South West Coast Path - the perfect walking holiday on your doorstep

Vicki Felgate

28 September 2011

I've just spent an amazing week walking along the South West Coast Path from Poole in Dorset to Sidmouth in Devon.

Walking 90 miles up steep cliff paths, along pebbly beaches and through dense woodland might not be everyone's idea of fun but I loved it.

I did it to raise money for Marie Curie Nurses. But it was also the perfect holiday.

The South West Coast Path is the longest of Britain's National Trails. It follows the coastline for 630 miles around the southernmost tip of England from Somerset all the way to Dorset.

The section from Exmouth to Poole (we walked it in the opposite direction) takes in the entire Jurassic Coast - England's first natural World Heritage Site - with rocks dating back 185 million years.

I might be biased (I'm a West Country girl) but the golden sands of Studland Bay, dramatic cliffs of Old Harry and Beer Head and deserted forest of the Undercliffs National Nature Reserve rival anything I've seen abroad.

It's the perfect holiday right on your doorstep.

I can't wait to walk the next section, just as soon as my legs have recovered.

If you're not a fan of long walks, there are lots of great short walks too.

Or if you like the idea of a charity fundraiser but woud rather go by bike, register for Friends of the Earth's Big Green Bike Ride from London to Edinburgh.

Here are some highlights from my walk. Enjoy!

The chalk cliffs of Old Harry, just one of the spectacular views we passed on the first day.

We started our second day at St Aldhelm's Chapel. Built in the 12th Century this isolated chapel stands on cliffs 108 m above sea level at St Aldhelm's Head near Worth Matravers, Dorset.

The view towards Chapman's Pool and Houns-tout cliff (just before the rain started). The path was a lot steeper than it looks.

Day five - the sun shone and I took a well-deserved break at Hive Beach, near Burton Bradstock. The cafe serves delicious locally-caught fish.

The Undercliffs National Nature Reserve is one of the largest and best examples of land slipping in the British Isles. It takes 3-4 hours to walk and the path is precarious in places but it's well worth the effort.

The dramatic cliffs of Beer Head in Devon.

Tired and with sore feet (but no blisters) my friend Jo and I arrived in Sidmouth - our final destination.

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