|
|
Cambridge University Rambling Club |
||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
|
Easter Ramble The annual Easter Ramble is a 5-7 day walking holiday that takes place during the Easter Vacation. In recent years, this has been to places such as Snowdonia (2010), the Peak District (2007 and 2004), Yorkshire Dales (2009 and 2006) and the Lake District (2008 and 2005). It is a great opportunity to escape to somewhere that has more hills than in the area around Cambridge and is always lots of fun! Details of the 2011 Easter Ramble in Dorset are below (sign-up before 12th December).
Easter Ramble 2011 in Dorset This year's Easter Ramble (13th April to 18th April) takes us along a section of the South Western Coastal Path to enjoy the sights of Dorset with its stunning Jurassic-period cliffs. We will walk from youth hostel to hostel, and nearly all our meals will be catered by the YHAs; packing light is thus highly recommended, as we will not need to carry camping gear or self-catering supplies. The deadline for signing up for this trip has now passed. If you have signed up stay tuned for further information sent out by email nearer the time! Itinerary:
Day 1 (13 Apr): Arrive in Beer (Devon). Overnight: Beer YHA. Day 2 (14 Apr): Rousdon to Chideock (16 miles) From Beer, we use our FirstDay Explorer bus pass to arrive at Rousdon. We walk along cliffs of a nature reserve, to arrive at the famous fossil cliffs of Lyme Regis. Jane Austen stayed in this town and wrote part of 'Persuasion' here. The 'Jane Austen Garden' on Marine Parade by Front Beach is a memorial to her stay. In Coombe Street, to the north, is 'Dinosaurland', housed in an eighteenth-century chapel with models of dinosaurs and a collection of local fossils. Continue to Chideock, passing over The Golden Cap which is the highest point along the south coast, before our bus to Weymouth, from where we walk to Portland YHA, where we spend the night. Overnight: Portland YHA. Day 3 (15 Apr): Portland Circular (9 miles) with optional Chesil Beach loop Portland is a huge lump of limestone, joined to the mainland by the pebble bank of the beach. St Paul's Cathedral was faced in Portland stone, and more recently the rock was used for the United Nations building in New York. Today we leave our heavy bags behind. The views from here across Weymouth Bay and Chesil Beach are terrific. In the old Tout Quarry, sculptors have worked the stone cliffs to create an open air gallery. Then there is Portland Castle, the best preserved of Henry VIII's chain of defensive fortresses along England's southern coast. The Portland Museum, one of a very interesting complex of buildings, could be visited. Further along, we will see Rufus Castle and Pennsylvania Castle. At the extreme tip, Portland Bill, there are two lighthouses. The newer lighthouse can be climbed for an enhanced view. (Optional loop: The famous Chesil Beach is an extraordinary phenomenon, consiting of a long back of pebbles among which are to be found plants including thrift, sea-kale, sea-spinach and sea-beet. The bank was formed 10,000 years ago at the end of the last glacial period.) Overnight: Portland YHA Day 4 (16 Apr):Portland to West Lulworth (17 miles) For a while we are on the Rodwell Trail, the course of an old railway, but shortly we bear right onto a parallel coastal path. We pass the ruins of Sandsfoot Castle, to then tramp through the suburbs of Weymouth. Weymouth has been described as the 'Georgian seaside resort par excellence', but is also infamous for being the first place in England to suffer from the Black Death in 1348. We are treated to tremendous views to the limestone arch Durdle Door, one of the most famous sights on the entire coastline of Great Britain. Keep on uphill to Hamburg Tout above St Oswald's Bay and from there enjoy magnificent views ahead to Lulworth Cove, a bay about 1,500 feet across enclosed by cliffs, with high cliffs of crumbling chalk forming a natural amphitheatre around the oyster-shaped bay. It is now downhill all the way to the cove itself, walking along an excellent stone path. Overnight: West Lulworth YHA. Day 5 (17 Apr):West Lulworth to Swanage (20 miles) The next 7 miles to Gaulter Gap provide some of the best and most memorable walking on the whole of the south coast. We go forward to Pepler's Point with good views back to Lulworth Cove, then proceed eastwards to enter the Lulworth Ranges at Fossil Forest, which consists of rock that once contained tree stumps from a forest that existed well over 100 million years ago. Included are a number of footbridge crossings over streams, as we proceed past Rope Lake Head, Egmont Point and Egmont Bight with its delightful waterfall and woodland. The cliffs along this section are known as the Kimmeridge Ledges. Overnight: Swanage YHA. Day 6 (18 Apr):Corfe Castle and departure Corfe Castle stands at a cleft in the Purbeck Hills, a gap several hundred yards wide roughly half-way along the range. The ruin is of a Norman castle, initially built by William the Conqueror, but greatly improved by King John who used it as a royal prison. Afternoon departure. Cost: The approximate price per person will be £147, excluding travel. This includes overnight accommodation (5 nights) and most meals, which will be catered by the youth hostels. In the past, we have found hostel catering to be highly satisfactory. Travel to Dorset will be arranged individually, although we will offer suggestions for itineraries, especially for those departing from Cambridge. For travel to Dorset, we could get a return to Weymouth (cheap tickets are £48.85 with Railcard), plus some bus travel (around £10). |
||||||||||||||||||
|
Copyright, , 2006 Cambridge University Rambling Club. All Rights Reserved |
|||||||||||||||||||
