WEEKS 6ISLE OF PORDLAND

(Weymouth Station Rodwell Trail & A354 Portland Beach Road)

Hello Everyone,

This week I left home early to catch the train from Parkstone station to Weymouth. I was joined by a group of people from DICE (Dorset Inter Church Event) for my Big Walk Challenge Weeks 6 on the Isle of Portland.

The train journey to Weymouth started with a problem; I ended up getting off at Poole station to catch a Rail Bus to Dorchester South because of engineering work on the rail lines. The rail bus traveled through Hamworthy, Wareham, Wool, Morton and eventually stopped at Dorchester South. I got back on the train at Dorchester South and continued to Weymouth, eventually arriving at 8.44am in Weymouth Station.

The bus & train journey took longer to get to Weymouth station which meant I was 40 mins behind my walking schedule. I had to walk very quickly from Weymouth station to Isle of Portland to meet the group at 10.30 am and got 1 ½ hrs to walk along the Weymouth Seafront, cross over the Weymouth Bridge Harbour and walk along the Rodwell Trail, passing Nothe Fort gardens, Sandsfoot castle & gardens along the wayAs I was walking I asked for donation from passing public walking their dogs along the Rodwell trail and arrived at Ferrybridge Pub, joining on the A354 Portland Beach Road. The was a very strong wind blowing over the Chesil Beach.

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It was not easy walk on hard surface along an open plain of gravel stone paths to Portland with a strong wind in front of you. It took approximately 30 minutes; I went on the west side of Portland passing National sailing Academy and heading toward Castletown and Portland Castle.

I walked for 3 ½ miles to get to the top of Isle of Portland an meet the DICE group at Fortuneswell Car Park. Around the side of Portland Castle there is a straight path heading up to the top of Verne Citadel and surrounding Castletown. It was hard work walking quickly to the top and the view was of amazing scenery of the harbour and sailing academy below you when walking up the top of the hill.At the top of Castletown I took a wrong signpost heading to Portland Prison but realised what happened and walked down the road and back on other side of Verne Citadel towards Fortuneswell Car Park. I arrived to my to meet the group at 10.40am - only 10 min late was not bad having been put under pressure to walk the 3 ½ miles.

The DICE group and I finally started our walk at 11am having some photos of me at the top of Fortuneswell and new modern Olympic statue over looking Weymouth in the distance.

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Portland is known for a lot of quarries… www.stonefirms.com/portland-stone-range/portland-stone-quarry/

“Since the Roman period limestone has been extracted from Portland stone quarries. However, quarrying of the dimension stone didn’t start in earnest until early in the seventeenth century – with London being the main market.

Portland stone, from our quarries, came to pre-eminence after the Great Fire of London in 1666, when Sir Christopher Wren chose it to re-build St Paul’s Cathedral as well as many other churches.

Planning consent for modern day quarrying on Portland was granted in 1951, covering some 324 hectares of the island. Portland Stone Firms Ltd controls the majority of the remaining Portland stone quarry reserves within the planning consent in Coombefield, Perryfield and Broadcroft. This allows us to provide a comprehensive range of stone to the market, now and well into the future.

We own three Portland stone quarries on the island with the same Portland stone geology”

There were ten of us from the DICE group walking along Wallsend Cove paths on the west side of Portland, we were all facing very strong winds blowing from the sea and making it hard to walk along the footpaths. We headed towards Portland Bill along the cliffs, arriving at one of the first of three lighthouses. The Old Higher Lighthouse with a house on the west side of Portland cliff also has a Lookout Coastguard Station next to it. We took a short walk down to an open hill field to Trinity

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House Lighthouse with a car park, Tourist Information Visitor centre which is at the end of Portland Bill. The amazing Red & White Lighthouse stands on the corner of Portland Bill with Pulpit Rocks with a viewpoint of English channels. It is now 12.20 pm in the afternoon and DICE & I head toward Pulpit Rock to see the English Channels viewpoint.On the Pulpit rocks with background of Portland Bill Lighthouse the windy sea wave crashing into its sharp rough shaped rocks. I was doing some odd fund-raising for Dorset Blind and generous people were happy to donations on such a strong wind day. Some of DICE, a Christian group, pray on Pulpit Rock with a large group of emotional family & children together about to throw cremated ashes in the sea at Pulpits Rocks of theiry Mother who passed away few weeks ago. The lady explained when her mother was a child she did her homework on the Pulpit Rocks and lived on the Islands and wanted her cremated ashes to be thrown in the sea , where she grew up on the Isle of Portland. I quickly have some photos taken on Pulpit Rock, it was very cold in a Dorset Blind tee-shirt with gales force windy blowing without blowing me of the Rocks.

The wonderful Trinity Lighthouse lookout post with viewpoint on the west and east side showing the Jurassic coastlines, on the west side we will probably see the Chesil Beach pebbles heading toward Abbotsbury, Lyme Regis and Devon. In the east probably see Weymouth, Lulworth Cove and Swanage at the top of lighthouse. I only guessing here and did not go up the Lighthouse to find out what you see from the top! “For nearly 300 years a lighthouse has stood on Portland Bill to guide vessels heading for Portland and Weymouth and acting as a way mark for vessels navigating in the English Channel. A red sector light warns mariners of the hazardous Shambles Bank lying three miles offshore”.

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There is Old Lower Lighthouse with few cottage houses on the East side and also have a bird observatory. For an hour the DICE group relax for Lunch at Portland Bill café with hot drinks and eventually sat next to cliff rocks – 12.45 to 14.45pmEventually the DICE woke up to do some walking again at 13.45 pm and we continue walking past Old Lower Lighthouse on way to Cove Hole and Sandholes. The wind dropped on the east side of the Isle of Portland and the sunshine was getting hot and everyone was eventually stripping off layers of clothes to tee-shirts and the walking conditions became very pleasant.

On the east side of side of Portland there was a lot of fishing, a few fishing boats and some beach huts at Portland Bill and the paths zigzag round the cliff with a lot of quarry rocks , big holes and chunks of large stone rocks shattered all over place on route. DICE group and I walk zigzag up & down rock footpaths and eventually walk up a hill to Southwell road for ½ miles passing Cheyne Weares at 14.20pm. We are re-joining the paths along the road and back on the rocky footpaths and heading toward Church Ope Cove and up the top of hill cliff we can see Rufus Castle (ruin).

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Having a DICE group photos on the beach below Rufus Castle (ruin) and want to thank everyone for coming along on my Week 6 Big Walk Challenge of the Jurassic coastline. All ten of us enjoyed the day doing round the Isle of Portland. We all eventually had to walk up steep stone steps all the way up to the top of the hill at Rufus Castle (Ruin) and join a straight footpath to The Grove, heading towards East Weares.

Pictures showing East side of Isle of Portland at The Grove and the background showing the Weymouth coastlines, Ringstead Bay and Lulworth Cove. We all stop and look carefully at the coastlines and can see part of cliff corrosion of St Oswald’s Bay next to Lulworth Cove which happened about a week ago. Huge chunk of cliff collapsed at famous Dorset landmarks at Durdle Door & Lulworth Cove. The Jurassic coastlines have become increasingly fragile & extra awareness is needed for all walkers who walk along Jurassic coastlines, walkers must be extra cautions not get near the edge of the cliff it may give ways anytime.

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On route we saw lot of professionals and beginners doing rock climbers hanging of the cliffs and having lot of

At the end of our journey, DICE & I all head back to Fortuneswell Car Park finishing at 15.48pm. I haven’t finished my walk and have to walk back to Weymouth along Portland Beach road and Rodwell Trail to meet the DICE group at Sandsfoot Castle & Gardens at the café to complete Weeks 6 challenge. I left the Dice group at top of Portland behind me and headed down the road to Fortuneswell town and along the side of Portland Beach road toward Ferrybridge Pub. I then took the Rodwell trail and got to Sandsfoot Castle at 17.00 pm where I complete 2 ½ miles.Half of the DICE group had gone home and the rest cheer me on at Sandsfoot castles towards the end of my challenge of completing 16 miles and got a car lift home by Andy Laider from Weymouth to Poole.

SUMMARY REPORT

WEEK 6 16 MILES - ISLE OF PORTLAND

SOUTH WEST TRAINS – Parkstone Station to Poole & Dorchester South to Weymouth Station (40mins)

RAIL BUS –Poole to Dorchester South – 1 hrs and 20mins. Leaving 5pm from Sandfoots castle (Weymouth) – Lift home by car to Poole by Andy

Laidler (DICE) WEYMOUTH –up top of Isle of Portland - WEYMOUTH STATION TO PORTLAND – 3.5 MILES Round the - ISLE OF PORTLAND - 10 MILES. Portland walks along A354 Portland Beach & Rodwell Trail to Sandsfoot Castle. PORTLAND

TO SANDSFOOT CASTLE – 2.5 MILES TOTAL OF DONATIONS - £ 74.56 pounds by the Publics, Walkers. TOTAL OF HOURS TO COMPLETE CHALLENGES – 7hrs walking easy to intermediate

challenge. (Included Cliff diversion) WEATHER CONDITIONS

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Mild cold start with very strong wind of the Weymouth harbour and Chesil Beach and walk to top of Isle of Portland.

On the Isle of Portland In the morning 11am very windy with 20 to 23 gales force, cloudy, odd spitting rain, sunshine trying to come out on the west side of Portland, wearing lot of clothing to keep warm from strong gale winds.

In the Afternoon 13.00pm the bright sunshine throughout the walk and getting warm to very hot, wearing t-shirts.

Temperature of 11-12C, feel cold start with strong wind factual of 8C and strong wind feeling of 8C.

JONATHAN AT PORTLAND BILL

LOG JOURNEY

Log journey Time

Get up 05.40am

Leave Home 06.35am

Catch Train at Parkstone Station 06.52am

Train stop at Poole 06.58am

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Rail Bus leave Poole 7.00am

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Rail bus to Hamworthy 07.10am

Rail bus to Wareham 07.30am

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Rail bus to Woole 07.38am

Rail bus to Morton 07.51am

Rail bus to Dorchester South 08.18am

Train Dorchester South to Weymouth 08.31am

Train arrived in Weymouth 08.42am

Leave Weymouth Station 08.44am

Weymouth Harbour 08.51am

Nothe Fort 09.00am

Mus & Western ledge 09.15am

Sandsfoot Castle 09.26am

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Small Mouth & Ferrybridge Pub 09.42am

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A354 Portland Beach Road 09.43am

national Sailing Academy 10.00am

Portland Castle 10.15am

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Castletown 10.20am

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Verne Citadel 10.30am

Fortuneswell Viewpoint 10.40am

DD Memorial & Heights Hotel 11.00am

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West Weares (Cliff Diversion) 11.10am

Hallelujah Bay 11.20am

Blacknor 11.24am

Multon Cove 11.25am

Weston 11.26am

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Southwell 11.40am

Wallsend Cove 11.54am

Old Higher Lighthouse 12.02pm

Look Out (Coastguard) 12.03pm

Trinity House Lighthouse 12.20pm

Pulpit Rock & Viewpoint 12.30pm

Tourist Information /Visitor centre 12.45pm

DICE – (Lunch break) 13.45pm

Old Lower Lighthouse 13.47pm

Cave Hole 13.53pm

Sandholes 14.00pm

Freshwater Bay 14.15pm

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Cheyne Weares 14.20pm

Southwell Road 14.25pm

Church Ope Cove 14.30pm

Rufus Castle (Ruin) 14.45pm

The Grove 15.00pm

East Weares 15.12pm

Nichodemus Knob 15.40pm

Fortuneswell Car park & DICE finish 15.48pm

Chiswell 16.00pm

A354 Portland Beach Road 16.08pm

Ferrybridge Pub 16.35pm

Sandsfoot Castle 16.50pm

Leave Weymouth 17.00pm

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Home In Poole 18.00pm

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