surf and turf

...possibly the favourite of our Kimmeridge walks is this one, which has three distinct sections.

Parking in the disused quarry above the village, we then set out, west, along the ridge to Tyneham Cap. There are fabulous views across Kimmeridge Bay along the whole length of the ridge but, as you get closer to the cap, the view opens up to include Tyneham and Worbarrow Bay on the righthand side of the path. Once you reach the summit, you are met with a coastal vista extending from the Isle of Portland in the west to St Aldhelm's Head in the east. The descent by the edge of Brandy Bay is pretty steep, which is why we do the walk anticlockwise! From here, the coast path is relatively flat and the walk into Kimmeridge Bay is a delightful stroll that takes you past the nodding donkeys of the oil well. From the cottages, the last section of the walk is across the field paths to Kimmeridge Village, where a well earned drink and meal can be found at the excellent Clavell's Cafe & Farm Shop. To complete the walk, take the footpath through the churchyard and steeply up the grassy field back to the quarry.

This image of Kimmeridge Bay was taken from the ridge, as we battled against a fierce but not unpleasant headwind. You can get some idea of how much rain has fallen in the last 24 hours - those wet fields down by the bay are the ones that we had to walk across coming back. Today, we were not rewarded with the usual views from the summit because the next belt of rain was rapidly approaching. As it happened, we couldn't have timed it better as we completed the walk just as the first raindrops started to fall.

I should point out that this walk can only be accomplished when the MOD Range Paths are open - i.e. the red flags are not flying...