Rock samphire, once pickle d and used to prevent If you have enjoyed this walk why not try one of scurvy by sailors grows out of the walls. the other circular walks at different places along the Legacy Trail. There are nine in total. From Chesil Cove you can either follow the Coast Path back to the Fine Foundation Chesil Centre, keeping on the shingle bank side or crossing over to Hamm beach if preferred. For the more adventurous you may want to walk back along the shingle ridge (about a mile of hard walking!)

It’s hard to get a foothold on the shingle and this is Discover the Wild side the same for plants and animals. Waves pound the ridges changing their shape and washing up clues The Legacy Trail and circular walks from key to what lives out at sea; common dog whelk egg 'waypoints' are part of the Wild About Weymouth cases or ‘seawash’ balls, the remains of spider and Portland Project funded by the Big Lottery crabs, cuttlefish internal skeletons and pink sea Fund through Natural 's Access to LEGACY TRAIL fans. Unfortunately, there’s also marine litter - Nature programme. regular beach cleans are carried out and many artists source materials from here. It aims to improve access in and between wildlife Circular walk sites and encourage local people and visitors to On a clear day you can look out across discover and explore the wonderful natural and see as far as Start Point in South . environment of Weymouth and Portland.  Around Hamm and Chesil Beaches Discover more about and its wildlife at For more information about the Legacy Trail, sites the Fine Foundation Chesil Beach Centre. You can and other circular walks along the way visit: 4 miles look for birds on the Fleet lagoon and see underwater by a camera linked to the centre. www.visit-.com/about-the-area/countryside

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At you can follow the South West Length of walk: c 4 miles Coast Path and Legacy Trail up onto the island, joining circular walk 6, or continue with this walk. Access: fairly level ground. Start Walking along the shingle From here, follow the road pavement back towards ridge is hard. Chesil Bank and the east side of the Island. At Victoria Square roundabout follow the Coast Path Pay and display car park. signs to Chesil Cove. The Centre is on the main bus route. Toilets and Look out for the yellow-horned poppies with their refreshments are available long seed pods, left to grow on the roundabout. You at the Centre. may like to stop off at the Walled Garden.

Note: From Chesil Cove there are dramatic views of the West Weares cliffs, part of the World The map shows theNote: Heritage Site. It’s very dynamic with landslides route along the shingle creating the landscape you see today. Quarries at the ridge. It is hard walking.The map shows the route top of the cliffs are hidden from view. Vast quantities You may like to do alongsome the shingle ridge. It of waste stone have literally been thrown over the and then rejoin theis hard walking. You may edge here. Many plants, butterflies, moths and birds Coast Path. It is possiblelike to do some and then live on the West Weares, including a plant unique to to get down to therejoin the Coast Path. It is Portland. pavement at any pointpossible to get down to along the route. the pavement at any You could linger on the John Maine sculpture (1993). point along the route. Made from dry stone wall of local stone, it pays tribute to the quarrymen and masons who have worked with for generations. The five wave-like terraces represent the five layers of stone as they occur naturally in a Portland quarry.

From Dorset Wildlife Trust ’s Fine Foundation Chesil Follow the Coast Path through the sailing academy Chesil Cove gets the full force of the Atlantic and is Beach Centre cross over the road to Hamm Beach complex (refreshments available). the site of many shipwrecks. It lies at the end of via the boardwalk and follow the South West Coast Chesil Bank, the great storm beach or ‘tombolo’ Path and Legacy Trail towards the sailing academy. Look across to the Mulberrys, (large concrete blocks), connecting Portland to the mainland which stretches examples of those used to create a temporary for 17 miles. Here the beach is at its highest with the This is the bed of the former Weymouth and during the D Day landings (WW2). The largest pebbles. railway which opened in 1865, finally closing in 1962. massive breakwaters (19 th century) were constructed There are lovely views across Portland Harbour and using stone from the island and convict labour. Out in the Cove, it has been described as an the Jurassic Coast. In spring and summer, the fragile underwater fairyland with abundant marine life living coastal grassland is full of wild flowers such as sea Looking towards the island, you can see a steep, amongst the shipwrecks. pink, yellow rattle and wild carrot. straight path, the Merchant’s Incline, part of a horse -drawn railway for transporting stone down The appearance of the Cove changed dramatically Small wading birds feed along the shore edge and sea from quarries to the harbour. It is now the route of with the construction of the Sea Wall and Promenade squirts may be seen in the shallows. the South West Coast Path leading up to the Verne (1958 to 1965), which stabilized a massive landslide. Citadel, a Victorian fort, now a prison.