Malcolm Smith's Walking Pages

... DORSET ...

CHARMOUTH - ST.GABRIEL'S

Distance	-	About 5 miles
Start point	-	Charmouth seafront (OS Ref. SY365930)
Date walked	-	Tuesday 26 June 2001
Weather	-	Sunny spells.
Note	-	Click here for a map and photos.
	-	The route partially follows the coastal path.

From the sea-front car park walk back up the road directly away from the sea towards Charmouth village for 100 yds then turn right just past the car park onto a footpath which leads to a footbridge over the river. Cross the river then walk straight up the hill keeping parallel to the sea. The climb is failrly steep. Half way up you ascend a short flight of steps and enter the Nation Trust area of Cain's Folly. A short section of path has been lost here.

At the point where the gradient dimishes a bit near a gate on the left hand side, you can look back and get a nice view across the bay. Continue ahead with a view of the tops of the yellow cliffs ahead which, as you approach, the climb gets steeper again. The path runs through a thicket then ascends some steps as it runs along the spine of the hill with occasional views across the countryside to the left and the odd glimpse of the landslip to the right.
The path finally levels out at the cliff top reaching the high point at signpost Charmouth 1 Lyme Regis 3 (back); N T Information Stonebarrow (left); Golden Cap 2 Seatown 3 (ahead)
Ahead, Golden Cap comes into view, then the path bears left at a sign 'Landslip - coastal path' then immediately take the path to the right, leaving the other path running up the hill. You now start a descent along which is a flight of steps at the bottom of which the path does a left and a right to avoid a further landslip. Drop down a few more steps then through a thicket and over a stile into a field. At the stile a path to the left Smugglers Path Stonebarrow Hill. Skirt the field on the right hand boundary. The gradient continues downwards then crosses into the next field over a stile. Through the next two fields, follow the guide marker posts which are set back from the cliff. The second of these posts is a signpost Coast path (back; Coast Path (ahead); Westhay Stonebarrow ˝ (left). At the next marker the ground descends a bit more steeply down to a footbridge over a stream, after which it rises a short way then undulates gently around a further encroaching landslip.
At the top corner of the field a signpost indicates Coast Path (ahead); Coast Path (back; Footpath (left). Continue downward to the bottom seaward corner of the next field. Exit the field through a staggered barrier, down a flight of steps into scrubland, cross a stile then cross a footbridge over a stream then go up some steps into a field which you ascend following the left hand boundary. At the top signpost Coast Path Seatown 2˝ (ahead); Coast Path Charmouth 1˝ (back); Stonebarrow Hill Morecamelake (left).
Continue ahead over the stile into the next field and skirt round the perimeter of the landslip round which the ground rises gently then falls away crossing a stile through a hedge on the way. Pass through a further hedge still folloewing the perimeter of the landslip. Cross into the next field over a stile then bear slightly to the right then exit the field very soon over another stile. Continue to the far side of the field to signpost Charmouth 2ź Lyme Regis 4ź (back); Golden Cap ž Seatown 1ž (ahead); St Gabriels (left).

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