The Bournemouth Coast Path: A review

We found about the existence of the Bournemouth Coast Path quite by accident: we noticed a guide book in the Poole branch of Waterstone's. Exploring the Bournemouth Coast Path by Leigh Harris is published by Countryside Books (more information can be found here.) It describes a route from Swanage to Lymington, but we felt that the core route was from Sandbanks to New Milton - the Swanage to Sandbanks section is part of the South West Coast Path, which we had already done, while New Milton to Lymington marks the beginning of the Solent Way, a possible future project.

The Bournemouth Coast Path dates from 1985 and seems to have been the invention of the author: well done to him! He is clearly pleased that it has been designated as part  of the E9 European Coast Path, which will run 3,125 miles from Capo de Sao Vincente in Portugal to Narva-Joesuu in Estonia. This (the E9) is obviously a wonderful concept, but seems to consist at present of not much more than a line drawn on the map. I have it on my to-do list to see what stretches of coast path are extant in Portugal, Spain and France.

We really enjoyed walking the BCP, which we did in four legs (listed below), a distance of 27 miles including the retunr trip along Hurst Spit. We were surprised by how varied it was and this reflects the route which takes you up and down the various chines that surround Bournemouth rather than simply following the promenade at the back of the beach. Also of course the route encompasses two harbours (Poole and Christchurch) and it was interesting to see how they were both similar and different. There are also two castles, at least on our route - Highcliffe and Hurst. We loved Highcliffe, but were a bit disappointed by the appearance of Hurst (we arrived too late in the day to go in).

We also learned a lot about the history, geography and geology of the area and, not least, were shocked to see how far Poole extended. We hadn't really clocked where the boundary with Bournemouth was, but now we know.

But perhaps the greatest satisfaction is that, as we have already walked the SW Coast Path to the western edge of Dorset at Lyme Regis, we can now say that we have walked every inch of the coast of this lovely county. And finally doing the Bournemouth Coast Path inspired me to devise a short town walk around Bournemouth.

Stages

1 Sandbanks to Bournemouth Pier

2 Bournemouth Pier to Mudeford Spit

3 Mudeford Quay to Barton-on-Sea

4 Barton-on-Sea to Hurst Castle

We had previously waked from Poole Quay to Sandbanks.

Barton-on-Sea to Hurst Castle (Bournemouth Coast Path 4)

Coast beyond Barton-on-Sea

We decided to break our journey down to Poole in order to complete the Bournemouth Coast Path. (The guide book includes a further section, but it is really part of the Solent Way, so we thought we would save that for a future project.)

We picked up the route on the grassy cliffs at Barton-on-Sea and walked along above the bathing huts and the beach. The view above shows the next section of coast, with a golf course on the inland side.
 
A  little further on the waves pour in onto the shingle beach, with the eroding sandstone cliff behind.

The view back shows Hengistbury Head clearly on the horizon

A bit further on we crossed Becton Bunny.

We then walked along the clifftop to reach New Milton - to be honest, largely indistinguishable from Barton-on-Sea.

At the end of the promenade, a shingle spit (reinforced with - for some reason - Norwegian stone in 1996-7) leads past the Sturt Pond towards Hurst Castle. On the landward side, a narrow channel of water called Mount Lake leads through the salt marshes.

While  on the seaward side the Needles remain a striking sight at the tip of the Isle of Wight.

As the tip of the spit approached Hurst Castle became clearer, with the Hurst Lighthouse bright in a little burst of sunshine to the left.

The castle was founded by Henry VIII in 1544 as part of a chain of forts built to defend against the threat of a Spanish invasion. The original castle is the octagonal tower on the left. It is a very good place for a defence: the channel across to the Isle of Wight is only three-quarters of a mile. Charles I was imprisoned here in 1648 before being taken to London to his trial and execution.

In Victorian times massive and rather ugly wings were built either side of the original fort, which was itself hidden behind a curved battlement. Guns were mounted here during the second world war. All quite interesting, but what you see looks like some horrific prison. 

Finally, there is the lighthouse of 1867 right at the tip of the spit.

The building to the left is the Acetylene Room which provided power for the lighthouse until 1970. It is apparently the last remaining complete example in the country, but how it functioned is a mystery to me at least.

Map: Explorer OL22 (New Forest)

Conditions: mild and cloudy, lots of haze, light rain at the end

Distance: 8 miles, including the return trip along the spit

Rating: three stars. Some interesting aspects, but overall the least satisfying leg of the Bournemouth Coast Path.

Flower of the day

I haven't managed to identify this tiny low-growing pink flower seen in the grass on the cliff-top.

Butterfly of the day

This Speckled Wood posed obligingly.

Mudeford Quay to Barton on Sea (Bournemouth Coast Path 3)

Mudeford Spit from Mudeford Quay

About the walk

Two years ago a weekend visit to our friends Chris and Jill in Christchurch opened our minds to the joys of Poole and the rest of Dorset. It feels very appropriate to now be continuing the Bournemouth Coast Path with them. We parked at Avon Beach and walked along to Mudeford Quay to pick up the route.

Two things struck us strongly. Firstly how wide the mouth of Christchurch Harbour is compared to Poole Harbour. And secondly all the people avidly fishing for crabs. They seemed to be using fish bait in a loosely woven bag - presumably the crabs get their claws entangled. Chris told us that the end of a session the convention is to set the crabs free and let them race to the edge of the quay.

We walked along the path behind the beach for a while enjoying the view over the beach huts towards the Isle of Wight.

We were startled by the contrast in some of the houses on the landward side. The house on the left of the thatched one is also of the modern luxury sea-view type.

Soon the long sweep of Christchurch Bay became apparent.

Further along we climbed gently to reach Steamer Point. This seemed an improbable name for a spaot on the inside edge of gently curving bay, but it turned out not to be a point in the normal sense, but simply the place where a steamer delivering stone for the building of nearby Highcliffe Castle was beached in a storm in 1835. Our guide book says that it was used as a beach hut, which does sound rather improbable.

We now entered Steamer Point Woods, once part of the grounds of Highcliffe Castle, but open to the public since 1984. There was a fine view back to Christchchurch Harbour and Hengistbury Head, albeit into the sun. The shadowy shape of Ballard Down can be seen behind.

Soon we came to Highcliffe Castle and detoured to walk around the outside. There was once a house here built by Robert Adam in the 1770s, but the house you now see dates from 1835 and was built by the architect William Donthorne for Lord Stuart de Rothsay, grandson of the Marquis of Bute. We especially admired the giant north porch ...

... and the oriel window on the left in the impressive south front, which came from the Grande Maison des Andelys in Normandy, also owned by Lord Stuart.

After the castle the path descends to sea level with increasingly clear views across the to Isle of Wight.

A bit further along you come to Chewton Bunny. What a great name! A bunny is the local equivalent of a chine, a coastal valley. Here you have to go inland as there is no coastal right of way on the next section of coast, occupied by the Naish holiday park - and anyway cliff falls have made an extension to the coast path very problematic.

The route up the Bunny is wooded and meets the Highcliffe-Lymington road after a small waterfall - the Walkford Brook.

We now walked through a series of paths through a housing estates on the edge of Barton-on-Sea to eventually reach the grassy cliffside, with now a really fine view across to the Isle of Wight.

Rather surprisingly, Barton, which now looks very suburban, is famous for its 40-million-year-old fossils and rock or clay of this period is known throughout the world as Bartonian.

Distance: about 4.5 miles.

Conditions: warm and sunny under a blue sky.

Rating: four stars. Remarkably interesting and varied.

Bournemouth Pier to Mudeford Spit (Bournemouth Coast Path 2)

Beach huts at Mudeford Spit

After yesterday's heavy rain, the forecast was good for today so we decided to continue with the Bournemouth Coast path. Last time we walked from Sandbanks to Bournemouth Pier.

We walked to Poole bus station and caught a bus to The Square in central Bournemouth and walked down through the Lower Gardens to the Pier to pick up the route. It made a lovely change from our usual practice of driving somewhere.

We walked up the hill to the cliff overlooking the beach, passed the back of the Bath Hotel and were struck by the various ceramic items which had been entertainingly stuck on the railings. The pier and Ballard Down can be seen in the background.

A bit further on we passed the back entrance to the Russell-Cotes Art gallery and museum. It was built for Russell-Cotes in 1890 and designed by John Fogerty. We didn't go in: it is on the route of a Bournemouth town walk I have designed and we will do it then.

We continued along the grassy area between East Cliff Drive and the cliff edge. There are a number of large hotels here, but the general feel is spacious and informal with plenty of grass, broom and flowers. There are nice views eastwards towards Hengistbury Head.

In due course we descended towards Boscombe and I captured one of the series of Paragliders who had been heading towards us on this section. I was surprised that the updraft was strong enough, but it clearly was well able to sustain a comfortable flight along the coastline.

The next landmark was Boscombe Pier. I am afraid it really is a most unlovely concrete structure. It leads nowhere and there is nothing on it but shelters and benches.

Almost opposite is Boscombe Chine, which is a much more agreeable proposition.

Now you climb up to the cliff again behind a new development of flats to reach a wonderful 1938 development, San Remo towers. It is the work of the American architect Hector O Hamilton and is in a style which, since our recent visit to Napier in New Zealand, I can confidently identify as Spanish Mission.

The rest of the way to Southbourne was without great incident. When we reached Southbourne we decided to go down to the beach to try the Bistro on the Beach for lunch. The Bistro itself was closed and only a take away was available. I voted against, offering the view that it had an air of mediocrity - "it's not that good!" was the tart reply and we headed on.

Soon we saw the finest cliff-top flower meadow yet of several that we had noticed.

When the houses of Southborne ended, we entered the  Hengistbury Head nature reserve and walked along over sand dunes at the back of the beach. Soon there were fine views along the beach to the Head. It is hard to believe that it was an important port in pre-Roman times.

We followed the wide tarmac path and then some steps, now with fine views across Christchurch Harbour towards the Priory.

At the top, the narrow mouth of Christchurch Harbour came into view with Mudeford Spit on the right.

We walked the length of Hengistbury Head and then cam down some steps to reach the end of Mudeford Spit. We walked along the harbour side edge, past the brightly painted beach huts, which famously change hands for remarkable sums of money, to reach the ferry jetty. I was amused to see that it is now called Mudeford Sandbank - which seems to be a fairly crude attempt at gentrification. It appears to be trying to ape its big cousin, Sandbanks. There was a nice view of the beach huts from the jetty.

We were thrilled to find that as well as a ferry across the harbour mouth to Mudeford Quay, there was also one to Christchurch Quay. So we enjoyed a soothing harbour cruise to round off our walk. After a pleasant snack at The Boathouse, with enviable views towards the Quay, we caught a bus back to Poole and walked back to our flat.

Distance: 6.5 miles.

Conditions: warm and eventually sunny under a blue sky. How wonderful after all the recent rain.

Rating: four stars. Varied and full of interest. Hengistbury Head is wonderful.


Flower of the day

It can only be Thift (Armeria maritima), also known as Sea Pink. The archetypical coastal plant.

Sandbanks to Bournemouth Pier (Bournemouth Coast Path 1)

View from Sandbanks across the mouth of Poole Harbour

We found about the existence of the Bournemouth Coast Path quite by accident: we noticed a guide book in the Poole branch of Waterstone's. (More information can be found here.) It seemed like a great idea to do it: it would help us to gain a greater understanding of Bournemouth and, having now walked SW Coast Path from South Haven Point to Lyme Regis, it would mean we would have walked the whole of the Dorset coastline.

The book offers a sort of pre-stage from Swanage to Sandbanks, but as we know that area well we decided to dispense with it and begin at Sandbanks and walk to Bournemouth Pier. We got a cab to Sandbanks (having found to our surprise that there are no buses on Sunday) and looked out across the harbour mouth to Shell Bay, with the Chain Ferry on the right.

You start by walking along Banks Road. And as ever, we wondered about the cachet of living on Sandbanks. The houses on the right have nice sea views, albeit with a public beach in front, but those on the left could be anywhere. After the shops, Shore Cafe and mini-roundabout, there are houses only on the right and to the left is the shallow expanse of Whitley Lake, popular with windsurfers and kite surfers.

Just past the Sandbanks Hotel you turn right into Shore Road and get the first view of the beach at Poole Head. There is a fine view to the right of the length of Sandbanks Beach and then round to Old Harry rocks.

While to the left, there is the long sweep of beach that stretches through Bournemouth to Hengistbury Head (out of shot).

You start out along the promenade, but quite soon turn left up Flaghead Chine, the first of no less than seven chines encountered on this walk. So what exactly is a chine? Wikipedia has a succinct answer: "a steep-sided river valley where the river flows through coastal cliffs to the sea. Typically these are soft eroding cliffs such as sandstone or clays."

At the head of the chine, a couple of roads of rather plush houses lead to the clifftop, with fine views over beaches and coastline, with the Isle of Wight also very clear. Now you go further inland along Canford Cliffs Chine to reach the main road through the village and then turn to come back to the cliff at Pinecliff Gardens.

The walk book says that the coast here was thought to stand comparison with the French Riviera. This carefully constructed photo provides support to that idea.

The route now descends and offers fine views of the beach, with newish-looking groynes and Hengistbury Head clearly visible in the distance.

You reach the substantial Branksome Chine and then follow the promenade for a while to turn into Branksome Dene Chine. This had the most attractive beach huts so far and the eroding sandstone cliffs mentioned in Wikipedia

After steep steps out of the chine, you cross the unmarked Poole-Bournemouth border and follow roads around Zetland Court (once the seaside home of Lord Wimborne, now a residential home) to reach the suspension bridge over Alum Chine.

This was mercifully much more solid that we one we recently crossed near Franz Josef Glacier in New Zealand, but still wobbled a little towards the end.

You now stay on the road to pass the Tropical Garden planted in the 1920s and the road bridge over Middle Chine, far below. You cross Durley Chine by going down and then up steps and emerge onto the West Cliff, where there is a fine view towards the Pier, with Hengistbury Head and the Isle of Wight behind.

You now descend to the pier. Thereafter it becomes clear that the green Gardens which lie inland of it, with the tiny River Bourne running through, are in fact Bournemouth Chine.

Conditions: generally sunny, but there was a cold wind.

Distance: 6 miles.

Rating: four stars

Reflections

We had expected to spend much more time walking along the promenade, but the trips inland helped us to fully comprehend the meaning of the Chines and to gain a much better feel for the geography of Poole and Bournemouth. We were staggered to discover just how far Poole stretches to the east.

Apart from continuing this walk eastwards, I have it in mind to design a city walk around Bournemouth to try to explore its Victorian heritage.