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'Far
from the Madding Crowd'
  The
richly varied landscape and the historical treasures of Dorset
have inspired generations of authors including Jane Austen, Thomas
Hardy (born near Dorchester or ‘Casterbridge’ as he called it)
and more recently John Fowles who wrote ‘The French Lieutenant’s
Woman’. The film of this book contained a famous scene of Meryl
Streep walking along ‘The Cobh’ at Lyme Regis, which is where
we start our walk. You can’t walk far without encountering
places immortalised by Hardy in his Wessex novels and ‘Far from
the Madding Crowd’ is still an appropriate description of the
many rural villages which lie peacefully unspoilt in Dorset’s
hidden valleys and rolling hills.
From Lyme Regis we follow the coast as it stretches eastwards, first to Charmouth, an area famous for its fossil-encrusted cliffs, and then to the l90m headland of orange sandstone known as the Golden Gap - highest point on the south coast of England.
The coast is followed along an undulating cliff path to the small fishing
village of Bridport, continuing on through a landscape of hill forts and
burial mounds before dropping down to the beautifully preserved villageo f
Abbotsbury which does not even have street lighting! The medieval tithe barn of Abbotsbury, still used as a storehouse for reeds cut from the nearby lagoon.
The village is also famous for its ‘swannery’, a nature reserve for wild swans founded in medieval times.
We then turn
inland and reach the huge Iron Age fort of Maiden Castle - a good hour can
be spent walking its enclosure. This was overwhelmed by the Romans in AD
70. From the rampartsstroll into historic Dorchester, there is a historic
walk with the town, and walks to Hardy's Cottage and a return walk from
beautiful Cerne Abbas. We then return to the coast to walk past the
natural arch of Durdle Door to Lulworth Cove, a sandy bay ringed with
magnificent cliffs.
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Accommodation
7
nights/8 days - The villages of Hardy’s Dorset have been accommodating visitors for many centuries. We spend the first 2 nights in
Lyme Regis where Jane Austen would still feel at home. Our accommodation is a former coaching inn, it has modern comforts, but still maintains its superb 17th
century character. Our second stop is at a regency style country house hotel about 300 metres from the picturesque harbour and beach of
West Bay. The rooms are spacious and have ensuite facilities. At the beautiful old monastic village of
Abbotsbury we stay in a friendly and intimate hotel with the high standards of service and facilities you would expect from a Premier Inn. Centrally located in the historic county town of
Dorchester, we spend 2 nights in an attractive Georgian property built in 1815 by Lord Ilchester for his coachman, it has now been converted to a hotel. Our last night is spent at a comfortable family run hotel overlooking
Lulworth Cove. All rooms are tastefully decorated and are ensuite. This hotel also boasts an outdoor swimming pool.
Sherpa Notes
Waymarks
The coastal section is well signposted and relatively easy to follow. Inland (days 5 & 6) close attention has to be paid to the map and route notes.
Accommodation and Meals
Bed and breakfast throughout in comfortable country inns and hotels.
Start
and End of Tour
Most convenient major city and international airport is London. By train from London Waterloo to Axminster. Service about every 2 hours; Then taxi or bus to Lyme Regis.
Taxi or bus from Lulworth Cove to the nearest train station at Wool (5 miles). Then hourly fast train service to London Waterloo. |
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