Hengistbury Head

Hengistbury Head from below

A further walk with our friends in Christchurch, around Hengistbury Head. There was an iron age fort here, projected by a Double Dyke a surprisingly long way inland, and by the time the Romans came it was a major urban settlement and port. By the time they left however it had declined. Nowadays it is a SSSI and erosion is a major issue. Interesting aerial pictures of lots of further information can be found on the Hengistbury Head website.

The walk begins at the Hengistbury Head car park, which was naturally quite busy in such a lovely day. You follow a tarmac path with the Head on your right and Christchurch harbour on your left in the distance, with thick reed beds in between.


Soon the reeds die down and you are walking by the water and a bit further on Mudeford Spit comes into view with the first of the innumerable wooden chalets., which look at first like simple beach huts.


We walked along Mudeford Spit marvelling at how well the chalets had been kitted out. Inside a shell which looks likes large garden shed you could see a kitchenette, sleeping a living sections and presumably shower and toilet at the back. They are said to go for £100,000. We weren't tempted - it all seemed too public.

At the end of the Spit is the Run the narrow channel which controls access to Christchurch Harbour and then we walked along the other side of the spit looking out to the open sea, with the Isle of Wight dimly visible through the haze 10 miles away.


At the end of the Spit we climbed past a small pond dedicated to the Natterjack Toad to reach one end of the Head itself. There is a wonderful view along the Spit showing the beach, the groynes and of course the densely packed chalets.


We then walked along the path up to the highest point. The cliff-top path to the left was closed because of erosion. When we reached the top there were great views back to the east ...


... to the north west over Christchurch ...



... and indeed along the coast to Bournemouth. From below the Head does not look that impressive, but it is a different story once you are up there.

Distance: just under 4 miles.

Conditions: warm, sunny.

Rating: four stars.


Sightings

Quite a lot of birds on view. We saw a number of Redshanks on a sand bar behind Mudeford Spit and a small group of Turnstones at the water's edge on the nearby beach. This photogenic Black Headed Gull especially caught our attention.