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| Swanage beach |
The sun is shining as we arrived at the site, it is windy as we put up the awning. All pegged out, we sit back to have lunch before the walk over to Corfe Castle, 2 miles away across the fields..
What a day, 22c very sunny. A steam train ride to Swanage and then 6 miles to Harry Rocks and back.
Unfortunately the ( Pullman, Devon Belle ) observation car is fully occupied when we step onboard, so dissapointedly we sit in the ordinary seats for our journey out.
We have 11's in the station's Birds nest cafe, a converted railway carage.
Our walk along the sea front is a bit cold as a chill wind is blowing of the sea. Through the houses now and then upwards onto the ridge of the Purbeck Hills. Here when we stop for a breath, are stupendous views on both sides, Swanage and Durlston one side and on the other Pool Harbour.
2 miles further on and here we are ready for our lunch, we find a convienient place to sit to eat our pork pie, bag of crisp's, buttered tea cake and a cup of tea. But wait just look at the view. Harry Rocks lay stretched out before us, amazing does not do it justice, neither the photo pasted here.
Completely filled both physically and mentally we set off back to Swanage this time choosing the coastal path which descends steeply back down to the beach.
The remainder of the hot water in the flask is finished with a cup of coffee, seated on a bench in the Beach Gardens. The train is in the Station as we arrive, it is ready to depart as we climb aboard.....
This time we bag a seat in the observation carrage to enjoy a sumptuous journey back, ( shame it is only 3 miles ).
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| View from Peveril Point |
Another sunny day with high temperatures to look forward too. We are heading out to Peveril point 4 miles away using the bicycles. Just to add to the fun I have chosen to use the Priest's Way ( bridle way) giving the BMX tyres a trial on the rough off road route which turns out to be fantastic fun..... The view across the solent to the Isle of Wight is stunning. The next section ( which would have been a glorious yeehaaa) was spoilt by the one way system in the wrong direction. So we had to get off and walk.
Midday and its time for lunch, so we find a vacant bench with a view of Harry Rock's.... Lunch over we head for Peveril point a short bike ride away, and oh! "note book" for next time, the best seats in the house for lunch. After an hour of lazing about we are pushing our bikes back up the hill, choosing Langton Matravers instead of the main road, just in case we have to get off and walk. (hilly section)
Half way and we have just looked in the church of St george ( gorgeous stain glass windows behind the altar) 700 years old."It is a short push up the hill and then the next left", at least that is what I kept saying, when asked, that universal question, "How much further is it?".
Phew back with a cup of tea, that last hill, Hay craft lane was very steep and we have had to keep the brakes aplied all the way.
After opening all the cards and pressies from my wife Lesley and family, we had breakfast (my choice boiled duck egg and toast with pate).
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| Harmans Cross Station |
Having walked around the ruined keep ( trying to locate a position of a photo I had taken of me when I was 16 ) we find a place to sit with a view of the village to have lunch.
We have time in the afternoon to have a look in the Southern Railway museum on the platform of Corfe before boading the train for our journey back. We are lazing in the sun again whilst I write this blog , soon to have dinner.
We are having such a great time... the fact that we have had a week of sunshine has greatly added to the enjoyment without a doubt. So here we are the last day, a walk then to Durleston 10 miles. We cross several fields to reach Langton Matravers, then through several more before reaching Belle vue farm on the priest's way, we cycled the other day. We choose the same
grassy knoll to have 11's with a view across to Swanage.
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| Tilly whim caves |
A whole flock of bird watchers / Twitcher's, are out with their long lenses, I'm not insinuating anything, but they do rather dangle.
This stretch of the coast is great for Dolphin watching and the many nesting sea birds.
The castle has been refurbished to house the visitor centre with a shop and restaurant. The introductory film is amazing.
We lunch just around the corner from the victorian carved Globe, with views of both Peveril point and Harry Rock's beyond a nice reminder of 2 of our weeks excursions.
We retrace are journey home as it is the quickest route and arrive late in the afternoon to sit out for a short while to enjoy the remains of the sun.
