Swanage to Peveril Point and Durlston

[puddleshark]

Swanage Pier.

No shortage of visitors to Swanage on a glorious Sunday in November. The seafront was almost as busy as it is in summer, with people strolling in the sunshine. A few brave souls swimming in the sea, or using the new sauna before swimming. Brrrr. But at this time of year the beach belongs to the dogs. Happy dogs hurling themselves into the sea, looning around on the sand, greeting each other with wagging tails.

I wandered into the town centre and bought a croissant from the bakery, ate it sitting on the seafront, while glaring at any seagulls eyeing up my breakfast with a view to Theft.

Then it was time for a walk along the pier.


This is the New Pier, built 1895-1896. There was an older pier, used for shipping out stone from the local quarries, but by the end of the 19th century a bigger pier was needed for steamship excursions.


There are thousands of little brass plaques set into the planks of the pier commemorating special events, people and dogs. Each plaque raises money to replace the planks.






I went to photograph the Old Pier, a very popular subject for local photographers, but my shot got photo-bombed by a kayaker.


Lots of little dinghies were just setting off from the sailing club. It looked like a perfect day for jaunting round the bay.

From the pier, I followed the coast path along Peveril Point, past Swanage Lifeboat Station and the slipways for the local fishing boats.




Wellington Clock Tower. Designed by Arthur Ashpital as a memorial to the Duke of Wellington, and built in 1854 at the southern approach to London Bridge. How did it end up in Swanage? Two local 19th century businessmen, John Mowlam and George Burt, were engaged in supplying stone to London, and ending up shipping a lot of architectural salvage back to Swanage as ballast. Thanks to them, Swanage is full of unexpected architectural Things.


Peveril Point. I think you would have to be quite brave to live in one of these properties. You also have to be quite brave to follow the coast path along the water's edge as well. It's cobbled, but horribly slippery with slime from where the tide washes over it. I made it round the point, but the next stage was even more slippery, and I was struggling to stay on my feet. But luckily, someone in one of the cottages overlooking the path rescued me, whistling from one of the upstairs windows, and calling out to me to come up the slipway and onto what I thought was a private road.


On Peveril Point.


The internet told me that from Swanage to Durlston it is a one mile uphill walk. Well, they were telling the truth about the uphill bit. But I swear it is considerably more than a mile.


The coast path picks its way between modern blocks of flats, down steps...


and down into wooded gullies, where there is mud, slipperiness and lots of steps. It was disagreeably exciting.


View of Peveril Point from near Durlston.


You know you are nearing Durlston Castle when you start being admonished for your own good by the Victorians.


At last, Durlston Castle! I never thought I would be relieved to see Durlston Castle. Built 1886-1887 by George Burt, as a restaurant, in a style of architecture that is probably best described as the bastard love child of a Norman castle and a Victorian railway terminus.

I had planned to have tea and cake in the café there, but it was very busy, very noisy, and the cakes all looked disappointingly industrial. So I found a bench in the sunshine, and had coffee from a Thermos instead.

Returned to Swanage along the road, which was a much shorter journey, and, hurrah!, downhill. The road lined with grand Edwardian villas to one side, sweet square 1950s bungalows to the other, and, where the bungalows had been demolished, modern apartment blocks that seek to emulate the playfulness of Edwardian villas, and fail miserably.








I didn't know palm trees grew that big...

Comments

[summersgate]

I love the old pier photo especially. The kayaker makes it!

[puddleshark]

The Old Pier is such a popular subject for the art photographers. They all take long exposure shots with the water smoothed, and it's all a bit tasteful and boring. So I was delighted to find out that there are kayakers lurking beneath the pier, waiting to glide out into shot and annoy the art photographers. 😊

[kaishin108]

Me too! :)