Today I decided to wander down to the undercliff, below the main woodland paths. Access down here can be more than a bit challenging so this route is definitely not recommended!
I descend down the steep slope through the gloomy branches of Holm Oaks with a concerted effort to not slip on the sticky clay. Below me, a flat plateau opens ups, bordered on one side by a great rock face. It’s dark down here below the dense canopy. Light only scarcely breaks through the bare branches of a budding Sycamore, between the swathes of evergreen Holm Oaks and more occasional Black Pines and Yew Trees.
The ground is barren, covered in a thick mat of leaves and broken only by the tree trunks and great boulders which have toppled from the rock face. On some sections the plateau has been buried by these boulders. Each one of them completely smothered in Feather Moss, giving aesthetic of a fairy-tale landscape, like Wistman’s Wood on Dartmoor. Two freshly slipped rocks stick out like a sore thumb; freshly exposed orange limestone, yet to oxidise, having been revealed for the first time in 130 million years.
It’s hard to guess where exactly the old zig-zag path continued through here in Victorian Times. I find some bits of litter, but even Rola Cola only dates back 20 years or so!
I take off my backpack to stuff the can into a side pocket, when all of a sudden a Tawny Owl swoops down in front of me. It’s beautiful mottled brown feathers make off into the distance, and remains completely silent, except for an initial beat of its wings as it took flight.
As I approach Durlston Head, a break in the trees reveals a seascape and light for Bramble, Ivy, Madder, and Honeysuckle to grow. A single pink flower of Herb Robert stands out against the dull background, whilst ornamental plantings of Viburnum and Cotoneaster hint at the history of this lost Pleasure Walk.