Covid has brought with it some interesting situations. The number of English people escaping to Spain for the summer has come down drastically and more people willing (forced(!)) to explore England. Thus, after 6 years of trying, I finally managed to convince a Brit that Charmouth is a great choice as ever for a weekend getaway. We decided to make a hiking weekend of it with a target stretch between Lyme Regis and West Bay, with one afternoon fully dedicated to Fossil Hunting.
We decided to stay in Lyme Regis, a nice little town that on a cloudy but pleasant July's day, appeared to be quaint and quiet. Day 1 started with a short walk to The Cobb, the famous pier from the movie, The French Lieutenant's Woman. We then hit the Charmouth Beach to hunt for fossils. There were quiet a few others with the same intentions, except that they had turned up with chisels and hammers while we just turned up with smiles and hopes. We were hoping to pick up a few fossils like the way we pick up sea shells from the beaches of Chennai.
Visually, we weren't disappointed. It was not long before we saw many large rocks with impressions of Ammonites on their surfaces. However there weren't any solid ones lying around that we could just pick up and take home. My friend, being an action man, decided to improvise the hunting. So, we simply picked up promising looking rocks and started smashing them. Two hours on, we still had no luck. Finally, we made peace and accepted that we weren't going to find any and called it a day. But not before I picked up a tiny 'promising' rock to take home with me. Perhaps, when I retired, I will gently chisel it away to see if there's anything in there. We live in hope. It reminded me of the time when I lived in Scotland, travelled all the way up to Chanonry Point to see the Dolphins, but never saw any. Best place to see Dolphins they said. Did I see any? No.
Charmouth - Best place to find Fossils they said. Did find I any? Nope!
Sigh!
Now, neither Charmouth nor Lyme Regis is ever going to be a popular beach destination as Bournemouth or Brighton, thanks to its pebbly beach that are a challenge to walk on (or should I say rocky beach and terrible weather) but the upside of it is that, as of yet, there are no tacky fun places, gaudy neon signs and garish gambling dens that are very typical of many coastal towns in England. The cliffs, similar to the Seven Sisters in Sussex still remain a hiker's delight.
Since, its not a tourist spot yet, food means going to a pub for a proper British fare. We found one soon enough. Don't know if its because I eat out a lot in London but I found the
prices at the local pub in Charmouth reasonable and the portions
adequate. In fact, the 1st pub did not even charge us the 12% service
charge that is the norm in all London restaurants and pubs.
Day 2 was an ambitious hike from Chideock to Burton Bradstock via Seatown and West Bay. Part of the SouthWest Coastal path, this is a strenous hike that goes up and down a few dramatic cliffs (think Seven Sisters but higher). Put in the hardwork and you will be rewarded with sweeping views of the Devon coastline. The route passes through brown, sandstone cliffs, referred to as the Golden cliffs, pebbly beaches such as the Chessil Beach and interesting villages where 'Crabbing' seems to be a popular past time for local kids.
Day 3: While Lyme Regis is nicely situated on the border of Devon and Dorset, our focus for the weekend was entirely the Dorset side of the SouthWest Coastal path. For Day 3, we once again decided to start from Chideock but walk back towards Lyme Regis covering Golden Cap, the highest cliff in the region at 626 feet. Once again a strenous walk with lots of ascents and descents, this one turned out to be less tough than the walk of Day 2. It also seemed a lot more popular with a lot of holiday homes that can be rented for a short holiday. Our walk to the sumit of Golden Cap was an interesting one. We walked up into the clouds, with very little view from the top but the weather cleared as we walked down. Look at the 2nd pic and see if you can spot the beach/coast.
I do have to mention a wonderful place that I stayed at - Monkton
Wyld. This is a beautiful Victorian mansion run by a happy (hippie)
community. The facilities are basic but the house, the sprawling grounds
and the lovely people running the place more than make up for it. It
has an interesting history too. Story goes that a wealthy lady built
the local church and a house opposite the church to serve as a
vicarage. And thus was born Monkton Wyld Court, a former vicar's house.
The house is resplendent
of how a wealthy vicar with a large family and many servants lived.
There was a sitting room and kitchen on the ground floor and a wide
marble staircase leading to the bedrooms upstairs. Hidden away behind
closed doors is also another staircase that apparently was used by
servants to get up to their rooms and or even their masters' bedrooms.
Those rooms on the 1st floor, and the servant quarters on the second
floor serve as B&B and hostel, respectively today.
Now if you
are wondering why this house hasn't be turned into a money making
machine, here's the story: The lady who built the house made a clause in
her will that said that the house can never be sold. Bless her heart.
There's a bit of history for you.
So.. If you are looking for a place to host an event or a music gig, orgnise a school excursion or simply want a place to stay while in Charmouth, do look the house up. You won't regret it.
P.S: Wonder why TV crews haven't discovered this place yet. The funds could go an extra mile for the upkeep of the mansion, not to mention the benefits of the publicity that that could bring.
