The Adventures of eVANgeline - travelling in a T25: April 2015

Trip 2 : 21-23 April 2015 Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door Dorset

A child free week is just too much not to take advantage of, so we planned a few days away!

Tuesday 21st April 2015

It seemed strange to pack the van up properly again! Would we remember to put everything in? (I think so!). Set off at 10 o'clock and aimed for a leisurely drive down to the Dorset coast. We did not go on the motorway but a nice country drive down. Arriving at Durdle door mid afternoon. The weather is amazing, it is so warm, just like summer time must be at least 20 degrees! (though we could not tell as we don't have a temperature gauge in the van!)

We stayed at a site that is part of the Lulworth Estate, right on the edge of the cliffs at Durdle door. It is mostly for holiday chalets but they also have a small camping area under trees and some good hook ups - about 20 right at the edge of the park, the views are amazing.

http://www.lulworth.com/durdle-door-holiday-park/

It was only £18 a night with hook up. I had read a few reviews online which weren't entirely positive, but we could put up with that for the views. However, it was great, really friendly staff, good little shop, great loos and showers, spotlessly clean and it was very quiet, apart from the crows which nested in the tall cedar trees. I guess it might be different if you were to arrive in high season.

So we chose our pitch, on a bit of a slope, but with chocks and blocks it was fine.

This was our view, only impeded a little by the cars in the car park below. The site is directly on the coast path so we went to explore and walk down to Durdle Door. It is a steep path, but you don't really notice it going down as the views are so good.

The original steps down to the beach were destroyed in winter storms but they had built some new ones that were not so steep to use. We sat on the beach and enjoyed the sunshine (and tried not to think of the climb back up!)

Back at the van, it was peaceful most of the time, but Lulworth has an army base and a lot of the area is cordoned off for target practises. The gun shots and bomb blasts can be quite disconcerting. It sounds like distant thunder!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lulworth_Camp

http://www.westlulworth.org.uk/army_camp.html

Cooked dinner in the van, then went along to the site bar, hmm completely empty apart from us! Didn't stay long.....

Wednesday 22nd April 2015

Another beautiful sunny day. We decided to walk along the coast path to Lulworth Cove - only about a mile and a half away. Very windy and steep in places, but great views again.

It's a very small village which is packed in peak season. In April you enjoy it in its quiet glory. Popped into the visitor centre, lots of information about the Jurassic coast. The cottages are very picturesque, but I don't think anyone lives there permanently, they are mostly holiday cottages. The main hub of the village is about quarter of a mile inland with more modern housing (and the army camp).

Walked back through the fields as the coast path back up just looked too daunting. It was much more sheltered too.

Lunch back at the van and then a short road trip.

We were hoping to re-visit Tyneham, which is a very interesting village that was evacuated for military use during WW2 but the villagers were not allowed back, so it has all remained as it was. Very much a deserted village, and you can almost imagine the villagers coming back.

http://www.tynehamopc.org.uk/

In 1943 the villagers were moved out by Winston Churchill’s War Cabinet prior to the area being used for D-Day preparations. They never returned.

Today the village is part of the Ministry of Defence Lulworth Ranges, accessible to the public only at specified times. Just the empty buildings remain, trapped in a time warp that has protected the area from many modern developments that, elsewhere, have changed the face of our countryside.

Unfortunately for us, the army were using the firing ranges and it was all closed off, so we couldn't drive down to see it :(

We drove on past Corfe Castle

to Wareham, didn't stop, there was not a lot to see. On to Swanage and then to Studland

and Shell Bay. It was beautifully bright but very windy in the strong breeze.

Headed back to the van for a relaxing evening.

Thursday April 23rd 2015

Woke to see this in the distance and watched it sail across the bay towards Weymouth and Portland Bay.

Magical to have this view from your bed!

We were ready to leave about 10, and decided to try to get to Tyneham again. It looked like our luck was in as the roads were open, however when we got to the Tyneham turn off, the gate was barred. We will just have to come back when it is open every day in the summer holidays.

We decided to have a quick visit to Poole.

http://www.pooletourism.com/

I wanted to visit Poole Pottery.

http://www.poolepottery.co.uk/content/

We parked eventually by the quayside and it was a pleasant walk along.

The old town is picturesque and nothing like the hi-rise buildings and modern facades of the new town. We eventually found Poole Pottery, but it was all soooo expensive when you are used to the bargains of eBay!

http://www.poolepottery.co.uk/content/poole_studio.asp

After chips on the quay, we headed for home.

On the way back we went to Compton Abbas, which is where my Granma lived for many years in a cute thatched cottage. I have lots of memories of time spent there as a child

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compton_Abbas

We even found her old cottage, looking much restored. Bet they don't use an outside loo in the barn now!