On Chesil Beach - Dorset Travel Forum

On Chesil Beach
Posted: Thu June 5, 2008 04:14 AM UTC

I finished reading "On Chesil Beach" last night, and find myself interested in this stretch of coast. Not that I'd want to go through the tragic experience of Florence and Edward - that wouldn't be an issue with my wife and me. But we'll be in Bath as a part of our little trip around England next month, so now a detour to the coast may be in order. Perhaps further west along the Jurassic Coast, to small places like Seaton.
Any thoughts about this area?
Anybody else get drawn to an area after reading a novel recently?

trvlrtom

5 replies

[Reply]

Re: On Chesil Beach
Posted: Thu June 5, 2008 06:32 AM UTC

OK so there isn't much there, I recommend Weymouth nearby.

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Tdiver

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Re: On Chesil Beach
Posted: Thu June 5, 2008 07:00 AM UTC

There is lots and lots there.

I suggest you base yourselves in Lyme Regis (Jane Austen's 'Persuasion'is set there). If you have time to stay a couple of days you could get the bus to Seaton and walk back from there to Lyme (about 5 miles) via the Undercliff, a very special place with its own flora/microclimate created by a huge landslip (John Fowles 'The French Lieutenant's Woman' is based in Lyme, and the Underclif features heavily).

Explore the beaches at Lyme and Charmouth: look for fossils, watch everyone else doing the same. Explore the villages both along the Jurassic coast and within the beautiful countryside: Thomas Hardy set his novels here.

Visit Chesil Beach, and the swannery at Abbotsbury, and the numerous prehistoric hill-forts in the area, and the museums at places such as Devizes. Maiden Castle (a stunningly huge Iron Age hill-fort) is a feasible day visit, tied in with Dorchester. Another feasible day-trip is to see the prehistoric Cerne Abbas giant (some very good pub eateries in that village).

I have got pages on most of these places. I have no page on Weymouth, which may tell you something!

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leics

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Re: On Chesil Beach
Posted: Thu June 5, 2008 09:52 AM UTC

There are some brilliant walks either on cliff tops or on the beach from West Bay. Sorry I haven't got a page about it but it is lovely along that stretch of coast. Also Golden Cap is a nice but very uphill walk on the cliffs.

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PeteG

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Re: On Chesil Beach
Posted: Thu June 5, 2008 12:53 PM UTC

Have a look at my Weymouth pages - there is a photo of Chesil Beach taken from a hill on Portland. You can get to the Chesil Beach visitor centre quite easily if you do not have a car - a number 1 bus from Weymouth to Portland stops there.The buses run every 15 minutes I think. I like the Weymouth area - the shopping centre is disapointing but as a town its location is good and the area full of interest. The swannery at Abbotsbury (easily reached by the coastal bus) is well worth a visit.

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Britannia2

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Re: On Chesil Beach
Posted: Sat June 7, 2008 03:39 PM UTC

Thanks for your advice, everybody. We're looking forward to seeing the area, and perhaps going over to Exeter also.

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