foot of surprisingly steep cliffs. Ascend the steep grassy slopes to East Cliff and continue along the top of the sandstone cliffs on the seaward side of the golf course, with a surprising drop halfway to Burton Freshwater.

As you walk along the beautifully layered and coloured section of sandstone cliffs, you may imagine where the mermaid was found.

In June 1757, Hutchings relates that a mermaid was thrown ashore - a romantic individual, 13 foot in height or length, and evidently a giant of the species. Her upper half had a human form, while her extremity was that of a fish. The head of this unhappy creature was partly like that of a man, and partly like that of a hog; her fins resembled hands. Although probably a 'sea-cow' manatee from South Africa washed up by the Gulf Stream, we too prefer the notion of a mermaid!

On the approach to the caravan site at Burton Freshwater take care to follow the Coast Path signs. There has been an official diversion here that is a big improvement. Most maps still show the coast path looping inland through the caravan park and close to the site’s buildings. A new route is now in place that follows the shoreline and then the river bank on the seaward side of the site to the concrete footbridge over the River Bride where the former route is rejoined. Turn right over the footbridge and at the end right again to follow the river back towards the sea. On reaching the coast again, cross the stile and turn left up the grassy slopes along the cliff.

BURTON BRADSTOCK

Burton Bradstock, just inland, is a particularly picturesque village with an old flax mill, church, but alas only three of its fourteen inns remain - maybe as well with the arduous section of Chesil Bank ahead!

Continue along Burton Cliff and on the approach to Burton Beach (just before the Burton Cliff hotel) turn to seaward down stone steps into a sunken path running down to the car park. Here you should find a café and toilets that are open all year. Continue along the low cliffs that descend to Cogden Beach. You are now on the famous Chesil Beach or Bank proper.

Chesil Bank ('Chesil' is the Anglo Saxon word for 'stone') is an 18 mile arc running from south-east to north-west from Portland. This vast pebble bank is up to sixty feet above sea level at its highest point, towards the eastern end, and never wider than two hundred yards. It was formed some 80 000 years ago when sea levels were low. As a result of west to east tidal action the 3" stones at Portland become pea gravel in the west.

The official route of the Coast Path passes to the inland side of a small lake - Burton Mere, which used to be drained and cultivated as reed beds for thatching material, but is now a marshy lake and important and rewarding bird watching area as well as home to maritime flowers. Continue along the beach as best as you can (and allow more time than your usual pace for this will be hard work) to reach West Bexington.

Here there is a choice of official routes. If you fancy a change from coastal walking, or wish to avoid the tramp around the shores of The Fleet, or the walk through the built up areas of Weymouth ahead, you can take the alternative inland high level route which follows the South Dorset Ridgeway to rejoin the Coast Path proper at Osmington Mills, a few miles east of Weymouth. A separate Path Description relating to the Inland Route is now available. Coast Path purists will wish to stay on the true coast path.

WEST BEXINGTON

West Bexington is a hamlet mostly used by fishermen who can be seen labouring down the beach in all weathers; the wilder the weather, the better the mackerel! It is also a gathering station for car park picnickers. 400m inland from the coast the Manor Hotel has a public bar open all day and provides lunches and appears to be open all year.

To continue to Abbotsbury (and Weymouth) take the track along the back of Chesil Bank (unless you are glutton for punishment, when you can continue on the beach itself) and continue behind the beach for almost two miles or so (3 km), past a former coastguard lookout and a farm. The path then changes to a narrow road for another 650 yards (600 m) before it turns inland at a car park with all year toilets at Abbotsbury Beach. The Abbotsbury Sub-Tropical Gardens are to be found up this road, and are open from mid-March to mid-October. However the Coast Path continues along the beach for a further 180 yards (200 m) before turning inland.

WARNING: If you intend to walk the whole length of Chesil Bank to Ferry Bridge near Weymouth rather than going to Abbotsbury and along the edge of the Fleet, you should telephone Major Hazard on 01305 783456 ext. 8132, to check whether the bank is safe to walk. There may be some firing on Chickerell Rifle Range and it is not unknown for the odd bullet to mis-target, and travel as far as the Bank. As a result, walkers will be sent back despite having walked half this gruelling hike.

The official route of the Coast Path does not enter the village of Abbotsbury although most OS Maps do actually show this to be the case. Some 660 yards (600 m) from leaving the beach you will reach a junction of paths. Here the Coast Path turns east along the lower slopes on the south side of Chapel Hill. However if you are anxious to reach Abbotsbury village by the shortest route continue straight on, otherwise continue on the coast path route. As the path begins to bear north towards some woods around the foot of Chapel Hill a permissive path branches to the right down the grassy slopes. For those pressing on eastwards and not stopping at Abbotsbury this can be used as a short cut to pick up the onward route at the car park by the Swannery.

To continue on the official route proceed north through a small wood and follow the Coast Path signs down a bank to cross a stream. At this point the Coast Path turns through 180 degrees for its onward route. However if you wish to visit the village of Abbotsbury continue northwards for another 500 yards (457 m). Take note of where you join the main B3157 road for it is best to return to this location and walk southwards to rejoin the Coast Path. (See map on page 10)

ABBOTSBURY

Abbotsbury was given by King Canute to Orc and Fola in 1016 who built a monastery. The Tithe Barn was built in the early 15th century, a fine thatched building originally used to store grain and produce paid as taxes. 272 feet long by 31 feet wide, it is now used as a childrens’ farm (closed out of season).

The church of St Nicholas is just north of the barn and has a 13th century marble monument of an abbot. The oak canopied pulpit still has two bullet holes from the fighting in the Civil War. Little remains today of the monastery which became corrupt before its destruction in the Dissolution. One exasperated monk wrote to Westminster saying that the abbot ‘..hath an abominable rule, with the keeping of women, not one or two or three, but many more’.

The world famous Swannery, which supplied the monastery with fresh meat, is over four hundred years old. Its duck decoy is the oldest in Britain. The swan population of between 450 and 700 feeds on the plentiful Zostera Marina seaweed.

St Catherine's Chapel, standing like a stone outcrop on the summit of the 250 feet high Chapel Hill to the south west has a rare architectural feature in a stone tunnel-vault.

In Henry VIII's reign, Sir Giles Strangway bought it all for £1095.10s.0d on condition that the monastery was 'thrown down', and only the barn and chapel remained.

If you have any question on any of the above please do not hesitate to contact one the event organisers found on the Contact us page click here

click to go back to previous page