Log No 300. Wed 30th Apr 2014 - Bournemouth to Milford on Sea, 16 miles (4583 miles walked)

I had expected to be walking at 09.10 this morning but it ended up being 10.30 before I got going.

I hadn't realised that my return train ticket was only valid on off-peak trains so that was a 40 minute wait for the slower 0850 and then a car had driven into a level crossing barrier in Southampton creating another delay.

Yet again it was a misty start but it clesred up a lot quicker today.

I walked along Bournemouth seafront for a bit before coming inland a bit on the B3059 to cross the River Stour to get to Christchurch.

After a quick look at the Priory I had some of my lunch, that Jan had made for me, by the old castle on the bank of the River Avon in Christchurch.

I followed the road round the side of the harbour to get back onto the coast.

The beach was just the same as Bournemouth with the promenade full of beach huts.

The seafront went as far as the wooded valley of Chewton Bunny with the stream Walkford Brook flowing through it.

I had to walk on the footpath alongside the brook to get to the road bridge to get across it and that was me out of Dorset and into Hampshire now.

The seafront of Barton on Sea was nothing like Christchurch with just a wide strip of grass between the road and the clifftop.

This place was perfect for Hang Gliders who could just come out of their cars in the car park and take a running leap straight off the cliff and then just cruise backwards and forwards along the cliff.

From Barton the path continued along the cliff by the golf course, there was a notice saying the footpath was temporarily closed due to erosion but no one appeared to pay any heed to it.

Erosion had certainly taken a lot of the cliff away and in the odd place it was now only wide enough for one.

At Milford on Sea the campsite was just a mile out of the village and I got there at 16.30.

It had been a gentle 16 miles and my leg hadn't been too bad at all, still swollen and very sore to touch but not much pain to walk on. A few more days like this and it will hopefully recover.