West Bay (Broadchurch) Walk Dorset - South West Coast Path

West Cliff

View from East Cliff

West Bay, Dorset is the Golden Gateway to the Jurassic Coast. We have made the short mile and a half journey south from Bridport. During the Summer months it is a major destination for holidaymakers. There are still a number of people milling around today. Apparently Boxing Day is traditionally when the locals brave a swim in the sea. All the kiosks that sell 'Fish and Chips' and 'Donuts' are all closed up though until the better weather returns.  We walk along the sea front towards 'West Cliff'. The walk is limited though due to the eroding landscape. The coastline faces southwest, the direction of the prevailing winds toward the Atlantic Ocean. As a result the cliff is very prone to 'rock falls'. We go back and take the cliff slope instead. If we carried on the next place on the map would be 'Eype'. Said to be more secluded and peaceful than more well know spots on the Jurassic Coast. 

On first inspection the climb up to the top of 'East Cliff'  looks quite daunting. With my 'dodgy knee' I ruled out any such climb, sticking to a wander along the beach .However, the spirit of adventure got the better of me. I t was something that simply had to be done. It wasn't too bad climbing up! The views from the top were superb as well as the 18 hole Bridport and West Dorset Golf Course. There are smashing views inland too. The two highest points in Dorset, Pilsdon Pen, and Lewesdon Hill are both visible.The signature hole, the 6th, is only 129 yards long but has a drop of over 90 feet with one commentator rating it in the top 100 holes in the world.If I had continued I would have reached Burton Bradstock/ Burton Freshwater. Getting back down the hill was a lot trickier though. It was damp and the ground was slippy, putting a lot of pressure on my knee. All's well that ends well though , as they say. I'm quite relieved to reach the beach again. The East Cliff is protected to a degree by the East Beach, though it is still eroded by wave attrition, and pounding at its base, resulting in rock falls.

 

East Cliff Monument

The harbour and Marina area is an attractive place to visit. The town, harbour, and beach have all been used as locations in various TV shows. We only found out after our visit that the ITV Series 'Broadchurch' was filmed here in 2013. Local tourism received a massive boost following the shows. We had never actually seen it, so quickly set about catching up on the crime drama. The 'stars' of 'Broadchurch' include David Tennant and Olivia Colman. There are three seasons (24 episodes) in total, and well worth a watch. It has been good fun discovering the series and spotting places that we have visited.Although I'm a bit miffed I somehow failed to get a picture of the famous 'Broadchurch Cliff Face. ....