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Isle of Purbeck

(vero;2024-July-25)

This gallery shows photos of our walks on the Isle of Purbeck. We have been there twice so far (and will return for sure), basing ourselves at pop-up campsites in Harman's Cross: the Railway Campsite in 2024 and Quarr Farm in 2022.

We followed parts of the coastal path between Kimmeridge Bay to the west and Old Harry Rocks to the east. Wandering west of Kimmeridge Bay is not always possible because of the MOD firing range located roughly between its western end and the eastern end of Lulworth Cove. The path is usually open and access to the abandoned village of Tyneham allowed only during week-ends and school/bank holidays. Click here to see the access times.

Setting the scene. The rendering of the Google Map shows the outline of the ridges in the area. They all provide spectacular views, being over Corfe Castle, the coast or the countryside. We made three walks, each shown in a different colour on the map.

On our first day, we parked the car in Kingston and headed west following the ridge until Kimmeridge (via Swyre Head), descended to the sea and followed the coastal path eastwards until short before Chapman's pool, from where we turned inland to rejoin Kingston. View to the west over the coast and the countryside taken from the ridge after we had left Kingston.

Kimmeridge Bay and Clavell Tower seen from top of the ridge.

Same scenery as in the previous photos, but in August 2022 with a much drier vegetation (and a clearer view). The Portland Peninsula can be seen on the left, Kimmeridge Bay in the foreground on the left and the jutting drop of Gad Cliff facing the sea on the right.

Kimmeridge Bay with red flags flying: no access beyond its western end on that day. Click here to check access times of the MOD firing range.

The folly of Clavell Tower built above the east end of Kimmeridge Bay. The part of the beach below is out of bound (see the red flag). The tower was built in about 1830 by Reverend John Richards Clavell as an observatory and folly. Threatened by erosion it was moved back 25 metres from the crumbing cliff edge in August 2006.

View from Clavell Tower towards the west over the rocky Gad Cliff and the chalk cliffs leading to Lulworth.

The Kimmeridge Ledges east of Kimmeridge Bay. St Aldhelm's Head in the background.

The crumbling cliff edges of the Kimmeridge Ledges.

Looking back to the west from Rope Lake Head. The Portland Peninsula is visible on the horizon on the left of the picture.

Chapman's Pool. Unfortunately, the coastal path descending to the pool has collapsed, forcing walkers to make a long detour inland to Kingston and down again to the coast.

St Aldhelm's Head seen from the west (August 2022). The rightmost building on the head is a chapel.

Back inland to rejoin Kingston, view over the Encombe estate on the bottom right with an obelisk left on the ridge. The white cliffs of the Isle of Wight are clearly visible on the horizon (August 2022).

Our aptly named Railway Campsite was located just along the Swanage Railway (linking Swanage to Norden via Corfe). The bridge over the line at the exit of the site is the perfect spot for photos.

On our second day, we gained the ridge north of Harman's Cross and followed it until we got a really good view over Corfe Castle (National Trust property).

From Corfe we retraced our steps and continued along the ridge until Old Harry Rocks (involving a steep descent to the village of Ulwell and from there a steep climb to regain the ridge). View back to Corfe Castle and the ridges beyond under a dramatic blue sky.

View over Poole Harbour from the ridge leading to Old Harry Rocks.

19. Old Harry Rocks (August 2022). What a difference in the colour of the vegetation between this photo and the previous one: 2024 has been a very wet year so far, 2022 has been much drier and it shows.

Old Harry Rocks (August 2022). The Isle of Wight is visible on the horizon.

The cliffs leading to Old Harry Rocks seen from the Studland side (August 2022).

On our third day, we left the campsite and reached the coastal path just east of Dancing Ledge: view to the west towards St Aldhelm's Head.

Mile indicator posts on the slopes between Dancing Ledge and Anvil Point. The caves are man-made and remnants of old quarries.

Close-up of the previous picture with two kayaks making their way around the coast.

There is a ridge path parallel to the coastal path which we took to return to Dancing Ledge after having reached Anvil Point. It made for a great walk with good views and old stone stiles.

View towards the west from the ridge path.

Dancing Ledge and view of the coast until St Adhelm's Head.

Dancing Ledge. The place was used for quarrying Purbeck stone and the ledge is a straight drop off into the sea which is deep enough for small ships to come right up to the ledge. This depth was exploited by local quarry men in transporting the stone away from the area. Some of the stone removed by the quarrying was transported by ship direct from Dancing Ledge, round the south coast to Kent in order to construct Ramsgate harbour in the 18th and 19th centuries (copied from Wikipedia).

No, this is not Dancing Ledge but Seacombe, a bit further to the west.

Seacombe in the foreground and the coast continuing towards the west. This photo is a panorama, click the cross on the right below the photo (or press F if viewing on a desktop) to expand it to its real size and use the bottom scroll bar to navigate through it.

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Go back to Dorset, go on to Lulworth Firing Range Walk or go up to South West England or England