Something completely different today and started at Millets Farm at 07.00, ready, well almost for the drive down to Weymouth and our walk on Portland Bill. Steve is leading today and Annie and myself are joined by two other ladies, for Betty it is her first walk with the group.
We park in the visitors centre which is just over Ferry Bridge and onto the peninsular. Portland is only joined to the mainland because of Chesil Beach. We walk along this narrow stretch towards the main piece of land and we can see out into Portland Harbour. We divert off of the road and through the Marina and National Sailing Academy boatyard. The Olympic symbols stand out clearly and a rather unusual multi-storey boat park!
We emerge by Portland Castle and climb up to blocks of flats built for the Olympic Games and now let out. An ever changing view!
The path continues steeply up until we reach Fortuneswell and the site of the prison. To our right we can look out and see a series of railway tunnels where the line transporting quarried stone would once have been very busy. The prison is a castle like structure with a moat and is a rather oppressive structure.
We continue on a path southward and we can climb a steep bank to look over into a quarry area. Portland stone was used to build many important buildings in London including the Palace of Westminster and parts of St Paul’s Cathedral.
We continue following the South West Coast Path towards the Young Offenders establishment. Many of the buildings all around are rather austere and grey. There are some strange chimney like structures dotted around – really not sure what these are!
Our route takes us slightly inland and we get muddled up in a new housing estate with several false exits. We eventually find our way out using logic rather than remembered paths that are no longer there! We come out onto the main road in an area called Church Ope. A significant museum is sited here – founded by Marie Stopes ( of birth control fame) it houses many geological exhibits – no time to visit today. There are a couple of trees on this street decorated with Christmas lights and baubles.
A much needed lunch break was taken at some picnic tables made of stone at the edge of an old Quarry area re designated as a car park. After this break our route was closer to the coast and became a little more interesting. However there are still signs from the quarrying and the interaction with prisoners and semi- industrial equipment. This area of coast has caves and possibly docking bays for the transport of stone and the use of lime kilns.
As we approach Portland Bill and the lighthouse there are numerous wooden huts- bigger than conventional beach huts and not in rows. Apparently in the summer these are fully used with people staying overnight.
It’s two in the afternoon and we have a long way to go! We traverse quickly across a grassy slope north of the lighthouse and walk quickly towards the ‘Lookout Station’. There is a clear path along the top of the cliffs at this point. Again past some very grey industrial style buildings. The path continues for a while and we ignore a sign which says path closed – landslide- felt a bit apprehensive.
Obviously we couldn’t get through so it was a scramble up a steep bank, along a bit and then down another steep bank before returning to the original path! Hadn’t quite expected scrambling on steep grassy slopes!
The path takes us on to West Cliff and we are on the edge of Chiswell town and the path leads down very steeply, winding down with sharp bends. We can now walk along the edge of the start of Chesil Beach – partly up on a breakwater and partly on the pebbles.
It is now gone four pm and it is getting very dull. No amazing sunset though! Up on to the path next to the main road and quite busy traffic.
The group has split a bit and I find myself in the unusual position of being at the front. Steve suggest I keep walking back to the car park – this is quite a drag – about 2.5 kilometres alongside the road.
It’s great to be somewhere completely different but sadly I can’t say that I was as enchanted by this particular area as I should perhaps have been. Perhaps in the summer sunshine it would have proved more exciting – oh well, no rain today.
Just over 22 kilometers covered and a new area. Quite glad I wasn’t driving home! 
Marion's 50 Walk Challenge 