Lyme Regis to Bridport 20km
Ascension 874m  Accumulated ascension 3969m

We got away early this morning at 7.50 am. The promised sandwiches were in the fridge so we could leave when we wanted. There were no staff at all in the hotel when we left and all the bars downstairs were locked up, so we didn’t really know what to do with our key. The only guy around was a fish monger out the back of the kitchens making his delivery of fresh fish and he didn’t want to know anything about keys.

The Cobb Beach was empty this morning not a soul on the beach or in the water. It took a long time to get out of Lyme Regis. We followed the route we sorted out yesterday but further on there were more diversions due to unsafe cliffs. We went through yet another golf course following white stone markers across about five fairways. Only the mowers were out this early in the morning. We did see golfers arriving in cars and going to the club house to pad up or do whatever golfers do before heading out for a round. The 4.5 kms from Lyme Regis to Charmouth seemed to take forever with all its diversions. We bought a coffee to share at what was a pretty crummy ice cream shop attached to the Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre. £3.50 ($8!!!) for an average espresso in less than average surroundings. Maybe we are just getting very picky.

From Charmouth the work for the day really began. Two massive climbs from Charmouth to Seatown, the second being Golden Cap.

Golden Cap is the highest point on all the south coast of England at 197m. Not the highest point on the South West Coast Path. This record is held by Great Hangman at 318m but this is on the west coast and we climbed it in 2019. We were promised spectacular views from Golden Cap to the east but we saw zilch, nada, nothing. All morning as we approached we could see the top of Golden Cap covered in cloud and at the top it was white out. A bit disappointing and a bit like the “spectacular” views we regularly missed out on in Ireland. However the climb up and down was great and had the heart and lungs really working.  We have pretty good aerobic fitness with all our cycling, especially cycling over Paekakariki Hill most Fridays. The name Golden Cap derives from the distinctive outcropping of golden greensand rock present at the very top of the cliff.

The path was kept well back from the cliff edge with dozens of warning signs and lengths of the edge roped off. I went close a couple of times and you could see massive landslides and vertical drops all the way down to the water. From Seatown to West Bay a further roller coaster of steep and high cliffs but also nice views inland over farm land. We also passed through several fields of sheep and cows. Being city slickers we are always a bit nervous around cattle having been “crowded” by herds of steers in the past.

We don’t much like the day to end like it did today. At West Bay we left the Coast Path and trudged 3.5 km inland up the River Brit which became the River Asker to the village of Bridport. It was a pleasant walk on a public footpath well away from traffic but it adds 3.5 kms today and another 3.5 kms tomorrow morning back to the path at West Bay. And none of these extra kms count in completing the South West Coast Path. However The Bull Hotel in Bridport is superb and we only have to go downstairs for a meal.

Historically Bridport was the port but over time as boats got bigger and the River Brit silted up a new port was built on the coast at what was originally called Bridport Harbour but when the railway came, in an early example of rebranding, the name was changed to West Bay.

It was much cooler today, maybe up to 20° and with a nice breeze coming in off the sea. As well as the usual sea birds we were accompanied by paragliders today. They had a take off point on a plateau above Eype Mouth and were able to soar for miles and miles on the updrafts at the cliffs.

Fans of classic television comedies may want to stand on the beach at West Bay and take all their clothes off and walk into the sea in homage to the memorable opening scene  from The Life and Times of Reginald Perrin, which was shot here. We didn’t do this today, maybe when we go back down the West Bay in the morning.