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Home , Abbotsbury, Abbotsbury Castle, Abbotsbury Swannery, Arish Mell, Ballard Down, Barnes Wallis

Programme 2: Frontline

In this week’s walk we cover a 60-mile stretch of the stunning coast of Dorset, uncovering evidence of a time when this sleepy county of rolling hills and winding lanes was utterly transformed. When WWII broke out and the threat of a Nazi invasion was real, Dorset was frontline Britain.

This 5 day walk begins just outside the village of , on the western edge of . It heads through the harbours of before taking in the spectacular landmark of . We watch our step as we cross the firing ranges of ,and make our way to and ; locations that played a vital role in the run-up to D-Day. Along the route we explore a rich history of the defiance and courage exhibited during the most destructive war the world has ever known.

Please use OS Explorer Map: OL 15 Purbeck and South Dorset. All Distances approximate.

Day 1 Abbotsbury to Weymouth, via Abbotsbury Anti-tank Defences, and . Distance: 12.3 miles

Day 2 Weymouth (via Portland) to Mills, via Nothe Fort, Portland, ’s Grave. Distance: 12.8 miles

Day 3 to Lulworth, via Ringstead Radar Bunker, Durdle Door and . Distance: 6.1 miles

Day 4 Lulworth to , via Lulworth Firing Ranges, Hill Fort, St ’s Head. Distance: 15.1 miles

Day 5 Worth Matravers (via Studland Bay) to Swanage, via Fort Henry, Studland Bay. Distance: 14.3 miles

Day 1: Abbotsbury to Weymouth, via Abbotsbury Anti-Tank Defences, Abbotsbury Swannery, Langton Herring. 12.3 miles

From Abbotsbury Beach car park head east along the South West Coastal Path, then divert to Chesil Beach to find the anti-tank defences at the western edge of the Fleet .

Abbotsbury Anti-Tank Defences

In May 1940 the Germans invaded France, conquering the entire country in just six weeks. British forces had to be evacuated from Dunkirk and everyone expected an imminent Nazi invasion of Britain.

The long open stretches of Chesil Beach were considered to be particularly vulnerable. So, engineers spent the summer of 1940 working furiously to erect defences here. The blocks are cleverly positioned, any vehicle landing between here and Portland is prevented from advancing inland by the lagoon behind the beach. The anti-tank defences, or ‘Dragon’s Teeth’, blocked the only exit along a 10 mile stretch of shingle. It formed part of a larger interlocking set of defences, known as the coastal crust. Evidence of this can be found along the walk, in the form of pillboxes.

Double back west to the and head east towards Abbotsbury Swannery, passing below St Catherine’s Chapel and a host of pillboxes. Visit Abbotsbury Swannery (there is a small entrance fee) to see a striking WWII relic.

Abbotsbury Swannery and the Bouncing

There’s been a swannery at Abbotsbury since medieval times, when local Benedictine Monks set one up to farm swans for the dinner table. During the early days of WWII this stretch of water was turned into a testing ground for one of the most innovative weapons of the war, the incredible dam-busting .

Sir , a leading WWII scientist, needed a place with long stretches of open water to test his bouncing , somewhere shallow enough to reclaim his prototypes. The Fleet was the ideal spot, and for a few months in 1942 and early 1943 his team came here for the first ever tests of their novel weapon. The prototype bouncing bomb on display at Abbotsbury Swannery remained in the Fleet until it was retrieved by the navy in 1990.

From the swannery, continue east along the South West Coast Path to Langton Herring. Here you can call into the Elm Tree , a favourite haunt of bouncing bomb pioneer Sir Barnes Wallis.

Langton Herring

Langton Herring is one of just 14 villages considered ‘Doubly Thankful’. This means that all the men who left to fight in WWI and in WWII survived.

From Langton Herring re-join the South West Coast Path and head straight to Weymouth, where Day 1 of the walk is complete.

Day 2: Weymouth (via Portland) to Osmington Mills, via Nothe Fort, Portland, Jack Mantle’s Grave. 12.8 miles

From Weymouth head back west along the South West Coast Path towards the . Overlooking the ex-military stands Nothe Fort. Nothe Fort

Nothe Fort, now a museum, was built under to protect Portland Harbour, when the threat of war came from the French, rather than the Germans.

It fast became an important Royal Naval base and went on to play an important role in WW II. From early 1940 it was rigged with anti-aircraft guns and searchlights, and turned into the South West’s biggest anti-aircraft ammunition store. Nothe Fort bolstered Britain’s coastal defences, now that there was a threat of attack from the air as well as the sea. The defences at Nothe Fort would be tested in action within days of the fall of France, when Hitler’s attention switched across the Channel to Britain. The strategically important Portland Harbour was a prime target; it was home to a significant number of Britain’s warships and was vulnerable.

Continue along the South West Coast Path from Nothe Fort to Portland. Follow the north westerly edge of Portland Harbour where it meets the easterly end of Chesil Beach and a narrow bank of shingle that connects the Isle of Portland, actually a peninsula, to the mainland.

Continue across to Portland and visit the which lies on the northern slope of , three-quarters of a mile east from Portland railway station. Portland Cemetery

The cemetery overlooking Portland Harbour is for local servicemen and officers from the local Royal Navy which was stationed at Portland until 1995. It holds 140 casualties of the world wars and the 1957 HMS Sidon explosion. Amongst the graves is that of Jack F. Mantle, who was awarded a Victoria Cross for manning a pom-pom gun during a raid on Portland Harbour in July 1940. It was only the second VC to be awarded for action in the UK. Jack was on board HMS Foylebank, a former merchant ship that had been fitted with anti- aircraft guns. She was deployed to protect the harbour from attack, an assignment that made her a prime target for incoming German aircraft.

Jack’s citation reads: ‘Leading Seaman Jack Mantle was in charge of the Starboard pom-pom gun when HMS Foylebank was attacked by enemy aircraft on the 4th of July 1940… Early in the action his left leg was shattered by a bomb, but he stood fast at his gun and went on firing. Between his bursts of fire he had time to reflect on the grievous injuries of which he was soon to die but his great courage bore him up till the end of the fight, when he fell by the gun he had so valiantly served’. Jack’s act of bravery cost him his life; he was just 23 years old.

From the cemetery there is a great view of Portland Harbour; look out for a concrete . These were constructed from sections of and were used during the D-Day Landings.

Retracing our steps from the Portland Royal Navy Cemetery, we head back to Weymouth along the South West Coast Path, and get a closer look at Mulberry Harbour, before continuing to Weymouth. Walking along the esplanade look out for the Weymouth American War Memorial. From the east side of we continue along the coast path through Bowleaze to Osmington Mills, where we end Day 2’s walk at a welcoming pub: The Smugglers Inn.

Day 3: Osmington Mills to Lulworth, via Ringstead Radar Bunker, Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove. 6.1 miles

Leave Osmington Mills on the South West Coast Path heading east over the hills, to .

En route, look out for concrete structures which are evidence of WWII radar masts. Ringstead Radar Bunker

Ringstead was the site of a very large radar station and one of its key bunkers is located just north of the South West Coast Path. Today it’s preserved by the .

Radar uses bursts of high frequency radio waves, transmitted from a mast, to detect aircraft. The signal bounces back to receiver stations, allowing operators to work out the aircraft’s height, speed and direction.

Radar, developed just before the war, was essential to the defence of Britain. Between July and September 1940 the Luftwaffe and RAF fought for air supremacy over southern . The Germans needed control of the skies if they were going to invade; the future of the war hung in the balance. Radar gave the Brits an early warning of approaching aircraft and a fighting chance. A line of transmitter bunkers, called a radar chain, spanned the British coastline with the western end on the Dorset coast.

During the Battle of Britain those manning stations like the one at Ringstead were frantically feeding back information on enemy plane movements to Fighter Command. Thanks to their work, RAF fighters broke up repeated German attacks. On 15 September 1940 they assisted the RAF in claiming an incredible 185 Luftwaffe planes. It proved a turning point and the Nazis shelved their plans to invade Britain.

Head back east along the South West Coast Path, over West Bottom and Middle Bottom, and past the small of Bat’s Hole, before reaching the granddaddy of sea arches: Durdle Door. Durdle Door

Durdle Door is the perfect spot to take a break from the war, and simply admire the natural beauty of the most stunning geological highlight along this stretch. It is one of the most photographed landmarks along the Coast.

This rock arch in the sea was formed as a result of the softer rocks being eroded away behind the hard , allowing the sea to punch through. The name ‘Durdle’ is thought to be derived from an ancient Saxon word meaning ‘open’, and ‘door’ is pretty straightforward. So its name may simply mean ‘open door’.

Durdle Door isn’t the only natural phenomenon on our route. Continuing on the South West Coast Path east we come to Lulworth, the final stop on Day 3’s walk.

But before you settle in for the night it’s worth a stroll down to the seashore to admire the horseshoe shape of Lulworth Cove. The cove was created over millions of years as the sea eroded the hard rocks at the mouth of the cove more slowly than the softer ones behind, a geologist’s paradise.

Day 4: Lulworth to Worth Matravers, via Lulworth Firing Ranges, Iron Age Hill Fort and St Aldhelm’s Head. 15.1 miles.

From Lulworth go east along the South West Coast Path up a steep hill from Lulworth Cove to the start of the . Lulworth Firing Ranges

Lulworth Firing Ranges is one of the few spots in Britain where the Army trains with live ammunition. The ranges are only open to the public on specific days, generally at the weekend and on public holidays.

All sorts of weapons are used here but the ranges were developed for one in particular: Tanks. The area has been owned by the MOD since WWII and is used for tank driving and gunnery range training.

As you enter the ranges you’ll spot the gunnery school, where soldiers are trained to fire guns, and range targets which are used for tank firing practice. The guns used here are so powerful that there’s a 12 mile exclusion zone out to sea, just in case any bombs or bullets go astray! The history of this spot isn’t immediately obvious, but tanks were a key weapon on the battlefields of the WWII. By 1943, these ranges were jam packed with vehicles and soldiers preparing for an allied invasion of France.

Never attempt the Lulworth Range walk unless the area is clear of firing. Information on when the route is closed for firing can be found at: http://www.dorsetforyou.com/lulworth- range-walks

When entering the ranges make sure you stick to the path between the yellow markers, as this is the area that is kept safe and clear from unexploded ordnance.

Head east through , up a steep incline and through a military encampment from another age. At the top of the hill above , we come to Flower’s Barrow, an Iron Age hill fort. The path leads us through its ramparts.

There’s also the WWII observation post here, clearly this spot has proved a good defensive outpost for millennia. From here you can either cut inland making a small detour to village, or continue to trace the coastline. Both routes bring us out at the firing ranges at Bay.

Follow the South West Coast Path along the Kimmeridge levels and Egmont Point, past West Hill to St Aldhelm’s Head, where reminders of WWII continue to litter the route. St Aldhelm’s Head

The headland owes its name to a Saxon Bishop of and it boasts a charming 800- year-old Norman Church called St Aldhelm’s Chapel. But that’s not what we’ve come to see. Just along from the Church is a stainless steel sculpture on a stone plinth that is dedicated to some of the backroom heroes of the WWII. It is a memorial to commemorate the pioneering work on radar undertaken right here, at the nearby village of Worth Matravers.

During the war Worth Matravers was home to a top-secret radar research station where scientists pushed radar technology to its limits, giving us the edge over the Germans.

And that’s where our route heads next. Cutting inland, directly north from the chapel take the dirt road towards Renscombe Farm, and then follow the road east into Worth Matravers where Day 4 ends. Follow in the footsteps of the radar scientists of WWII by calling in at the Square and Compass pub.

Day 5: Worth Matravers (via Studland Bay) to Swanage, via Fort Henry and Studland Bay. 14.3 miles.

On the fifth and final day of the walk we head out from Worth Matravers inland, cutting across the , following a path that leads in a north westerly direction between North Hill and Compact Farm. Meeting the Purbeck Way head north on Coombe Bottom.

Cross Corfe Common into the picturesque village of . It is well worth the short detour to the castle ruin, thought to have been built in the reign of .

Head east along the Purbeck Way, across Challow Hill, through towards . At Stone Seat, leave the Purbeck Way and take the footpath heading north to Studland. From the village join the South West Coast Path to Redend Point, and another hidden gem on the edge of Studland Bay. Fort Henry

In the spring of 1944 the beaches of Studland Bay played a key role in the Allies’ preparations to invade Nazi occupied France. At Redend point there’s concrete evidence of the area’s wartime past. The mother of all pillboxes, Fort Henry remains open to the public today. Although it looks like a huge concrete mouth organ, it’s actually an observation point. It was built specifically to shelter high-ranking officers and VIPs as they watched rehearsals for D-Day. On one occasion Fort Henry housed Churchill, King George VI, Eisenhower and Montgomery, here to witness D-Day’s biggest dress rehearsal. Studland Bay was chosen for its similarity to the beaches of and in April 1944 thousands of British troops landed here in Operation Smash, the largest of all the training exercises for the invasion.

Of most interest to the visiting VIPs was the use of amphibious tanks. Specially designed for the invasion, they were regarded as vital if troops were to successfully fight their way off the beaches. But it was only just weeks before D-Day that they were ready to be tested in a full-scale exercise. In theory the operation of amphibious tanks was straight-forward, but in practice the sea is unpredictable and accidents were bound to happen. On one of the exercises six tanks were sunk in bad weather, and six men drowned. A plaque just outside Fort Henry commemorates their loss. Hard lessons were learned through these exercises, without which D-Day could have been a disaster.

From Fort Henry, head south retracing the South West Coast Path passing Studland village towards Handfast Point, admire Old Harry’s Rocks which stand at the tip of the headland. Continue on through Old Nick’s Ground to Ballard Point, and head down into Swanage Bay, to reach the seaside town of Swanage where we complete our 5 Day hike. Swanage

During the first half of 1944, Dorset would play host to thousands of Allied forces massing on the South Coast, preparing for D-Day. The seaside town of Swanage became home to some of the men who would lead the attack on the beaches of France, including the American 1st Division. For months fresh-faced Americans waited, trained and enjoyed themselves in this quaint British town. Many were billeted at the Grand Hotel.

But on 6 June, D-Day itself, the partying came to an abrupt stop. The American 1st Division landed on the most heavily defended beach of all, Omaha. The American’s suffered horrific losses, around 2,000 casualties on Omaha in just that one day. But the allied forces who valiantly fought that day and over the following weeks changed the course of the war and will be remembered forever in the hearts of the people of Dorset.