Worth Matravers to Studland 12/7/11 -12.4 Miles

It's nearly all over. I refer not to the end of the coast path, but to the fact that following a rather muddy treck around the quarry from Kingston in order to start the days walking in earnest, J slips on the edge of the path and falls dramatically with turned ankle, torn action trousers, and a balletic roll on the ground.

Its with some relief that after a minute it becomes clear that the ankle is not seriously damaged and the project is no longer jeapardised by injury. However no prospect of morning coffee in the Square and Compass, so its down via Seacombe and onto the empty stretch passed the abseilors at dancing ledge ans on th Anvil point. It's a dull morning. Although not the most challenging of sections of the path this 3.5 mile stretch feels quite hard going. Perhaps it's last nights cider, perhaps J's dive, but by the Dolphin lookout post at Durleston we feel very tired. Spirits are not revived by the fact that the Castle, where we had hoped for refreshment, is closed for a major refurbishment. We have to continue to the

advertised cafe which is  round the corner, up the hill and across the car park. Its not a cafe, its a stall and the slow queue (3 people only ahead of us) does not relieve the grumpiness.

Arrival down the hill into Swanage picks us up. There are lunch options. In the end we get a nice sandwich, bottle of good ginger beer and fancy crisps from a pleasant deli. It costs less than the poor sandwich we had back at Abbotsbury. We dine on the small groyne by the clocktower on the Swanage seafront. The place appears to be full of Italian schoolkids on a field trips, and the continuation of the path up Ballard Down is mobbed with them. The sun comes out, and the scenery looks great and we are back in a good rhythm. The view of Poole Harbour is followed by the iconic close up view of Old Harry Rock and his neighbours. Ankles hurting the last part of the formal Jurassic Coast brings us into Studland village by the Bankes Arms and a chance to sample the Purbeck Ales brewed here as well as the lethally strong draft perry , after which A feels no pain. 

We had considered continuing through the nature reserve, dunes and nudist beach to Shall Bay, but decide to quite for the day and return for that, and a chance to eat at the Shell Bay Restaurant. So instead its upstairs on the open topped bus, and a chance to ride the chain link ferry, and nose into the expensive real estate at Sandbanks. We return to Dorchester by train from Bournemouth, ruing the fact that our particular itinerary means that you have to pay full single fare on the trains. A tenner each one way to Dorch is the price of leaving the care behind.

We now have to decide when we are free in the summer schedules, in between music festivals and beach barbecues, to complete the one section of the path and not be shot at....