Walk 115
Kimmeridge Bay to Lulworth Cove (Dorset)
(Second leg of
English coastal walk – Broadstairs to Lands End)
Map: L/R 195 and 194
Distance: 8 miles or 12 km.
Difficulty: challenging especially if muddy – some slippery
slopes
Terrain: mainly cliff paths
Access: Parking at both ends. NOTE: This walk is on the
Lulworth firing ranges and is only open at certain times. Check on:
dorsetforyou.com before going.
Public transport: There appear to be no options for
Kimmeridge. A morning bus service goes from Wareham to Lulworth. Local taxis
specialise in the trip. I left my car at Lulworth Cove car par and arranged (in
advance) for a taxi to Kimmeridge. A bit expensive but OK if you can share with
other walkers.
Follow the coastal path westwards out of Kimmeridge Bay.
Soon you will come to a ‘nodding donkey’ pumping up oil from a small BP well.
This has been tapped for over 40 years and has been producing about 80 barrels
a day. From Iron age times, oil shale (oil impregnated soft slate) was extracted
and used to produce artefacts including jewellery and furniture. In the 1850s
the oil was exported to Paris as fuel for gas lit lamps.
About a mile further on, past Howbarrow Bay, is Gad Cliff
which overlooks Brandy Bay. This bay derives its name from the smuggling that
took place in the 17th and 18th centuries. About a mile
further along is Worbarrow Tout which sticks out impressively into the sea.
Care is needed on the walk down from here and up the steep path to Flowers
Barrow (no steps or handrail). I fell at this point and ended up at the doctors
with a knee injury. I did manage to hobble on to Lulworth Cove though.
Inland from here is the ghost village of Tyneham. It can
only be accessed when the coastal path is open. The village was seized by the
army in 1943 on Churchill’s orders and used for practising manoeuvres. The
occupants were moved out and tanks moved in (as did thieves who stripped the
buildings!). The village is still empty despite years of protests.
Flowers Barrow, which overlooks Warbarrow Bay, was the site
of an iron age fort and has been eroded over the years. There appears to be no
evidence that it was much more than a small settlement.
Visible from the path near here is Lulworth Castle which is
a mile or so inland. It was built in the early 17th century by
Thomas Howard as a hunting lodge, it then became a country house. It was gutted
by fire in 1929 and was restored in 1998.
As you approach
Lulworth Cove the views back to the east are stunning. The first view of the
cove is the large car park and road stretching up the hill. Descend into the
cove which is famous for its geology and picturesque outlook. The entrance to
the cove is narrow because the rocks at this point are formed of the hard
Portland Stone whereas the softer Purbeck stone in the cove is still eroding.
|Photos show: nodding donkey at Kimmeridge Bay; Gad Cliff and Brandy Bay; Warbarrow Tout; Lulworth Cove.
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