Jurassic Coast weekend

Jurassic Coast, May 2023 (photo credit: UJ)

It was a sunny half term Bank Holiday at the end of June, so the whole world was going to be heading for the coast. But UJ asked ages ago if I would join her for a weekend on the Jurassic Coast, and I'd said yes, and this was the weekend that was available so we joined the whole world and headed south rather slowly.

But that was Saturday. The director/conductor of my music group had sent round a notice that he and the Jukebox Rhythm Orchestra would be playing on Friday night in central Coventry, and it looked like it would be quite fun, and UJ was up for it, so off we went. It was indeed quite fun, and right next to Coventry Cathedral. The site of the bombed-out Cathedral is open freely to the public, so we even had a look round there, although it was after the concert so quite dark.

The Saturday morning journey took four hours, but we arrived in time for lunch at a pub overlooking Corfe Castle that Lola II and I had visited in 2008. Then we visited Corfe Castle itself, which was better than I expected. After the obligatory ice cream we continued on to the Airbnb we'd booked, which consisted of an 'EcoPod' for each of us which looked great on the listing. They turned out to be attached to a pub garden and stiflingly hot in the sunshine. Also in the pub garden was a marquee with a live reggae band just getting started, at a volume loud enough to make the floor vibrate.

So we decided that we would walk to Wantage, about half an hour away, and as we walked up the high street we heard some live music coming from a pub. Folk rather than reggae, delightful, and at a much more suitable volume. When we got back to the EcoPods, thankfully the reggae had finished. I tried to contact the Airbnb host but she wasn't available, and my negative review of the venue is unlikely to be published.

Sunday's breakfast was in a lovely garden centre on the way to Lulworth Cove, where we had planned a walk to Durdle Door. The sun was still shining, it was still a half term Bank Holiday weekend, and there were crowds of people with the same idea. Luckily there was still room in the overflow car park, and it was difficult to complain about the weather... UJ loves to swim and I sat meditating in the shade, tuning out the noise of the crowds, and had quite a relaxing time. After more ice cream we climbed to Stair Hole, then down to the Cove for another swim/rest.

We got lucky with dinner that evening. There was an unprepossessing Indian/Nepali restaurant very near to our accommodation, very convenient, so we thought we'd give it a try, and it was one of the best meals I've had for a long time. Recommended.

Monday half term Bank Holiday was still sunny, so off we went to Durlston Country Park for breakfast and a walk. It wasn't all that busy there, and a helpful volunteer told us a lot about the bird and plant life and a bit about the history of the place. Heading back home the recommended route took us via the chain ferry to Studland and Bournemouth, which wasn't the ideal choice in terms of waiting time, although it was very scenic. Another four-hour journey home.

Despite my reservations, and despite the crowds and the traffic, it was a fine weekend.