Today we walked

This is another side to Swanage – the Jurassic Coast and the path to Durlston. You cross the Downs and you are suddenly high above rocky cliffs, with the sea swirling about far below. A short walk from the friendly seaside of Swanage Bay, but a very different seascape. Unfortunately there was low cloud today, so the views were not as they usually are. You can see the cliffs covered in mist and the sun just trying to break through the cloud. 
 
Durlston Castle was built by George Burt around 1887, not really as a castle, a bit of a folly actually. It’s an extraordinary building (see below) set in huge grounds. When we first came here there was just a bit of a café and the rest of the building was more or less abandoned and derelict. Then it underwent a complete refurbishment and it is now owned and managed by Dorset County Council as a superb Visitor Centre, with an excellent restaurant and well-marked trails around the grounds. There is a big stone globe (see below) that Burt constructed from 15 segments of Portland Stone and there are iron bollards all around that came from London. A fascinating place!