Day 44. Seatown to Abbotsbury. (12.5 miles /20km)

Day 44.     Seatown to Abbotsbury.     (12.5 miles /20km)

The view when I woke from my room at The Anchor Inn just entered the leader board for the best view on eye opening so far.   This pub situated practically right on the pebbles meant my window looked right over it’s beach front door mat and the rolling green heights of Ridge Cliff.   It was so still – the sky was cloudless and the water like glass.   The staff here are as wonderful as the view.   Last night on arrival – which was about 6.30 I had my first accomodation glitch.    There is little to choose from in Seatown for overnight stays and it was one of my tricky nights to sort – The Anchor Inn was the option available as they do rooms to stay but there is a two night minimum.   I booked accomodation a long time in advance for this walk -especially for the July portion as weather starts to warm up and places fill , also because in some remote spots places that take one night bookings fill quickly.  Seatown was one of these spots.  

So I found my only option for a one nighter was a small shed type accomodation in the back of a garden very basic but was my only choice.   When I arrived last night in the heat the shed was a very hot one that had a seperate toilet in another shed at the end of a garden.     I hadn’t factored in the heat when I booked it  – I tried to open it up to cool it down on a wind less night .   I dumped my stuff and quickly changed out of dirty, sweaty hiking gear for dinner at the Anchor Inn.  As I’m sat at the Anchor the thought of trying to sleep in the hot shed and the torch led night toilet after a long hot day led me to make a fast decision and ask the waitress if there happened to be a room at the Anchor that I could take just for one night.    She returned with a big smile on her face and said  “one left , it’s yours if you’d like”.   As it was now 8pm she was happy for me to take it just for the night.   I nearly picked her up and whizzed her around , instead I legged it up the hill, the shed was still about 50 degrees inside and it was with great joy that I grabbed my bags and did two runs to get my gear down to the Anchor.    I think the relief of the long shower , the cool room and comfy bed at this stage of the walk has put The Anchor Inn into one of my most memorable stay moments!  

My bags now being next door I called the remarkable Luggage Transfers who move my bags along and changed the pick up location.  This company are absolutely exceptional.   No other word for it.    No matter where I have stayed , in some off the trail places and rooms down laneways, rooms in peoples houses and annexes , no matter where  – they have found it , used codes to lock boxes , contacted owners and never once has my bag not been there when I arrived.     Mike (who I met back in Porthleven at the quiz !) and his staff have this South West Coast Path down – It covers this long distance and the number of stop options in all the different villages and hard to reach places is staggering.  They cover the lot and do not miss.   

I took my time over the lovely breakfast,   it was a scorcher of a day that was hot from the jump so I took my time over the start too.   My body didn’t warm up as quickly as the sun ,  it was more of a process.  

It was a day of two extremes today.  The morning was on the final peaks of the Western Jurassic Coast which were just aglow against a clear blue sky and looked like they had been dipped in gold leaf.   With an immediate climb up the 430ft Thorncombe Beacon I took it slowly in the full sun and then for the down to Eype.    I was moving into second gear for a final climb over West Cliff which drops into West Bay where the TV crime series that my sister loves , Broadchurch, is filmed.     There is then a diversion of the trail.    These sandstone cliffs are prone to sudden rockfalls – this coast path still incredibly hugs much of the coasts cliff edges but inevitability diversions due to erosion and crumbling cliffs are starting to push some sections slightly inland.    

My map because of this was going haywire and signage wasn’t clear – I headed in the direction I thought and I found myself wandering through a caravan park with the lost look on my face.   There was a couple outside their caravan in blissful retirement relaxation mode – recliners both in full back recliner position, newspapers and tanning.  I excused myself and asked them if they happened to know how to get to the cliff I could see in the distance with the coast path running along it.  The man jumped up and showed me the small gate past the caravans to go through which would loop me around the water and through another gate leading to the great big hill as he called it .   I thanked him and said I’ll see you again in minute if I get it right.   After following his instructions I was on the path – it passed them again on the other side of the water and he jumped up from full recliner position again to shout in full voice across the fence and the other caranvanners “YOU’VE GOT IT LOVE , NOW KEEP GOING , THROUGH THE OTHER GATE TURN LEFT AND UP YOU GO THAT GREAT BIG HILL ”  I shouted back across the fence and the other caranvanners “BRILL!  THANK YOU , I HOPE THERE’S A CUPPA ON THE OTHER SIDE!” and she shouted “COME BACK IF THERE’S NOT!”   Laughing away off I went.   I headed on up and at the very top when the caravans were now dots I turned in what I hoped was their direction and hoping they could see,with arm stretched as high as I could make it go gave a big wave.   As I looked down I saw the two of them both fully out of their full back recliner mode stood , side by side and whole heartedly double arm waving to me.   They must of got up and watched to make sure I got up there .   I laughed my head off, dropped my poles and double armed waved like mad back.  

I walked off laughing and as I did I just had the biggest lump in my throat and suddenly had tears rolling down my face.   It was their  genuine,  funny, lovliness to a stranger and their instant kindness and care – and it was that I knew my own Mum and Dad would of done the exact same thing for a solo walker asking for directions with a lost look.   They would of stood and waited and waved too.   I am so grateful I was raised by genuinely kind double arm wavers. 

The path diverts through a cow field – cow confidence has increased in this final stage as compared to week one.  I firmly communicate in a cow moving tone,  a few levels deeper than my own and take no messing from them.    From cows it went straight through the middle of a golf course.  Changed my cow voice back to normal and chatted to a few golfers on the way through.  Then it was the hitting of the afternoons terrain to tackle.   The Shingle .   Yep .  Shingle.   It was the 29km Chesil Beach of shingle.   Henry Stedman describes this section as a walkers energy sucker and like walking on a treadmill of marbles.   I checked my map and found a permissive trail running parallel to the coast that would cut the shingle out for an hour , through fields a bit higher up.  It was shingle or cows and stiles.  I went cows and stiles.    

Once I had run out of fields I had to drop back down to shingle and it stayed that way nearly all the way to Abbotsbury.    It was a plod.  You can’t shingle walk in light hearted manner it is almost like an angry walk.   You don’t seem to get any further forwards it’s just sinking downwards.   My mood started to match my walking style and suddenly I was like a different person and composing lists of my top 5 annoying things .   This was just about to become a list of 10 when suddenly it ended and it leads back to a tarmac trail.    Thank goodness I was 1 kilometre away from full blown shingle rage.    I stopped for a much needed cup of tea at this point at a little cafe right as you come off Chesil Beach.     I walked in, the waitress saw me and said “Shingle?” I said “Shingle”.  She said “Cream tea for one?” I said “yes please “.  It was as if she had the cure for shingle.    It worked.  Wise woman.  

I walked on happily as the light was changing into the beautiful thatched and stone village of Abbotsbury.   I pushed on past all that stunning stone and up a  bridle path to my accomodation that was a 45 minute walk further up in Porthsham.   It was such a beautiful summers night and I arrived at the Kings Arms which looked so welcoming in the middle of fields and rolling hills.  

Night night from well in the country side of Dorset xx 

Best eye opening view

The Anchor Inn and a very hot day

Hills and up to cliffs

Cliffs and still a path next to them …for now

Thorncombe Beacon

Choosing cows over shingle

Chesil Beach

Artistic shadow shot on wonderful tarmac!

An English country side walk to the end

Abbotsbury

The Kings Arms for the night