Not Going Back
Yes I know it's the most photographed natural landmark in the county but I couldn't resist a silhouette of Durdle Door to head up this post. I was there last Saturday morning, walked from the car park at the top of the hill down to St.Oswald's Bay and then along the beach past Durdle Door to Bat's Head and back. It was agonising, the sand is so thick that you feel you are going to sink into oblivion and some points, and when you aren't on the sand the shingle and pebbles sap every ounce of energy in your body - well they did with mine.
I had a great time sitting on the beach, taking it all in and then taking loads of photographs. When I'd finished I made the decision never to return to Durdle Door - or at least never to walk down the clifftop steps to the beach. The reason for this is that erosion seems to be occurring at a faster rate than I can remember and whilst I know that one less pair of feet might not make any difference in the long term I feel better for thinking that I'd rather be part of the solution than the problem. The steps are on clay rather than chalk and you can see that it won't be long until there is one huge landslide and the 'land bridge' between St.Oswald's Bay and Durdle Door goes completely. Further east at Kimmeridge a World War Two shelter has collapsed from the cliff onto the beach and at Mupe Bay there has been a landslide that has taken out about a third of the beach.
On the photograph above you can see Swyre Head (closest to the camera) and Bat's Head in the distance, in both cases it is possible to see the old line of the path. In the case of Swyre Head the old path disappears completely at the bottom due to erosion.
One other point that really pissed me off on Saturday, is that three 'adults' who should have known better climbed on top of Man O' War - that's the tallest part of the rock that the door juts out from - this is despite there being signs everywhere telling you not to.
5 comments:
That is a really, really good picture: black water, black sand, shadow etc...how did you get the sky effect?
(yes, I'm still alive after those penalties)
Thanks Span. There isn't any real trickery involved - the photograph was converted to black and white that was all - the white streaking really is like that sometimes, it's like that in the colour original. To be honest the original was a bit over exposed so the conversion looks quite dramatic. Okay enough of the technical, I'll put my anorak away.
There's a photograph I've seen taken at Portland Bill looking out to see where the sky looks like the titles of a film.
Excellent picture, Paul. We used to have a coastal feature like that round here. If go into Google images and search for Marsden Rock you'll see what it was like. Erosion eventually made it dangerous and I think the Army blew the arch away so now it's just a lump of rock sticking out of the sea. Some people may be surprised but we've got some great coastline up here.
But there is something about that place that will draw you back.
Is it the colour of the water in man o war, is it the improbable rock formations, or is it the feeling of i can fly from here. ..[people will always jump from up there on that rock]
I vote for all 3 and I know I'll return.
Hi Shy - no I'm not surprised about the coast, my parents have done the coast to coast walk twice and I've seen the photographs.
Hey Lucy - welcome back, I really should post more coast photographs to keep you returning! I'm going to go back by boat in the summer - which I hope is kinder to the rocks and not two faced of me. I love the place but it is sad the way that we have all clambered down the steps to the beach and caused landslips etc. I still have the photographs anyway.
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