Day 50 Beer to Seatown; Jolly long Jaunt; Jurassic views; Jungly undercliff; Jaded legs

Updated: Aug 1, 2022

Leaving the YHA Beer early we walked the coast path over the hill down along Seaton pebbly beach to breakfast overlooking the bay. Replenished, we followed the promenade across the Axe towards the Undercliff National Nature reserve formed from natural coastal landslides.

Crossing a golf course, navigating narrow, high-sided, nettly paths we emerged at a meadow; Goats island created when a huge fielded section slid in 1839. We then entered the wooded, shaded, humid, undercliff. Heeding the warnings of no exit until Lyme Regis we’d taken plenty of water! Actually it was an interesting, green, verdant, jungly, undulating, sometimes steep, wooded, tree-rooted ridden path, passing swathes of undergrowth and ferns, with the odd glimpse of the sea!

We emerged to a wide Jurassic coastal panorama and a welcome sandwich on the promenade seafront at Lyme Regis beach. We’d made it to Dorset. On reaching Mary Anning’s statue we climbed 114 steps to the road and the diverted coastal path over the top cliffs down to Charmouth. No Jurassic coastal views, instead a very steep wooded detour followed by busy roads and interrupting the Lyme Regis Jurassic golfing tournament, before finally emerging to Charmouth!

After a necessary short rest and drink on the beach we slogged our way up and over the moorland, careful to stay away from the foundered edge up to the summit of Golden cap; 626ft, the highest point on southern part of the coast path. On jaded legs, a long descent into the hamlet of Seatown followed by walking back up a gentle hill through caravan sites to the pub, a much-needed drink, rest and dinner! My watch gave out so I didn’t track finding our bed for the night.

It was a jolly long jaunt!

Official SW Coast path: 14miles

Official running total: 550miles