The profile of the walk today is not too bad, with only two middling climbs, one close to the start as we go inland on to the hills just before the village of Abbotsbury and the second, smaller climb up to the cliffs just before West Bay. There are possibly some smaller climbs up to fifty metres at the end of the day, but if the tide is right we might walk the beach. However, it is another long day in terms of miles and after nearly two months of constant walking, I am beginning to feel the accumlative tiredness.
The weather forecast is not good but whatever comes our way we need to walk. There is a wee treat in store for us at the end of the day because we are staying with a relative tonight and going out to one of the River Cafe franchises for dinner. When we are camping, we do try to be independent and make our own food but the occasional little treat is no bad thing. The plan is that we will stay the night with Aunt Jean and she will bring us back to Eype Mouth so that our journey remains continuous.
Overhead, the sky was grey and heavy looking, with only occasional patches of the blue and pink-kissed clouds of the sunrise briefly breaking through. There was a light but consistent breeze blowing that was enough in the early morning to stop us warming up. The overall feel of the morning was of a grimness that at times snatched away any vitality that the day might express. Despite the greyness of sky and sea, the vibrancy of the landscape peristed, the patchwork green of field and wood; the bright colours of late summer flowers and, the changing greys and greens of the vegetated shingle beds, all helped to lift the mood of the day. With the aftermath of the storm still churning the seas, there was a salty tang in the air.
As you walk round the cove 'Chesil Bank and The Fleet Nature Reserve' is on your left. The reserve runs from just west of Abbotsbury to Ferry Bridge, at Portland. Managed by a warden appointed by the Ilchester Estates, with funding provided by the Fleet and Swannery Trust (FAST) and other partners, at eighteen miles long, Chesil Beach it is a really unique sea and landscape. The reserve has a visitor centre located on the causeway to Portland at the Ferry Bridge car park, which was where we stopped for lunch yesterday afternoon.
In the 5th C AD, a small church to St Peter is thought to have been built in the village. In later years, (1044), a Saxon noble and his wife (Orc & Tola), built the Abbotsbury Abbey, again dedicated to St Peter and probably on the site of the old chapel. The last surviving monastery building in use on the site (as a Children's Farm) is the Great Barn which, when fully roofed was the longest thatched building in the world.
Nearby, to the west of the village, the Chapel of St Catherine (of Alexandria) was built on what is now known as Chapel Hill. Established in the 14thC, the chapel was a place of pilgrimage and retreat for the Benedictine monks of the nearby abbey. The photograph to the right demonstrates the isolated position of St Catherine's Chapel at the top of the hill that made it so unique for its purpose and gives a hint to the wonderful views that are to be had (on a good day) from its location.The Chapel and the monastery were broken up during the time of the Dissolution (Henry VIII) and the buildings and lands passed in to the hands of Sir Giles Strangeways and much of it is still with this family.
To the south of the village, the Abbotsbury Swannery still survives, a relic of probably the 13th C, established by the Benedictines of the abbey as a source of food and income. Today, the flock numbers in the region of six hundred mute swans, of which about one hundred and fifty are pairs.
Unfortunately, the weather was so bad at Abbotsbury that we could not risk taking the camera out for fear it would be damaged by the rain. It also seemed like a good idea to get out of the rain and so we stopped here for lunch, by the end of which the rain had passed.
In quick succession, our route moved from grassy path, to earth-packed track to about seven kilometres of shingle beach. If you have followed our journeys you will know we have a love / hate relationship with shingle beaches. They are notoriously difficult to walk on, even for short distances; long-distance they can be as absolute killer. Sometimes, the saving grace is that if you walk close to the edge of the sea there is usually a thin band of firmer sand, or you can find a line in the shingle where the pebbles have been compacted by the sea. Not on this occasion. I roamed far and wide over the whole expanse of the beach trying to find firmer footing, but in vain. It was a killer on the calve muscles as you fought to keep your balance with the stones moving constantly underneath your feet. In my quest to find better walking I ended up some distance from my walking partner who had decided to stay at the top of the beach. Neither of us did very well finding firm ground. However, it did not spoil the joy of walking on such an expanse of beach where there is a great sense of freedom, particularly when you are walking alone. The consequence for me was that I was so far from the top of the beach that I overshot the turn off tand had to double back on myself and so made it longer than it needed to be.
Although not the longest or most challenging we had walked on this adventure, the day certainly felt like the most tiring. I suspect if you were to complete this walk on a fine Spring or Autumn day it would be quite beautiful. Beneath dark clouds and walking on wet grass and mud, some of the enjoyment was taken away. But it is what it is and while tired, we were pleased at another day's walking completed. Now, with a visit to a River Cafe restaurant in front us tonight and the promise of a slap up dinner, tired or no, it would have been rude to say no. As if!