Opinion Discovering 'another world' along the Dorset coast
I got back a few weeks ago from a relaxing weekend away. What a treat! Jumping in my car I drove for an hour to another world. Unlike many during lockdown I was not stuck at home unable to work. After the first six weeks of the initial lockdown we re-opened selling online only. This meant I had occasional reason to travel further than the 10 minutes to work to view the occasional property. However, it was not getting away, just work, albeit more interesting than the four walls of my auction room or house. The journey to Dorset was quiet and mostly familiar, but Bredy Farm was a pleasant surprise (other campsites are available). I soon unpacked my roof top tent and awning, found my book and read for an hour, before a short walk. The evening was a very tasty pizza in their restaurant and a bottle of cider to take back to my camp and soon had a fire going, some quiet music and my book again. The warmth of the cider and the fire soon had me heading up the ladder to bed only to find the sleeping bag I'd bought was actually a puffer coat in a stuff bag. Nights were still pretty cool and so was I that night. The next day was simply stunning and felt like the first day of summer. After a breakfast of fried eggs on toast I was set for the coastal walk from Burton Bradstock to Abbotsbury. First, however, I had to pop into Bridport to get a sleeping bag for that night. I was going to treat myself to a new one as I had previously camped at Tucker's Grave, near Bath when the frosty night proved my three season was not up to the job. With warmth that night guaranteed I started the walk rather later than I'd hoped, walking briskly and soon down to a t-shirt the day was now looking up. After the initial path slightly inland from the beach you pass West Bexington onto a byway that sits at the top of the beach which is simply stunning. You'll seldom find me anywhere near Exmouth seafront in the Summer. It is also stunning, but I don't like too many people and walking along to Abbotsbury beach car park I rarely saw anyone apart from the twitchers at Burton Mere. At one stage I could see no one, neither up nor down the beach — what tranquillity. With the late start I decided the walk into Abbotsbury itself would take too long and began the return trip, this time deciding to walk back on the beach. I hadn't brought a drink or food and it was hard going, as the surface was largely pea gravel, so by the time I returned to West Bexington I was parched. I hadn't bought a drink or food so the bottle of local IPA hit the spot. The last bit of the walk was completed in plenty of time to drive back to Bredy farm and get ready for another pizza. Shock horror when I got to the restaurant to find I should have booked. Luckily I had the makings of a meal (not eggs again!) and settled down beside a fire again.
