Just for a change today, and because much of the Coast Path in these parts is not actually anywhere near the coast, we decided to head inland for a circular walk of about 7½ miles. It was a green walk again, starting and ending at our campsite.
We began our walk and soon ended up on a path variously called The Liberty Trail and The Monarchs Way. During our stay here we’ve noticed a few more than usually helpful footpath signposts. Some posts on our walk back from Golden Cap were engraved with Ordnance Survey map coordinates; I’d not seen that before. Today, as we were making our way along multi-named path, we spotted a helpful explanatory note. When we arrived at Charmouth we had seen a pub sign saying that King Charles II escaped in 1651. Today’s footpath informed us that the monarch made his way along thios route after the battle of Worcester. A little light dawned on this historically uneducated individual: clearly King Charlie wasn’t only the second Charlie to come to our throne but had also come a clear second at the battle of Worcester. Following this result, he made his way via this path to the south coast.
‘T was a varied and pleasantly different walk. Some of it followed a babbling brook though wildlife seemed a little short. A couple of Orange Tip butterflies zoomed past on the still stiffish breeze but weren’t stopping to pose for the camera. Our best nature chance was given by those organism that don’t run away – plants. We spotted a whole bunch of Wood Anemones, Cuckoo Flower, Lesser Celandine and a small crop of Greenwinged Orchids.
On our return to the campsite, while supping a refreshing cider or three, a Pied Wagtail gave The Beast a chance to come into its own. I’d just managed to sneak up close enough and grab this shot when one of the campsite quad bikes drove by and scared my subject away. The nice lady driving the quad bike actually apologized for scaring it. How considerate of her. I reassured her that I’d managed a few shots before it took to the wing. This’ll do.
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