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Dorset - Wessex Trails

General Information

The weather is generally warmer and more settled on England'ssouth coast than in other parts of Britain, so the recommended season is longerfor this tour. The grade is probably on the easier side of grade "A".Lyme Regis with its mediaeval Cobb (harbor wall) is a favorite place for almosteveryone who visits it, although it can be rather crowded in high summer. JohnFowles' novel "The French Lieutenant's Woman" is set there and theauthor lives in the town. Abbotsbury and Cerne Abbas are gems among Englishvillages, while Maiden Castle and the Cerne Giant are spectaculararchaeological sites of the greatest importance.

Duration of tour: 8 days (7 nights)

Season:April to October

Joining point: Lyme Regis

End of tour:Lulworth Cove

Getting to the Start

Outward journey from London to starting point: By train from London Waterloo (or from Woking; reached byairport bus from Heathrow airport) to Axminster; service about every 2 hours,journey time c 2.5 hours; Then taxi or bus to Lyme Regis from Axminster trainstation.

Inward journey to London at end of tour: Taxi from Lulworth Cove to Wool train station (6 miles/£12/US$23).From Wool direct hourly train service to London Waterloo via Bournemouth,Southampton (for trains to Gatwick Airport).

Your Accommodation

Night 1 & 2: Our first two nights are spent in the little fishing portof Lyme Regis. The hotel was formally a Coaching Inn. The hotel still retainsits superb 17th century character, oak beams and irregular shaped rooms. Allbedrooms are tastefully decorated and comfortable with en suite or privatefacilities.

Night 3:Our third night will be spent at West Bay, the harbor of the old market town ofBridport, in a guesthouse of architectural and historical interest. It issituated on the quieter side of a small fishing village and just 1 minute fromthe harbor and beach. There is a comfortable residents' lounge with attractivegarden.

Night 4:Your accommodation tonight is set in the very heart of Abbotsbury. Abbotsburyitself boasts breathtaking views of Rolling Meadows and glorious countrygardens. All rooms are en suite.

Night 5 & 6: A large, early nineteenth century town house has beenconverted into a hotel, offering spacious rooms and great comfort right in theheart of this busy town.

Night 7:Your accommodation tonight is a comfortable family run hotel of 17 rooms, only200 yards from Lulworth Cove. Built 100 years ago in a quiet elevated positionoverlooking the Cove and Stair Hole, it still holds an unrivalled position withviews of the sea and surrounding hills. En-suite facilities.

PLEASE NOTE: It is generally normal practice when staying in hotels that you check-inon or after 2 pm and checkout by 10 am the following morning. Guesthouses/bed & breakfastestablishments are normally check-in on or after 4 pm and checkout by 10 am.

Included
Bed and breakfast, with en suitefacilities where available. Luggage transfers from Inn to Inn during the tour.Full route notes and map package. Transfers from and to train stations at startand end of tour are not included, nor are bus/train/taxi fares during the tour.

Extend your stay

Extra nights: Extra nights are possible at any point in the tour. Two nights at eachof Lyme Regis and Dorchester are already included. Another very pleasant placefor an extra night is Abbotsbury, with its famous swannery (England's firstnature reserve - open to the public), medieval tithe barn (still in use forstoring reeds, not open), the 15th century hilltop chapel of St Catherine and asub-tropical botanic garden. Abbotsbury is also only just over a mile from thefamous 10-mile long ridge of shingle known as Chesil Beach.

Abbotsbury from $77 per person per night.

ITINERARY

Day 1 Lyme Regis: Travel to starting point (Lyme Regis). Explore town and medieval stone (Cobb) harbor.

Day 2 Lyme Regis: Walk through famous Under-cliff (nature reserve on coast west of town) or explore coastal cliffs for fossils and walk to Seaton, maybe return to Lyme by taxi (10 miles 6 hours).

Day 3 Bridport: "Roller-coaster" footpath along coast over Golden Cap hill (highest sea cliff in the south of England) to West Bay (11 miles 6 hours)

Day 4 Abbotsbury: Coastal path via Saxon Hill Fort with magnificent views of Chesil Bank (longest shingle beach in Europe) to Abbotsbury with its medieval tithe barn and swannery. (9 miles 4 hours)

Day 5 Dorchester: Inland via Dorset Ridgeway path to Maiden Castle, a massive ancient earthwork fortress sacked by the Romans in the 1st C A.D. and Dorchester (11 miles 5 hours)

Day 6 Dorchester: Optional walk from Dorchester to the famous village of Milton Abbas (12 miles, 6 hours) with its two long curved rows of thatched cottages facing each other across the village green. On the way you walk past the isolated cottage at Higher Bockhampton where Thomas Hardy was born (limited public opening) and the village of Puddletown (the setting of Weatherbury in' Far from the Madding Crowd'). Bus or taxi from Puddletown (6 miles, 3 hours from Dorchester) or Milton Abbas back to Dorchester; fares not included in tour price but we provide bus timetables and a local taxi number. If the weather is unfavorable there is plenty to do and see in Dorchester itself, with Roman remains and a good local museum.

Day 7: While your baggage goes direct from Dorchester to Lulworth Cove, you return by train (hourly service, journey time 10 minutes) to the coast at the lively resort of Weymouth and then follow the Dorset Coast Path eastwards along the brilliant white chalk cliffs from Weymouth to Lulworth Cove. On the way you pass the natural arches of Bats Head and Durdle Door and the long abandoned medieval village of Ringstead.

Day 8: End of tour. When/if you can tear yourself away from the scenic wonders of Lulworth Cove and Stair Hole you will need to order a taxi from Lulworth Cove to Wool train station for your journey back to London. There is also a bus service from Lulworth Cove to Wool, Wareham and Swanage.

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