White Nothe walk

[puddleshark]

A walk along the coast path to White Nothe on a quiet murky morning.


Set off along the chalk track from the National Trust car park above Ringstead Bay, which has fine views. Sometimes. But not today.



At Sea Barn Farm, joined the coast path as it climbs up to the headland at White Nothe.


Ringstead Bay vanishing into the mist.


The coast path.


Down below, the sea, very calm, a nondescript grey-blue, shading seamlessly into grey mist in the distance.


Rooks and jackdaws swooping over the undercliff.


Nearing White Nothe cottages.


Smugglers' path to the Undercliff. No, I did not take the STEEP HAZARDOUS ROUTE. Or I probably wouldn't be here posting this...

Sat instead on the stone bench on the headland, drinking coffee and listening to the skylarks. On a fine day, there are spectacular views eastward along the coast from White Nothe towards Lulworth, headland after headland receding into the distance.


Today, not so much. But that's fine. Murk has its own charm. And it was very peaceful.


Walked on a little further, before joining the path that runs inland through the fields.


Yellowhammer, slightly blurry. I blame the mist.


By a pair of Bronze Age burial mounds, onto the track that heads back towards Ringstead, running parallel to the coast.




Featureless paths across the agri-desert. Fields miles wide, and all the hedgerows ripped out. No trees, no woods, no birdsong. No hares. No deer.




Past Sea Barn, and back up the track to the car park. The single-track lane from Ringstead back up to the main road was starting to get really busy as I drove back. There are regular passing places, but some of them are really washed out, with deep ruts at the edges, so there's some careful manouevring required whenever you meet a four-wheel drive coming the other way.

Comments

[heleninwales]

A very misty and mysterious walk. It's probably as well that you knew the way. It would be easy to miss landmarks in the murk.

[puddleshark]

Yes. The coast path is well signposted, but, once you head inland, the countryside is crisscrossed by unmarked farm tracks, and it would be very easy to take the wrong one.

[bleodswean]

MURK HAS ITS OWN CHARM!!!

Yes!

[puddleshark]

I'm always happiest in the fog. Who can resist following paths that lead nowhere?

[mallorys_camera]

So foggy! 😀

[puddleshark]

When I set out, I was hoping the mist would have cleared by the time I'd climbed up onto the headland... Instead, it decided to become fog. But still, it was a lovely atmospheric day to be out walking.