The Heart of the Jurassic Coast: Abbotsbury to Bridport

In the summer I decided to voyage further along the Jurassic coast from Abbotsbury to Lyme Regis.  Here the spectacular coastline is part of the older Jurassic landscape, the strata laid down between 200 and 164 million years ago in shallow seas, trapping a myriad of fossils, exposed as the cliffs crumble into the sea. 

My first port of call was Bridport.

PicoMicroYacht's route from Abbotsbury to Bridport and then Lyme Regis

Abbotsbury is at the end of Chesil Beach that stretches east to Portland, this beach an extensive shingle bank. 

My first task was to haul PicoMicroYacht up and over the shingle. Having done so I walked back down and inspected the track I had made. 

Soon I was off. The sea was languid, but I knew how dangerous this coast could be in a gale, when the waves crash against this lee shore, in the past unwary ships broken up as they were smashed onto the shingle.

Soon the sun was dipping in the sky, silhouetting the West Dorset cliffs, creating a colour palette, a contrast of yellow sandstone, golden limestone and crumbling grey clay.

I looked up and saw holiday caravans perched on the cliffs.

As the light faded further I could just see Bridport in the distance.

Bridport is not ideal for yachts because of the exposed entrance, but has been improved substantially. In past times the narrow channel was notoriously dangerous to shipping in any sort of sea.

Maurice Budden's photograph of the old Bridport entrance

https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/3180105

Now the wider angled entrance protects pootoon moorings, accessible for small yachts.

A welcome place to moor up for the night, my next port of call Lyme Regis.