It was a beautiful sunny morning when the group set off from Durlston Country Park. After about a mile an intrepid team of nine Cirencester Ramblers and a dog, together with four members of South Dorset Ramblers, split off from the rest to do the longer walk to Worth Matravers and back.

They continued along the cliff tops, enjoying the distant view of St Aldhelm’s chapel and adjacent coastguard’s cottages on St Aldhelm’s Head, to join the Priest’s Way leading into the village of Worth Matravers. Here some members of the group visited the 18th century ‘Square & Compass’ pub while others ate their lunch in the sun by the village pond.

The walk then descended to the coast path at Winspit, passing strip lynchets, or terraces, on the hillside, the result of medieval cultivation. They then followed the South West Coast Path back to Durlston Country Park, stopping to look at the disused Winspit Quarry which provided building stone for London until about 1940, and was a naval and air defence site during the Second World War, and also to look down on the flat area of rock known as Dancing Ledge.

Looking down to the sea from the Coast Path

Winspit Quarry

Gorse and orchid seen on the walk

Callie kept every in order!

Old Harry Rocks and The Pinnacles