Above the Waves: Hiking Dorset’s coastline

At the start of September, Foot Trials’ Senior Itinerary Consultant Alastair and I (Storyteller Emma) were out checking a section of our Foot Trails route along the Dorset coast.

A narrow footpath winds through an undulating landscape full of bright yellow gorse flowers.
Steps leading up a small hilly section of a footpath winding through yellow gorse. The sea is visible to the left and the sky is overcast and grey.

A key highlight for me was the climb to an abandoned coastguard hut. The trail wound its way through bright yellow gorse with beautiful sea views stretching off to the left. Continuing on, we reached an Iron Age hillfort with stunning 360-degree views, the sea on one side and undulating farmland, river valleys, and chalk downlands on the other.

A lone hiker stands on top of a hill next to a trig point. The undulating landscape stretches off to the right while the sea stretches off to the left under an overcast sky.

After pausing at the trig point, we carried on to the hut perched on the hill. Now abandoned, it serves as a breathtaking lookout point. We rested on an old stone bench outside, watching a bird of prey hover in the wind with the coast stretching off into the distance. Inside the tiny building, we discovered a visitors’ book and read messages left by previous hikers. After adding our own words, we set off again, leaving this lovely place, somewhere that makes you feel a million miles from anywhere yet also connected to those who walked here before you.

An small, grey abandoned stone cottage on top of a hill silhouetted against a grey sky. It has a grey slate roof and chimney and a doorway with no door.
A view over undulating coastal landscape from a hill. To the right of the image is an old stone wall while the countryside and sea can be seen stretching out into the distance.

Emma

This walk is part of our Coastal Seascapes of Dorset trip. If you’d like to hike in the stunning landscape of Dorset’s Jurassic Coast, simply visit our trip page or drop us a line. We’d love to chat chat through your plans.

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