Synopsis: A jungle walk, along the under cliff. A wild territory of deep crevices and rampant vegetation. Lyme Regis always a lovely place to visit; a world in a time capsule.
(selection of photos from Flickr photo set – use link above to view album)The bus out to this walk could best be caught at the nearby Sandy Gate Roundabout, earliest bus being the 8:57 from this stop. The bus passed through Beer, which was impressive, considering how narrow the streets are and how large the bus was. It was almost tempting to get off here and walk the short distance into Seaton, but I opted to be lazy and ride the bus.
Seaton - bicycle parkSeaton was very quiet at 10am as I wended my way along the promenade soaking up the warming sunshine. For some reason Seaton has chosen to decorate one of its roundabouts with painted bicycles, a sort of sculpture on the roundabout display. It’s actually quite effective, and is perhaps a celebration of the bicycle, which can be no bad thing.
Axmouth - harbour and concrete bridge, earliest in Britain
I made my way towards the small harbour at the east end of the town, at Axmouth. The River Axe was rapidly discharging itself into the sea, flowing underneath the oldest concrete bridge, in the country. How did I know that? Well, it was in my guide book, and also the bridge itself has a plaque on it to announce its origins. It’s actually quite a stylish bridge, and looks none the worse for its 140 years of use.
First glimpse of the coastal path aheadFrom here I picked up a steep track that climbs behind a row of coast guard houses that guided me towards a golf course which I crossed before picking up another track that took me to the top off the cliff. From here I was treated to a great view back to Seaton and the cliffs beyond.
Ahead of me I could immediately see the undercliff territory that was to be the nature of today’s walk into Lyme Regis. A notice at the path start warns walkers that this is a demanding stretch of coast path to walk, and that there are no exits to land or sea for the full length between Seaton and Lyme Regis. Did I know what I was letting myself in for? A sobering thought with which to begin a walk!
Chalk escarpmentThis stretch of coastal path is not about fantastic views but the lush and vibrant vegetation growing under towering cliffs of bright white chalk exposed by past subsidence. Chalk, sits on greensand, which sits on clay, the first two being permeable, the last impermeable. When it rains the two two top most layers become very heavy and are prone to slip on the clay, and this is what creates the enormous chasms along this stretch of path. One slip that occurred in 1840 was so severe that it separated a chunk of land, subsequently named Goat Island, which remained at the same height and even continued to support the crops planted there. This was such a phenomenon of note in its day, that even Queen Victoria sailed down in her yacht to take a peak. I suppose you can do that sort of thing when you’re queen.
West Cliff Cottage, ruined in 1840, just one wall standing
I came across the ruin of an old cottage, a wall that stands two storeys high, but that’s all there is. Apparently the cottage, named West Cliff Cottage, was built around 1830, and already by 1840 it had collapsed. The location evidently wasn’t quite the place to be building a house.
Harts tongue ferns
There are a lot of ferns, especially harts tongue fern, growing in the under cliff. The occasional elderberry tree was in fruit, as were the blackberry bushes. At one point along the walk its possible to take a few steps out to a viewing point where the whole stretch of coast can be seen from Lyme Regis to Portland, and Portland Island can be made out in the distance.
Lyme Regis - the steps mentioned in Jane Austen's Persuasion
The coastal path drops down into Lyme Regis in the car park opposite The Cobb. No trip to Lyme Regis would be complete without a stroll along The Cobb, so out I went, in the company of the many other visitors to the seaside. This gave me a nice view along the coast that I had just walked. A little further along I passed the steps that are the location of an episode in Persuasion by Jane Austen. Rather than risk a potential repeat of that episode by falling onto The Cobb, I chose the next steps along which are a good deal more suitable to the job.
Lyme Regis - pink pampas grass
The gardens of Lyme Regis had been recently landscaped and I chose this opportunity to explore them for the first time. They provide a superb vantage to look out across Lyme Bay, a scene that has to be hard to beat anywhere else in Devon. The gardens had been planted with pink pampas grasses which had just come into bloom and which were looking gorgeous in the sun. I sought out a bench, sat in the sun and typed up this blog. It’s a hard life!
My guide book (South West Coast Path) mentioned that the Church of St Michael the Archangel was worth visiting, but just as I arrived the doors were locked in my face. Apparently the church has some parts of its interior dating back to the 12th and 13th centuries. The exterior is so uninspiring, I would never have guessed there were things of interest to see inside. This will have to wait for another dayc; I’m sure I shall be returning to Lyme Regis.
An unusual walk, probably quite unique in Devon, and intriguing for that. Perhaps not the most scenic of paths, but Lyme Regis makes a fine reward for completing the walk.
Walk Statistics:
Total Distance: 8.6 miles
Moving Time: 3hrs 22min
Stopped Time: 1hr 20min
Total Ascent: 512 metres
Maximum Elevation: 125 metres
Buses: X53
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