Jane's Midlife Journey

I have set myself the challenge of walking the South West Coast Path. Initially, this was something my brother was trying to achieve. But after he died, I decided to pick up the mantle.

The South West Coast Path stretches for 630 miles, running along the coast from Somerset, through Devon and Cornwall to Dorset. Starting in Minehead in Somerset, the path runs along the north coast of the peninsula as far as Lands End, before turning and running along the south coast to South Haven Point near Poole.

My guide book divides the trail into 70 sections. As I live near what is traditionally considered to be the end of the trail, I plan to tackle the route in reverse, starting with Section 70.

South West Coast Path Section 70 at a Glance

Starting Point	South Haven Point
Finishing Point	Swanage
Distance	12.1 km
Ascent	150 metres
Timing	3.5 hours
Grading	Moderate
Settlements	Studland Swanage
Points of Interest	SWCP Start Sculpture Shell Bay Fort Henry Old Harry Rocks Ballard Down Swanage Station
Stamping Point	Swanage Information Centre
Take a Break	Knoll Beach Cafe The Fish Plaice, Swanage Harlees, Swanage

Starting Point

The starting point (or traditional finishing point) is at South Haven Point on the Isle of Purbeck, just 5 miles from my home town of Bournemouth.

Getting to the Start

Sandbanks Ferry

The most direct route from Bournemouth to the starting point is to cross the mouth of Poole Harbour on the Sandbanks Ferry – the first of around 14 ferry trips which make up this coastal extravaganza. The short, 10 minute journey brings you to the Isle of Purbeck, which isn’t really an island, but a peninsula surrounded by marsh.

Public Transport

I opted to take the 50 Breezer Bus, which runs along the coast from Bournemouth to Swanage via the ferry. Alight at Shell Bay Ferry, where a useful sign tells you that you are 630 miles from Minehead.

SWCP Start Sculpture

There is also a metal sculpture set in a compass, which marks the beginning of the Coast Path.

Shell Bay

The start of the path is not along a path, but the beach. Leave Ferry Road and walk along the shore round Shell Bay. The first part of the walk, along Shell Bay, is challenging. It involves a 3 mile walk along the beach, which is extremely draining on the legs. The options appear to be to walk along the dry sand at the top of the beach, which is energy sapping. Or walk on the wet sand and risk being hit by a rogue wave.

The route also involves walking through the middle of a naturist beach. Apparently, this spot is popular with sunbathers and fishermen who are keen to get their rods out. However, on a grey March morning, nobody has braved stripping off.

Knoll Beach Cafe

My first rest stop is at Knoll Beach Cafe. The cafe at Knoll Beach is run by the National Trust, so I opt for their Scone of the Month; lemon and white chocolate served with lemon curd and clotted cream. It’s absolutely delicious! Sarah Merker, after her husband died of cancer, set herself the mission of eating a scone at each of the 244 National Trust cafes across the country. Her verdict of the scones here; ‘A 5 out of 5 if ever I saw one‘.

Fort Henry

At Middle Beach and South Beach, there are diversions in place due to coastal erosion and unexploded bombs. The second diversion is not very well signposted and I get a bit lost but finally find the next place on my list; Fort Henry. I had envisaged some sort of medieval fortress built of stone with turrets and towers. But Fort Henry is just a mass of concrete. It is, in fact, a World War Two observation bunker overlooking Studland Bay. It was built in 1943 to defend the bay from possible German invasion.

Studland

After 3.5 miles of walking, I reach the village of Studland. This small village has a shop, a few bars and restaurants and a large National Trust car park.

Trust 10 Trail Run

The next part of the coast path can be done on your own or as part of the Trust 10 Trail Run, which takes place on the 4th Sunday of the month between September and June. The route follows a 10 km route from Knoll Beach, via Ballard Down and Old Harry Rocks and back to Knoll Beach, which we have concluded makes excellent scones.

Old Harry Rocks

From the outskirts of the village, a grassy trail takes you to Old Harry Rocks; a limestone rock formation which stands just off the Isle of Purbeck marking the end of the Jurassic Coast. Old Harry, and the remains of his wife, who collapsed in 1896, form one of Dorset’s most famous landmarks. You can read more about my visits to Old Harry here.

Ballard Down

Ballard Down is actually quite up. From here, the views across the coast are spectacular. The photo below was taken during lockdown, when the bay was full of homeless cruise ships.

After 3 miles of walking uphill, it’s time to descend into the seaside town of Swanage. When the heads of the people in front of my finally disappear as they commence their descent, I am most elated. Then I see how steep the descent actually is – achieved by climbing down over 100 stone steps.

Swanage

The final section takes you through a housing estate (although I later discover that you can walk along the beach at low tide) and onto the prom in Swanage. You can read more about my visits to Swanage here.

Swanage Information Centre

As you walk along the prom, you will pass Swanage Information Centre, where you can purchase souvenirs and get the Coast Path Passport stamped.

The Fish Plaice

I have made it! The first section of my journey is complete. The guide book gives the distance as 7.5 miles, so I’m unsure how I’ve managed to walk 9.4 miles, but I have made it nonetheless. I celebrate with a well earned portion of fish & chips. He was quite scathing of his meal, so I opt instead for The Fish Plaice, where the fish is so fresh that the name of the trawler which landed it this morning is written on the menu.

Harlees

Another popular eatery in Harlees, which sells tradition fish & chips, plus some less traditional options – I opted for cheesy curry loaded chips. There is plenty of indoor seating.

Swanage Station

Swanage Station dates back to 1882 and is made of local Purbeck stone. It was originally the terminus of a branch line from Wareham, which was closed by British Rail in 1972. A decade later, it reopened as part of a heritage railway, where you can ride a steam train between Swanage and Corfe Castle.

Getting Back to the Start

The 50 Breezer bus runs from Swanage Station to the start of the trail at Shelly Bay and across Poole Harbour to Bournemouth. The bus runs roughly every hour throughout the day (every 30 minutes in peak season).