Burton Bradstock coast path walk
A circular walk at Burton Bradstock, West Dorset, following part of the South West Coast Path. Please keep dogs on their leads while in fields with livestock.
Map
Elevation
Start:
Hive Beach car park, grid ref: SY490889
1
From the car park follow the re-routed coast path signs heading west, marked 'Freshwater and West Bay'. There are some amazing panoramic views. To the west is Golden Cap, the highest point on the south coast, and on a clear day, Start Point in Devon. To the east is the stretch of Chesil Beach leading to Portland Bill. Look out for the plants that cling to the cliff edge, including thrift, common mallow and wild clary.
Burton Cliff
Burton Cliff is one of the finest examples of the distinctive, alternate hard and soft layered geology of the Bridport Sands, which makes it appear to glow bright gold in the sunlight. The regular rock falls can often expose some important and fascinating fossils, such as ammonites, recognised by their ribbed spiral formed shell.
2
Follow the South West Coast Path until you reach a stile on the right hand side. Go over the stile and follow the path to the bottom of the field. In the 1700s smuggling was rife along this coastline and a smugglers beacon was supposedly sited on Burton Cliff.
Smuggling
Burton Bradstock has a history of illegal seafaring as it offered a key landing stage at the centre of Lyme Bay. There are many legends of the activities of smugglers operating in the area including Isaac Gulliver (1745-1822), the 'King of Smugglers' who reputedly used the beaches at Burton Bradstock. According to folklore, a local fisherman or smuggler could tell exactly where he was on the beach at night or in fog simply by looking at the size of the pebbles. This aided him in sneaking ashore, away from the customs men and their patrols.
3
Go over the stile and turn right along the lane until you reach Cliff Road. Cross over and go up the steps and over the stile. For a village detour, turn left along the main road. Burton Bradstock is an idyllic village well worth exploring, with many of the buildings made from the local stone.
4
Follow the path diagonally across a large field. Go through the kissing gate at the other end of the field and across the next field and gate. Now head down towards the car park. In the winter of 1943-4, soldiers poured onto Burton beach from landing craft and scaled the cliff in practice for the invasion of Normandy. Hive Beach forms part of Chesil Beach on the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site.
Chesil Beach
Chesil Beach is situated on a striking section of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site which, as the largest shingle ridge in the world, is an internationally unique geological feature. The Jurassic Coast covers 95 miles (153km) of truly spectacular coastline from East Devon to Studland in Dorset and is considered to be the only place in the world displaying unbroken evidence of 185 million years of evolution. It yields a steady flow of dinosaur remains, including previously unknown species.
End:
Hive Beach car park, grid ref: SY490889
