Walking the UK, ticking off CAMRA Good Beer Guide Pubs and hunting for Geocaches.
Monday, 16 March 2015
14/03/15 - The Golden Cap
Distance - 7 Miles
Geocaches - 4
Walk Inspiration - Walk Britain
This was not meant to be our first walk on a short break in Dorset. We were meant to stop off in Ilminster on the way down on the Friday, but the weather was too bad. We could have coped but turning up at our cottage in Hell Lane, North Chideock, with a muddy labradoodle may not have gone down so well, when checking in.
So we consoled ourselves with a short trip to West Bay to look at the sights.
It would appear that the Danny Latimer Case is still open
Evening view from the East Cliff
Saturday sees us walking proper, straight from our front door and out over fields to Seatown. Before getting a glimpse of the sea, we stumble upon the remains of Chideock Castle and a monument to five executed Catholics in the 1600s.
Simple Monument
Over the main Chideock Road and down into more fields to get our first view of the reason we are here. Sonia suffers from severe sea side withdrawal. It's cruel to make her live in the Midlands.
Down to the Sea
And we are heading Right - to Golden Cap
Our destination is simple today. Golden Cap - the highest part of the South Coast. We are completing a simple circuit, a lung busting pull to the top and a drop back down to Seatown - where the bloke in the Palmer's Brewery shop told me I would find the greatest pub in England.
First around it - then back up it
The initial paths are hopeless in our attempt to keep the dog clean for this fine pub. In the end, we have no choice but to just get on and wade through the ankle high puddles. A couple of caches to keep us entertained and then the ruins of St Gabriel's Church.
How to Entertain a Labradoodle
We've been putting it off, but eventually we have to make our ascent of Golden Cap. Fortuitously for us, someone has kindly planted benches every 100 metres so that "we can stop to admire the views".
And they are worth it.
View from Golden Cap. Over Seatown. Our Pub is down there.
A simple drop down to sea level and a grateful stream so that we can all make ourselves presentable.
Operation Clean Up
The pub is superb. Open at 11am, with a suntrap to sit outside. We brave it for one drink before heading in for lunch and a look at the collection of fossil memorabilia.
The brewery shop keeper may well have been correct. For location, food and quality Palmer's beer, this would be hard to beat.
I concur. I ate in the pub on 9th September last year on my walk along the SW Coast path. I was staying in a little wooden chalet in the trees behind the pub. The food and ale were excellent.
Lovely - have to say that Palmer's beer is superb. Not seen it before, yet stocked in every pub we visited on our short visit! The Coast Path is in a bit of state of confusion at the moment - large amounts of it around Lyme Regis and Burton Bradstock seem to be closed off due to cliff erosion.
I concur. I ate in the pub on 9th September last year on my walk along the SW Coast path. I was staying in a little wooden chalet in the trees behind the pub. The food and ale were excellent.
ReplyDeleteLovely - have to say that Palmer's beer is superb. Not seen it before, yet stocked in every pub we visited on our short visit! The Coast Path is in a bit of state of confusion at the moment - large amounts of it around Lyme Regis and Burton Bradstock seem to be closed off due to cliff erosion.
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