Bournemouth Coast Path Section 3 Christchurch - Milford

Christchurch Priory

A week after my trip to the Peak District was my birthday and in keeping with tradition I absented myself from work and headed out to enjoy the sunshine. As it was such a lovely sunny day it seemed appropriate to have a seaside walk and the last section of the Bournemouth Coast Path beckoned. I had been saving this for just such a day, for this section is the ‘country’ end of the walk, along the rather less developed section between Christchurch and Milford, where the path forms an end on connection with the Solent Way.

Priory Ruins

I parked in Milford after a fairly straightforward run and managed to get there in good time for my intended bus. For a journey that is supposed to be an express service and given the mileage between the two places I was surprised that it took well over an hour! Still, I had a good seat on the top deck and the views out across the sea at various points on the way were adequate compensation. As well as being sunny, it was quite warm although this also meant that the cloud bubbled up a bit while en route, which was a bit annoying.

Avon Bridge

I got out just off the main street in Christchurch, which was enjoying market day. Even though most of the morning had gone, the market seemed to still be in full swing and there was an air of buzz about the place. I wandered through, enjoying the atmosphere and half wishing I had more time at my disposal to buy a few things. At the far end of the street, the famous Priory loomed large and I took the opportunity to have a look around the grounds. I often think that these holy places look at their very best during spring bulb season. Not sure if this is deliberately timed to coincide with the Easter celebration or just my perception? Anyhow, the old place looked mighty fine surrounded by daffodils in the bright spring sunshine.

Mudeford

Next door to the Priory is the ruined castle. Surprisingly although the two significant buildings are next door to one another there is no way to go from one to the other without going out on to the street once again. Still it was only a minor quibble since the street is a joy to behold as well, with mostly buildings of hundreds of years old lining the road. I enjoyed wandering around the old castle, which now sits among several leisure facilities including a very well manicured bowling green. I wonder if the mediaeval warriors that garrisoned the castle had time for such frivolity?

Silvery Sea

Next to the castle is the River Avon, a beautifully clear looking river surrounded by willow trees just starting to come out for the season. I crossed both arms of the river and turned right down the side of the Council building, thinking what a nice place that must be to work. The section beyond here was rather forgettable as I headed around first the leisure centre and then a large golf course that was shielded from view by some bunding. I was now very much in the positioning phase of my walk as I negotiated the residential areas that butt up to Christchurch Harbour. It wasn’t hugely interesting and an attempt at following a path along the harbourside proved to be futile as I found it to be a dead end. Grrrr!

Masts

I was pleased to reach Mudeford, more or less a stone’s throw from the beach huts that I had admired last summer. The weather suddenly turned quite similar to that day, courtesy of a large black cloud that temporarily blocked the sun. Fortunately this was quite short-lived as within a few minutes of me turning and heading eastwards the cloud passed and I had about half an hour of glorious sunshine once again. Inland was a different story, with some very inky black clouds covering the urban hinterland. The promenade was surprisingly busy, with plenty of people wandering up and down and enjoying the unseasonably warm weather.

Mudeford Quay

The Council were obviously gearing up for the coming season too, for on the beach were a couple of diggers re-profiling the beach following the winter storms. I watched in fascination as they went about their work and soon realised that I wasn’t alone, with just about every pair of eyes on that stretch of the beach also watching what was going on. In particular I was interested to see how the digger turned by using its bucket to lift the body up and re-position itself. Sounds made but it never occurred to me that was probably the only way a tracked vehicle could turn easily.

Beach Profiling

Beach huts are a feature of the whole of the Bournemouth Coast Path and the next half mile has quite a concentration, with rows 3 or 4 deep from the coast. Unlike the uniform colours of some resorts these were in a whole range of bright colours, making for a seaside full of character. Yet this wasn’t always a coast of pure pleasure, for above the beach huts was a rather strange looking circular monument.  This was the former Ministry of Defence Signals Research Station, now long gone save for a trig point type pillar with a large circular pad of concrete around it.  This was once the site of a satellite dish that tracked military craft, but which ceased to be in 1980 when the site was moved to Malvern in Worcestershire.

Steamer Point Huts

I climbed up on to the low sandy cliff at the far end of the beach and entered the nature reserve rather intriguingly called Steamer Point.  This apparently was named after an old paddle steamer that was moored here and used as a site office for the construction of Highcliffe Castle.  I was soon met by a cheeky little robin that spent some time following me and almost urging me to take its picture. It was a delightful walk though the woods, which were dominated by Scots Pines, my favourite tree. Every so often were peepholes out from the cliff edge for sea views. In the distance the white cliffs of western Wight and in particular the Needles gleamed in the sunshine with no cloud seeming to bother the island.

Sun's Up!

As I passed through the woods I came upon a car park and through the trees just beyond I could make out what looked like quite an impressive building. Curious, I wandered through to find out more but was quite unprepared for the sight I got. This was Highcliffe Castle, a gothic pile built in the 1830s. The castle has had a chequered history since being built by Lord Stuart de Rothesay, becoming a seminary later in its history and burning down at one point.  Now happily restored it is in the care of Christchurch Borough Council and I imagine is the jewel of their estate.  The castle is licensed to hold weddings and I should imagine would be a very popular venue for that purpose.  I took a good look around the grounds and enjoyed looking at the gardens but decided that I needed to press on as the afternoon was already disappearing.

Angry Sky

At the other end of the Castle grounds I was rather disappointed to be leaving the cliff top so soon as the path took a winding staircase to a promenade at the bottom. I decided to take a path that was not quite at the bottom but gave me a little elevation so that I could have a better view. The clouds that had bedevilled the walk so far began to roll away for the final stretch of the day. In the distance I could see the target of my walk at Milford, seemingly just a pin prick on the horizon.

Pond Reflections

However, progress on the next stretch was actually quite quick, for I had nice flat and easy terrain for the most part. Eventually my path worked its way down to the beach but all along the foot of the cliffs were spring flowers starting to come out, complemented by the bright yellow flowers of the gorse that was now in full flush. My path at one stage got quite tricky to follow because of the landslips that had engulfed the promenade. As I got to an easier stretch once again I came upon a sign instructing walkers that the path was closed due to health and safety! Clearly this was only an issue heading east to west though as I hadn’t seen any signs in my direction…

Robin

My battle with the cliffs was as nothing compared to the battle being waged by the elements on the clifftop houses.  There were lots of futile looking attempts to hold back the forces of erosion, but all that remained in most cases were bent pieces of metal and crumbled lumps of concrete.  The constant slumping of the soft sandstone down the cliffs carried on regardless.  It was quite a sobering sight. 

Isle of Wight View

Further on and there was a promenade of sorts once again; this time more of an unofficial one and some way up the slope of the cliff.  It was bordered by a ragtag group of beach huts, all sorts of different shapes and sizes but mostly resembling garden sheds.  It was not the more regimented and ordered huts seen in the more popular parts of Bournemouth!  This unofficial promenade seemed to be quite popular with walkers but none of them explained to me that the headland in the distance effectively ended this section of walking!  The path sort of stopped at a pile of rocks being used for coastal defence and I was forced down on to the beach.

Highcliffe Castle

It wouldn’t have been my first choice but I got lucky.  The tide, although coming in, was still far enough out that I could make my way along to the gap in the cliffs called Beckton Bunny.  This was sort of a mini-Chine and there was enough of a path up the side of the cliff that I could scramble up to the top.  I was massively relieved as without this escape route I could have faced a lengthy detour and retracing my steps or an uncomfortable walk along the top of the shingle above the high water mark.  As it was I had instead a rather pleasant stroll for about two miles into Milford.

Beckton Bunny

This was probably the best section of the entire walk.  The clouds had finally rolled away almost entirely and the late afternoon was creeping up, meaning long shadows and golden light as the sun dropped lower in the sky.  The Isle of Wight was seemingly almost touchable now it was so close and the sea was a wonderful shade of royal blue punctuated by the odd whitecap.  I did finish this part of the walk in double quick time though, principally because the going was so easy and I didn’t really notice how fast I was walking!

Heading along the beach

Milford seems a fairly agreeable place with a few pubs and low key seaside air about it.  It looks like a favoured place for retirees for there are lots of blocks of flats, which do spoil the place a little.  Not all the local businesses looked to be faring particularly well, which was a shame.  I did get the sense though that this is slightly off the tourist trail, being not in the New Forest or close enough to Bournemouth to get much in the way of spin-off trade.  Still, it has served me well for a couple of walks; being also the start of the Solent Way, which I completed in 2006-07.

Back to the clifftop

This part of the Bournemouth Coast Walk was surprisingly rural and wild in places.  A look at the map will not suggest that, but for the most part I completed the walk out of the sight of houses and the coast really had my complete attention.  The section from Christchurch to Mudeford is largely forgettable, but worth doing just for the look around Christchurch, which is a fascinating town.  Although modest in length, I really enjoyed walking the Bournmouth Coast Walk.  It was a surprising journey!

Heading into Milford

For more pictures from my walk please see My Flickr site

Bournemouth Coast Path Section 2 Bournemouth Pier - Christchurch

Bournemouth Pier

A frustrating week culminated in me being able to wangle a morning out away from the folks several days after I had planned to initially go for my latest expedition. The weather had been awful for most of the week and I was champing at the bit to get out by the time Sunday morning came along.The weather wasn’t great in Sussex so I headed west to Bournemouth, which looked to have the best of the meagre sunshine that was on offer.I was keen to do some more of the coast path that I had commenced in March and figured that this would be a good walk to do, especially as the end to end transport would be nice and easy.Frustratingly I had to wait until 9.15am for the first train of the day from Christchurch to Bournemouth.Thestation at Bournemouth is a fittingly grand station for such a well-visited seaside resort.

Lion

Although the station building is lovely, the same cannot be said of the way into town from outside. I was greeted with a large (and closed) shopping centre which I had to find my way around before plodding on down to the seafront. The streets had a decidedly hung over feel about them with litter blowing around from the debris of a tough Saturday night. Many of the people wandering about also looked a bit gaunt too, although there were a couple of anti-social blokes wandering about who were trying to wake up everyone with their boom box. I was very surprised to see such a sight – one I hadn’t for possibly 20 years.

Window Box

Eventually I made my way down to the seafront and circled around the hotel I had stayed in during March to meet up with the clifftop path. As I turned on to the seafront I immediately felt the full force of the wind! It was a grey day yes, but I already felt exhilarated just walking a short stretch along the coast. It certainly was going to blow the cobwebs away.The first point of interest was the Russell Cotes Gallery, with a rather festive looking lion gracing its entrance.The building itself was presented to the people of Bournemouth in 1916, a rather odd year I thought considering that most attention at that time was focused on the battlefields of Northern France and Flanders. The fence on the seaward side of the path also caught my eye.Embedded within it were all manner of miniature objects and pictures that make Bournemouth famous, including sticks of rock, kites, beach huts and even a metal detector!It made for a rather more interesting piece of street furniture than plain old black railings…

The Miramar

Once at the top of East Cliff I wandered along a road full of hotels of varying descriptions including a fine art deco looking place called The Cumberland and one with very well-tended gardens called the Miramar. The latter also had a lion within the grounds – perhaps this is part of a theme? Far below me the waves crashed in on a very choppy and grey looking sea. I am sure it was a day beloved of surfers but not swimmers! Above the din of the waves I heard the rumble of what I took to be a train and on getting closer I discovered it was another cliff lift, in use this early Sunday morning. Looking down the cliff it did seem pretty steep and I could see that this service could be pretty popular!

East Cliff Railway

Eventually I reached a very large car parking area and sensing that the path may not continue beyond it, I headed down into Boscombe Chine Gardens. This immediately seemed like a different world to the cliff top as the wind died down. There were plenty of people about on their early morning jog and the children’s play area was already quite popular.It was immediately apparent that the gardens had had some investment judging by the quality of the paths and other street furniture and I soon discovered that it had been funded as a Heritage Lottery project.It was surprising to learn that the original pleasure park had been developed as long ago as 1868, so I guess this really is a piece of local heritage!

The Cumberland

The other end of the gardens opened out onto Boscombe Pier. This has obviously been fairly recently refurbished and the landward end of the pier looked really good, with newish looking shops, yet still retaining their heritage look. I understand that there was a pavilion on the seaward end but this has now been replaced by a fishing deck, giving the pier a rather different look and feel. The pier was awarded the Pier of the Year title in 2010.As I passed the land train came sweeping round, adorned with Peppa Pig motifs and perhaps explaining why it was quite popular. I felt the first spots of rain at Boscombe Pier and hoped that it would not develop into much as I still had a long way to go! I also discovered another model lion – this time wearing Bermuda shorts! It was obviously something going on that I hadn’t been aware of.

Boscombe Park

Adjacent to Boscombe Pier was a very large development of new flats and shops and I am guessing that this was the catalyst to the refurbishment of the pier. It all looked very pleasant and the shops appeared to be doing some reasonable business. I smiled at the would-be surfers being taught moves on the beach opposite the flats – I guess surf schooling is big business in these parts following the installation of an artificial reef offshore designed to make the experience even better. I also became fascinated with the antics of a black headed gull, which spent a lot of time scuttling around looking for titbits to eat. I did wonder whether some of these resort gulls even know what their diet is supposed to be?

Boscombe Pier

My onward walk for the next couple of miles was a bit samey. Although I enjoy wandering alongside beach huts and gorse covered cliffs, the monotony did get to me after awhile. Luckily the sand blowing around on the promenade and the different light patterns dancing their way across the sea at the sun tried to punch through the clouds kept me somewhat entertained. Ahead of me was the lump of Warren Hill that never seemed to get any closer!

Surf School

Tiring of the flat promenade, I took the opportunity to climb the cliffs once again for a different perspective. Immediately I felt my spirits rise as the views were instantly better. It didn’t take long before I came across yet another cliff lift, this one called Fisherman’s Cliff. I paused here, not because of the lift (it wasn’t yet open), but to watch a kestrel hunting on the side of the cliff. Far below me were a group of small boys playing rugby – one sport I have never before seen being played on a beach!

Beach Rugby

I wandered along the nature reserve at the top of the cliff until the cliff ran out! At this point I ran into housing that occupied the now thinning piece of land and was rather disappointed to have to walk along a road for a bit. There was a mish-mash of housing along here & one or two of the early build properties had been or were in the process of being replaced by new more palatial ones. I suspect this will be an ongoing theme for some years to come, especially as the originals don’t look too well appointed.

Fisherman's Cliff

Frustrated by the road at the top of the cliffs I took the first opportunity to head back down to the promenade, doing so by the Bistro on the Beach. Initially it looked like the place was closed but when I got closer, I soon realised that everyone was inside! I don’t blame them – it was far to wild to be outside sitting down. I can’t say that the restaurant was the most attractive place in the world – it was a rather a hideous looking 60s building. A pity because its surroundings were lovely!

Bistroonthebeach

After wandering along the promenade for half a mile or so more I reached the end and entered the rather wilder and more countrified area known as Hengitsbury Head. This nature reserve centres on the headland and spit of land protecting Christchurch Harbour. As I headed towards the prominent Warren Hill, the weather whipped up again and I faced a squally shower. With the rain at my back and the heavy crashing waves pounding the beach to my right I had to pinch myself and remember that it was the middle of July! As I entered the nature reserve I passed a family with young children who appeared to be backpacking. I cast an envious look – it’ll be several years before my kids are old enough to manage this.

Family Walk

Hengitsbury Head and Warren Hill is an area of much archaeological interest, with many relics of occupation peoples from Stone Age onwards. There are defensive earthworks suggesting that it was a permanent settlement for a long time. Archaeologists have also found numerous tools and other artefacts which point to the rather agricultural lifestyle by the inhabitants. The viewpoint at Warren Hill must have been a strategic place that the local exploited for protection, for a section of coast from Swanage to far into the New Forest can be seen, together with the western end of the Isle of Wight.

Warren Hill

The approaches to Warren Hill is very sandy but I was glad that a longish section was on boardwalk, for it made the going much easier. As I got closer to the hill the crowds got bigger and I realised that most had probably made use of the car park at the foot just inland from the path I was using. The poor weather began to abate as I climbed the hill, which was a relief for it meant that my view from the top was really good, albeit that it was a grey and overcast day. Climbing to the top changed my perspective completely.From a largely flat and straight piece of coast I suddenly got a view all round me including into the countryside beyond Christchurch, my final destination later in the day.Ahead of me was a rather forlorn looking Coastguard station, which still seems to be Government owned rather than taken over by the Coastwatch Foundation. Maybe a change of ownership might give it a new lease of life?

Looking Back to Bournemouth

I had assumed that Warren Hill would be the last point eastwards but I was quite wrong. There was actually quite a bit more walking to be done before getting to the mouth of Christchurch Harbour. The going was easy, courtesy of the tarmac path presumably provided for the disabled and parents with pushchairs. However, I was plagued with Sunday strollers who seem to have no appreciation for those around them and insist on walking at snail’s pace while simultaneously blocking the whole path. Fortunately the views all around me compensated for the very slow pace I had to adopt for awhile.I was pleased when the crowd ahead of me finally stopped to consider the departure of the Poole Ferry some distance away, which allowed me to get ahead and put some distance between us.

Christchurch

At Hengitsbury Head, the path finally dropped down off the cliff and I took the opportunity to wander a little way along the spit below me. I didn’t walk all the way to the end where the ferry takes people across the harbour mouth, principally because all there was to look at were beach huts and I had had my fill of looking at them today! However, my attempt at a short cut from the spit to the perimeter road was ill-fated due to the state of the tide.A little footbridge I had hoped to use had been circumvented by the tide and so I had to retrace my steps back to the road. The land train looked rather tempting but wasn’t about so I opted to walk along the road. This ended up being a sensible decision as I had completed half its length before meeting it coming the other way.

Mudeford Beach Huts

I was now walking along a section of path shared with the Stour Valley Way (the Dorset version), which finishes here after following the River Stour all the way from Stourhead, some 64 miles away. The weather was really picking up and I even noticed a few breaks in the cloud, hinting I might see some sunshine by the end of my walk after all. I wandered through a wood that afforded fleeting views across the Stour Estuary and finally the substantial church in Christchurch.

Useless Bridge

I changed direction at Wick Farm, passing what I took to be a visitor centre by the car park. From here I crossed a former landfill site (although to be fair I wouldn’t have known if I hadn’t seen an interpretation board). Despite what must be lurking underneath the now restored site was a riot of colour from wildflowers. None were what you call top drawer, but the harebells, ragwort, toadflax, wild geraniums and rosebay willow herb all provided some vibrant colours on this dull day.

Bellflowers

Christchurch came upon me sooner than I expected and with it came the sunshine. Since I had parked near the station, I had to make my way all the way along the Stour to the lowest bridge. As I got closer into town the clouds suddenly lifted and for the last half mile or so I had a very bright and sunny walk along the riverside – a very different proposition from earlier! I crossed the Stour by a very busy road bridge and walked along the main road into town, noticing as I did so a very black cloud looming to one side of me. I suddenly sensed a race against time as I approached my car and quickened my pace. It was fortunate I did so as the raindrops just started as I was within 50 metres of the car. By the time I got in the rain started clattering down in bucketloads – what a stroke of luck!

Toadflax

As with so many of my walks this one changes character part way through. From a seaside resort coast, the walk takes a wild turn around Hengitsbury Head before taking a riverside path for the final approach. It is well worth lingering for the views at Warren Hill or perhaps stopping for lunch in one of the cafes along the first part of the walk. It is also a relatively easy walk for anyone to do, for the public transport link is easy (via a 10 minute train ride) and the terrain is virtually flat apart from the modest climb of Warren Hill.

Chruistchurch Harbour

Bournemouth Coast Path Section 1 Sandbanks - Bournemouth Pier

Sandbanks Ferry

At the Poole end of the South West Coast Path the journey ends for most walkers after their 630 mile trek from Minehead, but really keen coastal walkers can continue their journey along the fairly short Bournemouth Coast Path which follows the coast through this famous old seaside resort and beyond to Milford-on Sea where it then makes an end-on connection with the Solent Way (see the excellent website http://www.bournemouthcoastpath.org.uk/ for more details). The total distance is a mere 20 miles so I am not sure if it qualifies as a long distance path as fitter walkers could undoubtedly walk the full distance in a day. I had long thought it would make for a good winter project, but an unexpected opportunity arose when I had a couple of hours to spare at the end of my conference in Bournemouth and I had some fabulous weather just begging to be enjoyed!

Hand of a Giant

I took the bus over to Sandbanks, the very end of the ‘Bournemouth Coast’ (actually in Poole and reputedly the area with the highest house prices in the UK). The bus stopped by the ferry terminal where it had to wait for the return of the chain ferry that would take it across to Studland and enable it to complete its journey to the final destination of Swanage. It was a most pleasant bus journey, especially as I rode in the upper deck of the open topped bus that plies the route!

Castles in the Sand

Before setting off on my walk I waited for the old chain ferry to clank across the half mile or so stretch of water that it services. I have a certain fascination with these ferries – they are like real old school transport solutions that no-one has found better technology to replace! After watching just one of goodness knows how many loadings and unloadings that take place on the ferry, I headed off towards Bournemouth Pier. Initially the route wasn’t hugely promising, following the sea wall around the bottom of the very expensive dwellings that command such eye-watering amounts of money. Around the base of the sea wall were the usual large boulders placed to dissipate the force of the waves. What did catch my eye was a very unusual boulder, which had been carved into the shape of a hand. Someone obviously had a sense of humour! As I headed around the sea wall I got a closer look at the coastline around Swanage, some miles to the south west of my position and which someday I hope to enjoy on one of the legs of the South West Coast Path.

Sandbanks Harbour

As I rounded the end of the spit that forms Sandbanks I found myself on a sandy beach, one which continues all the way to Bournemouth and beyond and the coastal feature that has really helped in the development of this coast. There were quite a few people out enjoying the sunshine, but nothing compared to the summer when I bet this coastline is absolutely heaving! Most of the visitors were elderly people walking their dogs, although there were a fair few runners as well. With a fairly empty beach I was able to enjoy the patterns in the sand made by the wind and waves that were largely undisturbed. A solitary oystercatcher was playing chase with me – every time I got near it, the little fellow would fly off across the sea for a short while before coming back just out of reach of my camera. I think he was just teasing me!

Sandbanks Beach

As I got to the end of the area of housing on Sandbanks I took a quick detour across to the other side of the spit to take a look at the wide expanse of Poole Harbour. This natural harbour really is quite remarkable and all the more so now it is full of boats as far as the eye can see! Back to the coast and I started the long traudge along the promenade towards Bournemouth Pier, said to be six miles away (not sure it is along the prom considering how little time it took for me to complete!). It is hardly a challenging walk, but I did enjoy my surroundings considerably, with the oystercatcher keeping me company. Along the promenade I became fascinated by also slightly appalled at the plethora of beach huts that had been constructed. Fascinated because there were many different types and appalled because most of them were hideous concrete monstrosities and not the traditional clapboard type ones that most people know and love. The exclusivity of the huts also became apparent, with many of the walkways behind them to some of the better view points being for beach hut users only. Luckily for me most were out of action due to the earliness of the season and so I ignored many of the signs as a result!

Oystercatcher

Another feature of this stretch of coast is the unusual cliffs that are made of soft sandstone and clad in gorse and other trees and bushes. I am not aware of any other coast like it, apart from a short stretch on the Isle of Wight, which in effect is just an extension of here anyway. Every so often the cliff line would be breached by a small stream that had carved its way through. These steep gorge like features are known as chines and the first reached today was the rather impressive Branksome Chine, where a very attractive garden had been planted in the slightly gloomy valley. Being so early in the year, I am sure I didn’t this place at its best however. A little way past the chine and I passed the remains of a fossilised tree, which had managed to attract an interpretation board but which wasn’t the most impressive specimen I have ever seen. The next chine at Branksome Dene was full of beach huts and visitors, although apparently behind these is a nice nature reserve.

Poole Cliffs

A short while later I crossed the boundary from Poole into Bournemouth and the character immediately changed from a resort that seem to be a Johnny-come-lately to one where you can feel the tradition. Almost immediately the style of beach huts changed to a crop that were more in keeping with my expectations. Sadly the very warm sunny weather that I had enjoyed in Poole also changed to more overcast conditions and the temperature rather dropped too. This was a shame as the Bournemouth coast is very photogenic and I could see why so many people flock to these parts in the summer. By the time I reached Alum Chine I had rather tired of the promenade and longed for some height so took the opportunity to head up through some tropical gardens to the cliff top to continue my walk.

Beach Hut Line Up

Now at height I could appreciate the sweep of the bay that characterises this holiday coast. Far off in the distance to the west of me were Old Harry and the Swanage Coast while ahead was the Isle of Wight and the twin piers at Bournemouth and Boscombe. It made for an impressive sight! As I climbed to the top of the Chine the first spring flowers such as hellebores and daffodils were all coming into bloom, gladdening my heart after all those dark winter months. I was also getting lungfuls of the coconutty aroma given off by the gorse blossom that dominates large swathes of the cliff faces. This is a smell I love so much and have really grown to appreciate all the more on my various coastal walks.

Botanic Gardens

At the top of the cliff the path switches between green space and roadside. Due to the topography of the landscape the road has a good deal of trouble maintaining any distance along the cliff top and as a result behaves like a zig zag to and from the coast as it tries to maintain a steady height past all the chines. Being on foot I didn’t have to worry too much about this and it gave me the opportunity to have a bit more exercise than if I had rigidly stuck to the promenade for the whole journey. As I got closer into Bournemouth though I opted to finish the last little stretch along the promenade once again. The number of people using this stretch of coast got significantly greater as I got towards the Pier, which made this section quite enjoyable due to the happy atmosphere generated by the families enjoying the late afternoon sunshine. Eventually I reached Bournemouth pier, not one of the more attractive in Britain it must be said and I didn’t trouble myself too much with a visit, preferring instead to visit the central gardens, which run like a spine up through the town centre. These were impressive, even this early in the season and knocked spots off the pier!

Bournemouth Pier

All in all an easy and enjoyable afternoon stroll along this holiday coast. There are numerous refreshment opportunities and the bus service is regular, making a short walk quite achievable without expending a lot of time. Perhaps next winter I shall finish the remaining part of the walk through to Christchurch and Milford-on-Sea beyond.

Bournemouth Pier Close Up