WEEK 4

SEATOWN TO ABBOTSBURY

Hello,

Once an again getting up early 5.00 am and leave home at 6am and The bright sunrise at 6.30am in morning over Dorset countryside, arriving in Abbotsbury 6.40am. At car park in the Ilchester Arms pub, sorting myself putting walking boots on, watching the sun shining over St Catherine Chapel Hill. I have to wait for X53 Jurassic Bus for an hour to arrived at Abbotsbury coming from Weymouth at 7.58. In the time waiting I took photos the town and talking to the local residents at the bus stop.

Finally I arrived at Chideock Bridge at 8.46am after 50 mins on the X53 Jurassic bus and ¾ miles walk to Seatown Beach along narrow country lanes and amazing view of Seatown Beach showing Lyme Regis in the distance and the other side was Ridge Cliff on way up hill start and For 10 minutes I tried to take photo of myself with the beach and eventually old lady passing bye walking her dog on her way to caravans site, ask her kindness to take a picture of me of Seatown Beach.

At the top of Ridge Cliff hill showing viewpoint of Seatown with caravan’s site was amazing scenery of clear blue sky and can also see how steep the hilly Golden Cap in the distance which I never saw clearly on nice day last Week 3 challenge which was very misty and heavy rain. On my way to Eype’s Mouth which is 1 ½ hrs away with a 2 miles walk to reach it destination.

At the top of Doghouse Hill were a lot cattle and sheep over the hill and I took amazing photos of Sheep, catching the moment of Ewe and her baby lamb showing the background scenery of Chideock Bridge. My favourite picture of two lambs together attaches together watch me as I took a photos shot of them together.

On the way to Eype’s Mouth, I walk long East Ebb, Thorncombe Beacon and Monarch’s Way. There were some up and down hills to climb which was about average to me and not much walking struggling up these hills. I hardly saw many walkers around on the hills to be able ask for donations and it was not even mid-morning. I amazed to see a cow so close to edge of the cliff eating grass and even been lots of corrosion lately and I can’t image if the cow falling over edge surviving the fall?

Arriving at Eype’s Mouth only took about an hour walk from Seatown and there was a small beach hut shop selling wildlife prints and plenty of tourists leaflet what to do in Dorset. Eype’s just a beach for relaxing or swimming in the sea. Once again a hill climbs to the top of West Cliff and amazing view of Eype’s Mouth.

Arriving at West bay before 10.30 in the morning appear to be little busy with tourists attraction looking around the boats harbour and plenty cafes and things to do at seaside. I managed to do some fund-raising for Dorset Blind asking for Donations and spend half an hour before heading out of West Bay. Just let you know West Bay is known to the place where Sea Diver come all over Dorset and UK to visit by exploring range of Shipwreck, marine ocean seabed and range of fishes, sharks etc.

Have some photos shot taking by a family enjoying their ice-cream by the café flag and there is one of most beautiful viewpoint of West Bay Beach and it Harbour at top of East Cliff which is heading to Burton Beach.

There was a straight footpaths on top of East Cliff was very flat next to cliff edge and golf course for 1 miles and then going down the hill in Burton Freshwater caravan site and I follow the footpaths round small riverbank and across over footbridge and the signposts up top of Burton Cliff which was small climb up the hill and crossing farmlands next Burton town and down to Burton Beach 1 ¼ miles. It was any beauty spot for the locals and tourists on the beach with a busy café and made opportunities to do bit of fund-raising while I was there.

Leaving Burton Beach was heading up small hill and passing another Caravan site and walking round the site on to The National Trusts lands seeing the view of Cogden Beach.

I have to walk for six miles on hard pebble beach of Chesil Beach which was very easy walk part to do on Jurassic Coastlines, but I can feel the pressure of my walking boots and feet getting sore or hot on hard surface of pebbles or hard country road surface on the way to Abbotsbury.

On route you are passing Cogden Beach, Swyre village, West Bexington, marshlands with lakes, passing few farms on the hill valley and small cottages and arriving to Abbotsbury car park next to Chesil Beach.

After long walk long the hard surface pebble beach and country road surface arriving at 2pm and I when on Chesil beach to meet some friends who was fishing for the day on the Chesil Beach. I finally found them among other fishing people. They took a wonderful photo of me completing my challenge on Chesil Beach I have about ¾ miles to go back to Ilchester Arms Pub car park in Abbotsbury.

I continue my journey walking through open meadow fields and farmlands and seeing the St Catherine Hill Chapel in the distance and I follow the footpaths leading you down narrow hedgerow paths into the Abbotsbury village. I made finally last tempt to walk up the top of Chapel Hill to visit the St Catherine Chapel which old abbey sitting on top of the hill with it amazing surrounding and take some wonderful picture of the landscapes and it town of Abbotsbury. It took me 6 ½ hours to complete Week 4 Big walk challenge Seatown to Abbotsbury.

ST CATHERINE CHAPEL

Set high on a hilltop overlooking Abbotsbury Abbey, this sturdily buttressed and barrel-vaulted 14th-century chapel was built by the monks as a place of pilgrimage and retreat.

SUMMARY REPORT

SEATOWN TO ABBOTSBURY 13.5 MILES

· TOTAL OF DRIVING MILEAGE ON THE DAY – 73miles (Return Poole to Abbotsbury & return home to Poole )

· JURASSIC BUS X53 –ABBOTSBURY 07.58am to CHIDEOCK BRIDGE (Seatown) 08.46am

· TOTAL OF DONATIONS - £ 73.44 pounds by the Publics, Walkers.

· TOTAL OF HOURS TO COMPLETE CHALLENGES – 6 ½ hrs (5hrs walking & 1 ½ hrs Fundraisings on route) easy to intermediate challenge.

· Including talking to the people to collect donations throughout my walking challenges Seatown to Abbotsbury

· WEATHER CONDITIONS

· Mild cold start with mild windy breeze of the beach and coastlines.

· Bright sunshine throughout the walk and getting Warm to Hot along the coast.

· Temperature of 6-8C, feel cold start with mild windy factual of 9 and windy breeze feeling of 3C.

· Warm up to 6-8 C and feel 6C all day throughout. Clear Blue Sky of Sunshine.

THANK JONATHAN

LOG JOURNEY

Log journey

Time

Get up

5.00am

Leave Home Poole (Parkstone)

6.00am

Arrived in Abbotsbury

6.35am

Car parking at Abbotsbury Ilchester Arms

6.40am

X53 Jurassic Bus - Abbotsbury

07.58am

X53 Jurassic bus arrived at Chideock Bridge

08.46am

Walk to Seatown Beach

08.57am

Ridge Cliff

9.30am

Doghouse Hill

9.36am

East Ebb

9.43am

East Ebb Cove

9.43am

Thorncombe Beacon

9.50am

Great Ebb

9.50am

Monarch’s way

9.54am

Eype’s Mouth

10.02am

West Cliff

10.15am

West bay

10.22am

East Cliff

11.00am

Burton Freshwater

11.12am

Burton Cliff

11.28am

Southover

11.35am

Burton Beach

11.45am

Cogden Beach

12.10pm

Swyre

12.45pm

West Bexington

13.00pm

Labour in Vain farm

13.20pm

East Bexington Farm

13.25pm

East Bexington Daily Ho

13.30pm

Lawrence Cottage

13.35pm

Chesil Beach

13.40pm

Strip Ernchets & Chapel Hill

14.05pm

St Catherine Hill & Abbey

14.20pm

Abbotsbury & Ilchester Arms

14.38pm

Leave Abbotsbury

15.00pm

Arrived at home Poole (Parkstone)

15.50pm

JONATHAN PEIRCEPage 5