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CSCC Reports: Dorset coast 27-29 August 2005
A fine bank holiday weekend with glorious weather, flat seas and good
company - what more can you want! David P, Chris, Dan A, Dan J,
Dave W, Alex, Luis, Peter and Hilary, and Dan H and Caroline, made the
trek to Dorset after
a week of strong winds and mixed forecasts. As before, we stayed
at the Woodyhyde
Farm camp site,
just east of Corfe Castle.
Saturday 27th
Joined by Chris, Peter and Hilary for the day (Dan H not having arrived
yet) 9 of us set off eastwards from Lulworth cove. The remaining swell
made the first mile a little bouncy as usual - the vertical cliffs exaggerating
the waves - until we got to Mupe rocks. The obligatory rock-hopping and
cave-exploring along the bay brought us to Worbarrow Tout and a lunch
stop at the little Pondfield beach. The weather was turning ever sunnier
and we pressed on to Kimmeridge, buzzed by a little police helicopter
as we arrived. After an uneventful return trip we indulged in a little
rolling and rescue practice in Lulworth Cove to amuse the tourists...
For dinner we drove round to the excellent New Inn in the nearby village
of Church Knowle, a misnomer as it's many hundreds of years old.
[Thanks to Chris for the GPS track; in general, we went
round the edges on the way there, and cut the corners on the way back!]
Sunday 28th
After a chilly and misty start to the day, the sun got going with a vengeance.
Dan H having joined us, but minus Chris, Peter and Hilary, we set off westwards
from Lulworth Cove, through the geological masterpiece of Stair Hole, and on
past Durdle Door, Bat Head and nearly to Ringstead Bay before adjourning
to the
beach
for
a long
lunch.
Fortunately
text messaging
enabled us to keep in touch with the exciting cricket scores - and we got back
to the campsite just in time for an exciting finish to the Test Match. [Minor
problems with the camera in the sunshine - we couldn't see that the memory
card was full! - explains the paucity of pictures...]
Monday 29th
Oh, what to do? Another day of sunshine forecast! Rather than indulge in the
Kimmeridge to Swanage run (and the "car shuttle from hell") we started
from Studland beach and pottered round Old Harry Rocks to Ballard Point. We
were
driven off our lunchtime beach by (a) the blazing heat reflecting back of everything,
(b) the wake of a cross-channel ferry which threatened to wash everything away,
and finally (c) all the insect life that crawled out of the seaweed on the
beach after the ferry had passed. Studland Bay was amazing - seemingly every
boat
from the marinas in Poole Harbour had come out and parked up en masse!
Anyway, a lovely weekend - and just the slog back into London remained.
PS1. last year's report is at www.civilservicecanoeclub.org.uk/reports/dorset0804/
PS2. pure ego trip I know, but I've got
a little gallery of scenic S Dorset pix at www.davidp.org.uk/dorset - Ed.
All images © CSCC / Chris Stephens, Luis Trevino, Peter & Hilary
Lawrence, David Pearson
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