We are the West Mendip Walkers. We open the way for everyone in our local community to enjoy the pleasures of walking.
Trevor B.
West Mendip Walkers moderate to strenuous 10.6 mile loop walk starting from Worth Matravers Village Car Park (BH19 3LE). The walk goes through the village to join a footpath (FP) that descends fairly steeply into Seacombe Bottom Valley towards Seacombe Cliff (90ft) where we join the South West Coast path and continue eastwards for about 4-5 miles passing Dancing Ledge, Anvil Point and Tilly Whim caves. The elevation varies, but nothing significantly steep, until passing Anvil Point when we climb some steep steps passing Tilly Whim caves and continue on to Durlston Head (210ft). The route continues along Durlston Bay through a wooded park to a viewing point at Peveril Point Park. From here there are some outstanding views across Swanage Bay to Old Harry Rocks as well as back across Durlston Bay.
From the park we head into Swanage along the seafront and then head through the town via a Holiday Park and walk up a reasonably steep tarmaced track(290ft) to rejoin the countryside and the Priests Way climbing gently back to our start point, passing several important Purbeck quarries.
Points of interest include Dancing Ledge, Anvil Point Lighthouse, Tilly Whim Caves, Victorian Durlston Castle with its historic Great Globe( 40 ton Portland stone), a visitor centre, cafe Spyway's fossilised tracks left by dinosaurs more than 140 million years ago (alongside Priests way FP )
