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Showing posts with label Dorset. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dorset. Show all posts

Thursday, 21 April 2011

MUDEFORD/HIGHCLIFFE

Hengistbury Head is a headland with a spit at the end which creates the narrow entrance to Christchurch Harbour. Mudeford, named after the River Mude, started out as a fishing village, but has more recently expanded into a large residential area, forming the outfall of the Avon and Stour rivers. Mudeford Spit houses 300 beach huts which have been known to change hands for as much as 140,000 pounds. This may seem like a lot, but the setting is fantastic, fringed by golden sand, and with superb views of the Isle of Wight. The town still has a Quay, which is used for watersports and as a base for fishing boats, and the pub here is renowned for its seafood. The pub also has an interesting history, having been the scene of a battle between the Royal Navy and smugglers in the 17th century, culminating in the grisly sight of one George Coombes hanging from a gibbet outside the pub.

Highcliffe is dominated by Highcliffe Castle, a gothic revival dating from the 19th century which owes its existence to a large amount of masonry which was shipped across the Channel. The castle was built mainly between 1831 and 1836 by Lord Stuart de Rothesay. The building nearly came to grief as a result of fires in the 1960s, but was saved by Christchurch Borough Council, English Heritage and the Heritage Lottery Fund.

For events at the castle, see here 

Live streaming webcam view from Highcliffe Sailing Club.

Map of the area.

File:Mudeford Harbour sunset.jpg
Mudeford Harbour sunset. Photo by George Buckingham, via Wikimedia Commons


Wednesday, 20 April 2011

CHRISTCHURCH

If you park at the top of the town centre and walk down through the main shopping street as we did recently, Christchurch presents a fairly uninspiring initial impression. The main street looks a bit down-at-heel, with a liberal sprinkling of charity shops. However, as you approach the bottom end of the main street you are confronted with an incredible sight: the imposing Christchurch Priory Church, which has the distinction of being the longest parish church in the country, and which resembles a cathedral in appearance, both outside and inside. The origins of the priory date back to at least the 11th century. The day we visited, the donations being collected from vistors were being diverted to the town’s namesake in New Zealand, which had just recently been badly damaged by an earthquake.

Beyond the Priory Church, a pathway leads through to the attractive Quay, which provides a recreational haven formed by the mouths of the rivers Avon and Stour. There is a cafe and a cafe bar, and it is possible to buy food for the many swans which congregate in the area, pursuing visitors in the hope of being fed. The harbour was formed 7,000 years ago when the sea level rose at the end of the last ice age, and in ancient times was an important port for the export of copper, gold, silver and iron, as well as for the import of goods such as wine and glass.  The harbor is almost completely enclosed by the arm-shaped Hengistbury Head, and there is a Visitor Centre and nature reserve with walking trails on the headland.

For events in Christchurch, follow this link.

Map of the area.


Monday, 18 April 2011

BOURNEMOUTH

On the rare occasions when the UK experiences a summer heatwave, prompting tabloid newspapers to scream predictable headlines such as “Phew what a scorcher!”, the accompanying photograph is almost invariably of a hideously overcrowded Bournemouth beach. This is because Bournemouth is one of the UK’s premier beach resorts, combining as it does a heady mix of sandy beach, shopping, vibrant nightlife and a varied restaurant scene, with the glorious Dorset countryside as a backdrop. A couple of years ago, Bournemouth decided that these fine attributes were not enough, and in a bizarre quest to emulate surfing hotspots such as Sennen and Newquay spent 3.2 million pounds on an “artificial surf reef” with the aim of generating waves big enough to attract the tanned and bleached-hair surfing set. However, the reef has been dogged with controversy, and has now had to be closed due to safety fears after an inspection found that the reef had changed shape resulting in dangerous undercurrents.

Bournemouth for a long time had a reputation as a magnet for the “blue rinse brigade”, however several weekend visits there over the last decade suggest that this is absolutely no longer the case, if the town’s nightlife at the weekend is anything to go by. Travelling back in time, Bournemouth rears its head in the works of Thomas Hardy, featuring as Sandbourne in Tess Of The D’Urbervilles. Meanwhile, Robert Louis Stevenson arrived in Bournemouth in 1884, and while there wrote some of his most famous works, including A Child’s Garden Of Verses ,The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Kidnapped. In 1887 he swapped Dorset for Samoa. The jury’s out on whether this was a wise move or not.

Not surprisiingly, a resort such as Bournemouth has a heady array of events throughout the year. The Bournemouth International Centre has regular events and concerts including some big names. There is also entertainment available on the pier. There is another pier just along the coast in Boscombe, and in summer there is a tourist road train linking the two locations.  For a list of events in the town follow this link.

Webcam view of the pier.

Map of the area.

File:Bournemouth 07.JPG
Bournemouth 07. Photo by Christophe Finot, via Wikimedia Commons.


SANDBANKS/BROWNSEA ISLAND

Sandbanks, which sits on a narrow spit of land enclosing the northern end of Poole Harbour, has the distinction of containing some of the country’s most expensive real estate. If you have a few million to spare, you can pick up a nice balconied number with views across Poole Harbour or over Sandbanks beach and out to sea. For example, a quick search in March 2011 threw up a “stylish and contemporary first floor apartment situated on the waters edge boasting superb uninterrupted views stretching across Poole Harbour, Brownsea Island and Evening Hill” for a cool £1,595,000. Needless to say, the inhabitants of Sandbanks are not your ordinary average Joe, numbering a famous English football manager among its illustrious residents.

Hop on one of the jaunty little yellow boats leaving from Sandbanks and you will find yourself in another world. Sandbanks is one of two departure points for ferries to Brownsea Island – Poole is the other. This small island near the mouth of Poole Harbour is one of the few places in England where red squirrels can be seen, being protected from the domination of their pesky grey cousins by virtue of their island habitat. There are also sika deer and a variety of birdlife such as avocets, redshanks and green woodpeckers. This little paradise is presided over by the National Trust, which offers guided walks on the island. The island has a long history stretching back to at least the 5th century BC, the time of the earliest evidence of settlement. Perhaps one of the best-known facts about the island is that it was the location of the first ever Scout camp, held by Lord Baden-Powell in 1907. This was the testing-ground for the Scout movement proper which began the following year. 

Live streaming webcams of Brownsea Lagoon.

Map of the area.


Saturday, 16 April 2011

POOLE

Just north of the Isle of Purbeck is a large expanse of water called Poole Harbour, which is almost an enclosed lake but for the long spit of land at Sandbanks, which almost but not quite meets Studland Heath on the other side. The town of Poole, as well as being a tourist destination in its own right, is a jumping off point for the Channel Islands and Cherbourg, France courtesy of a number of ferry routes served by the town. The Harbour is a haven for watersports fans as well as for birdwatchers. The town of Poole is a mixture of the old and new, with a quaint old Georgian town nestling among the swanky new apartment complexes.

In the previous post, we met a group of rocks off Studland called Old Harry Rocks. Legend has it that these rocks were named after a notorious Poole privateer and smuggler called Harry Paye. During his lifetime which spanned the late 14th and early 15th centuries, and included a stint as a Commander in the Cinque Ports fleet, Paye went on the rampage along the coasts of France and Spain leaving a trail of devastation in his wake, for example by burning the town of Gijon in Northern Spain to the ground and stealing a valuable crucifix from the Church of Saint Mary in Finisterra. He also trounced a French fleet sent to help Wales' Owain Glyndwr with his uprising against the English. Paye’s memory lives on in Poole in the form of the annual Harry Paye Charity Fun Day; hopefully the money raised from these events goes some way towards atoning for the havoc wreaked by Paye all those years ago.

For events in Poole see here

Live streaming webcam views courtesy of FJB Hotels.

Map of the area.

File:Evening sunshine over Poole Harbour - geograph.org.uk - 887983.jpg
Evening sunshine over Poole Harbour - geograph.org.uk - 887983. Photo by Roger Davies, via Wikimedia Commons.

STUDLAND

In Kingdom By The Sea, a book by the American writer Paul Theroux describing a tour around the British coast, he describes with some distaste how he came face to face with a naked person while walking along the dunes at Studland Beach. What he apparently failed to realise was that the northern part of Studland Beach contains one of the country’s premier “naturist beaches”, and in fact there is a sign warning approaching “clothed people” that they may encounter naturists here. This must provide an interesting ending for those who have trekked the 630 miles of the magnificent South-West Coast Path from Minehead – Studland is the other terminus of the route. Fans of the rock band Coldplay may or may not be aware that the video for the song Yellow was filmed on Studland Beach.

The path heading out of Studland village towards Swanage rises gently up to an area of rough heathland leading to a headland from which the chalk sea stacks of Old Harry Rocks can be observed. Harry, named after an infamous pirate called Harry Paye according to a local legend, used to have a “wife”, a smaller seastack, but she collapsed in 1896. The rocks make a perfect base for colonies of breeding sea birds, and peregrine falcons can also be found here. Further round on this path there are magnificent views over the bay at Swanage.

Map of the area.


File:"Old Harry" - geograph.org.uk - 391865.jpg
"Old Harry" - geograph.org.uk - 391865. Photo by Gary Radford, via Wikimedia Commons.


Thursday, 14 April 2011

SWANAGE

Swanage may not be one of the best-known or premier resorts in Britain, but it recently received a boost when it came tenth in a list of Britain’s best beaches. The setting of the beach is certainly attractive, backed by a sloping green and with lovely views along the coast and across to the Isle of Wight. The town is located at the end of a chunk of coast known as the “Isle of Purbeck”, although, like Portland, it is not an island at all, or even a peninsula, but more of a rounded protruberance, the northern side forming the southern edge of Poole Harbour.

The town used to be an important quarrying port, and if you walk along the seafront towards the harbour and look down to the ground, you can still see the rails which were used to transport stone between the quarries and the port. There are many fine stone buildings in the town centre, which were built by stone merchants and developers John Mowlem and George Burt. One of the attractions Swanage is best known for is that it is the terminus of the Swanage Railway, a short but highly scenic heritage railway which includes among its stops the delightful village of Corfe Castle, dominated by the romantic ruins of the eponymous castle

For a list of events in Swanage, follow this link.

Live streaming webcam view from the Lifeboat Station.

Map of the area.


KIMMERIDGE BAY

When you think of oil and nodding donkeys, which places spring to mind? Saudi Arabia? Dallas Texas? Azerbaijan? Dorset? Eh, what? Yes, that’s right: there is a nodding donkey on the cliff top at Kimmeridge Bay which has been producing oil since its discovery in 1959, over 3 million barrels to date. The oil came about as a result of organic matter buried within rocks laid down on a stagnant sea floor. In fact, such is the geological significance of this place that the type of clay found here and in a band stretching across England is named Kimmeridge Clay. We are still firmly in fossil territory here, and visitors to the bay will no doubt encounter plenty of people wandering around heads down, looking for relics from the Jurassic era.

If you dare to venture down to Kimmeridge Bay at night, be sure to listen carefully for the sound of screaming. Allegedly, the source of this spinechilling sound is the ghost of a smuggler, who was shot dead by a trigger-happy revenue man. If you are really lucky (or unlucky, depending on your viewpoint), you might see a shadowy figure standing waist-deep in the sea.

Map of the area.

File:Kimmeridge Bay - geograph.org.uk - 579392.jpg
Kimmeridge Bay - geograph.org.uk - 579392. Photo by Jim Probert, via Wikimedia Commons.



Wednesday, 13 April 2011

DURDLE DOOR/LULWORTH COVE

Being a Preventive officer in the heyday of smuggling should have attracted danger money, for a risky job it most certainly was. In my previous post, I told the story of the Preventive officer who had a narrow, smoky escape after the pub landlord he was investigating tricked him into hiding in a chimney. Another Preventive officer called Lieutenant Knight met a far worse end at the famous beauty spot known as Durdle Door when he was beaten senseless by smugglers and thrown over the cliff. Further round the coast at Mupe Bay, there is a natural cave which was used to store contraband.

Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove are probably Dorset’s answer to St Michael’s Mount in Cornwall, in that they are almost certainly the most used images in promotional tourist material for the county. And rightly so, because they each make a striking sight: Durdle Door an almost perfect archway sticking out from the main cliff at the end of a golden beach, being formed by the weathering of the limestone which makes up this coast, and, a short distance further along the coast the near perfect horseshoe shape which is Lulworth Cove, again a product of the area’s geology. An interesting diversion can be had by walking east from Lulworth Cove along the coast path to a “Fossil Forest”. This is basically the remains of a 144-year-old Jurassic Jungle, which manifests itself as large doughnut-shaped lumps of rock. Meanwhile, for castle enthusiasts, the 17th century Lulworth Castle lies just inland from Lulworth Cove.

Map of the area.

File:Durdle Door - geograph.org.uk - 80.jpg
Durdle Door - geograph.org.uk - 80. Photo by Paul Allison, via Wikimedia Commons.







Monday, 11 April 2011

OSMINGTON MILLS

It was while John Constable was staying in the Osmington area for his honeymoon that he painted the Bowleaze Cove painting referred to in the previous post. He also produced another painting around this time called “A View of Osmington Bay, Dorset”. This little village, nestling in a wooded valley, dwarfed by the surrounding hills, must have been an idyllic, peaceful spot in those days. Lately though, that peace has been shattered due to extensive work being done on the holiday park in the locality, causing tension among the locals living there. According to the local press in May 2010, local residents were threatening to chain themselves to trees and blockade the roads in protest at plans to cut down or reduce the size of around 100 trees at the holiday park. They were also deeply unhappy with changes which had been made to the park, giving it the look of a “concentration camp”.

There is an ancient pub in Osmington Mills called the Smugglers Inn, parts of which date from the 13th century. In the early 19th century, the landlord of the pub was the leader of the area’s most notorious gang of smugglers, Emmanuel Charles. It was said that the brandy imported by Charles was so disgusting that the locals refused to drink it, so it had to be transported inland to be redistilled. Charles had a sidekick nicknamed French Peter, real name Peter Latour, who used to anchor his ship, the Hirondelle, in the bay below the pub. One day Charles received a visit from an officer of the Preventive, the anti-smuggling force of the time, and plied him with drink, then told him terrifying tales about the ferocious nature of French Peter, so that when the latter turned up at the inn the Preventive was persuaded to hide in the chimney, only to be smoked out when the two smugglers set about lighting a fire in the grate, upon which he was sent back to Weymouth, still drunk and reeking of smoke.

Map of the area.

File:Beach and Cliffs, Osmington Mills, Dorset - geograph.org.uk - 958951.jpg
Beach and Cliffs, Osmington Mills, Dorset - geograph.org.uk - 958951. Photo by Tim Marshall, via Wikimedia Commons.

BOWLEAZE COVE

As you gaze across Bowleaze Cove, looking towards the east, your eyes cannot help but be drawn towards a rather startling long, low blue and white building in a distinctly dated architectural style, with a two rows of arches and a strange little tower in the middle. This building, which completely dominates the east side of the bay, is the Riviera Hotel, built in the 1940s, and operated for several decades by the “holiday camp” company Pontins. It is meant to be Spanish-style, but I don’t recall seeing anything quite like it in Spain. Still, it’s an interesting architectural relic all the same.

This spot on the Dorset coast had its moment of fame in the art world when John Constable painted “Weymouth Bay: Bowleaze Cove and Jordon Hill” in 1816-17. It is a slightly moody view of the bay, with angry-looking black and grey clouds rising up from the horizon. The painting is housed in the National Gallery in London. The hill named as Jordon Hill by Constable, houses the remains of a 4th century Romano-Celtic temple.

Map of the area.


File:Bowleaze Cove - geograph.org.uk - 1444209.jpg
Bowleaze Cove - geograph.org.uk - 1444209. Photo by Andrew auger, via Wikimedia Commons.

Saturday, 26 March 2011

WEYMOUTH

Weymouth was reincarnated as Budmouth Regis in one of Thomas Hardy’s novels, The Trumpet-Major, and the town also featured in other books by him. One character called Eustacia Vye in The Return of the Native was particularly effusive about the town’s charms, declaring: “I was happy enough at Budmouth. O the times, O the days at Budmouth!” Hardy actually lived there for a while, at No. 3 Wooperton Street. There is a building on the sea-front which now houses apartments that used to belong to the brother of King George III. George III stayed there during his Grand Tour of the South West, and on several occasions thereafter. There are all sorts of stories surrounding the King’s visits to the town: that he was an enthusiastic sea-bather, using one of the earliest bathing machines, and that he was so revered by the local townsfolk that whenever he entered the sea the local band started playing the national anthem, and the bathing ladies of Weymouth reportedly had “God Save The King” embroidered on their belts. However, these stories have recently been discounted by a local historian, who has unearthed evidence that, far from lingering in the town to sample its bathing delights, the King was forced to leave in a hurry after an assassination attempt, and that the subsequent visits were prompted by a need to quell the activities of the troublesome local Republicans.

Since those exciting times, Weymouth has settled into the role of the traditional family resort with the arrival of mass tourism. However, there is now a new source of excitement in the town due to the fact that Weymouth has been selected as one of the major venues for the 2012 Olympics. Weymouth Bay and Portland Harbour will be hosting the Olympic and Paralympic sailing events. Whoever was in charge of the building work for these events should be put in charge of the national economy: the work was completed ahead of schedule and within the budget, nothing short of a miracle in 21st century Britain.

Weymouth has many attractions worthy of its resort status. As well as the numerous shops, restaurants, bars and pubs the harbour makes a nice contrast, with a more traditional feel to it. At the entrance to the harbour is Nothe Fort built in the 19th century. Among the attractions aimed at families, one of the more unusual is an International Sand Sculpture Park called Sand World .  Another attraction on the seafront is the Sea Life Adventure Park, with a variety of sea creatures, including the much loved penguin.  Weymouth Pavilion puts on a variety of shows, plus wrestling and other events.  For nature lovers, Radipole Lake, adjoining the town, is an RSPB reserve with wetlands and paths for viewing waterfowl.

For a list of events in Weymouth and Portland, see here.

Live streaming webcam view of the seafront from the Bay View Hotel.

Live Streaming webcam view of the harbour.

Map of the area.


File:Weymouth beach and sea-front - geograph.org.uk - 406323.jpg
Weymouth beach and seafront. Photo by E. Gammie, via Wikimedia Commons

Friday, 25 March 2011

PORTLAND

Following on from Chesil Beach, our magnificent coastline continues to display its amazing variety as this flat sandy stretch is replaced by the imposing lump of rock known as the Isle of Portland, which can be seen from miles along the coast. This name is a bit of a misnomer, because it is not really an island, but is reachable by a narrow piece of land connecting it to the mainland. There are wonderful views of the coastline from a hotel at the summit of the ‘Isle’. At the foot of the landward side of the bill is the port of Portland, which used to be a naval base, with a Naval Air Station, but this has now closed. The site has now been regenerated for the 2012 Olympics, with the building of Osprey Quay, which will play a part in the Olympics sailing events. Stone quarried from Portland is highly prized, and was used in the construction of St Pauls Cathedral and Buckingham Palace and, on the other side of the Atlantic, for the United Nations Headquarters building.

At the end of the Isle of Portland is the promontory known as Portland Bill. There is a lighthouse which can be visited which helps to warn passing ships of the presence of Shambles Bank, three miles offshore. There are two other lighthouse buildings in the vicinity, one of which is used by birdwatchers, who flock (pardon the pun) here in great numbers to view the wide variety of birds, including hoopoe, reed bunting and red-throated diver, to name but a few. The other lighthouse building is available as a holiday let

Live streaming webcam view looking towards Chesil Beach.

Map of the area.

File:Portland Marina, Isle of Portland, Dorset-9455.jpg

Portland Marina, Isle of Portland, Dorset-9455. Photo by Raimond Spekking, via Wikimedia  Commons.

Wednesday, 23 March 2011

CHESIL BEACH

The section of shore stretching to the east of West Bay is probably one of the most famous beaches in the country, Chesil Beach, which stretches for 29 miles between here and Portland. For much of its length it forms the outside edge of a long, thin lagoon called The Fleet. The beach was the setting for a novel by the acclaimed British author Ian McEwan called “On Chesil Beach” about a couple on honeymoon in Dorset.

There are a number of small villages and hamlets along the stretch of land backing onto Chesil Beach, but probably the most famous is Abbotsbury. As well as being an attractive village in its own right, Abbotsbury has a famous Swannery, a unique visitor attraction which is the only place in the world where it is possible to walk right through a colony of nesting Mute Swans. Fans of these beautiful, graceful birds might be distressed to learn that the swannery was originally started by Benedictine Monks from Abbotsbury Abbey, who farmed the swans for food. Happily, the swans no longer grace the banquet tables of monks or anyone else; instead visitors can watch the swans themselves being fed twice daily. Alongside the swannery are some beautiful subtropical gardens and a children’s farm, which can be booked along with the swannery on a combined ticket.

Live streaming webcam view of Chesil Beach from the Heights Hotel.

Map of the area.

File:Chesil Beach and The Fleets - geograph.org.uk - 34057.jpg
Chesil Beach and The Fleets - geograph.org.uk - 34057.  Photo by Geoffrey Lloyd, via Wikimedia Commons.



Tuesday, 22 March 2011

WEST BAY AND BRIDPORT

West Bay is the port area serving Bridport, and is situated at the mouth of the River Brit, from which Bridport got its name. No blog about Dorset would be complete without a mention of its most famous literary son, Thomas Hardy, and Bridport/West Bay featured in several of his works including The Mayor of Casterbridge, reincarnated as Port Bredy. There is a golden beach here dominated by the distinctive yellow sandstone cliffs rising up to the east of it, and to the west, fine views back towards Lyme Regis. For seafood lovers, West Bay boasts one of the best fish restaurants in the country, The Riverside. Older readers may remember a comedy series starring the inimitable Leonard Rossiter called The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin; the opening sequence of this, depicting Perrin abandoning his clothes on the beach and swimming out to sea, was filmed in West Bay. Bridport, just over a mile inland from West Bay, used to have a port of its own, and it was an important rope-making centre, so much so that the expression “Bridport dagger” was used to refer to the hangman’s noose.

For a list of events in West Dorset, follow this link.

West Bay and Bridport webcams.

Map of the area.

The beach at West Bay