Programme 2: Frontline Dorset - Channel 4 · Programme 2: Frontline Dorset In this week’s walk we cover a 60-mile stretch of the stunning coast of Dorset, uncovering evidence of

Programme 2: Frontline Dorset

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 Abbotsbury, on the western edge of Chesil Beach.

It heads through the harbours of Weymouth and Portland before taking in the spectacular landmark

of Durdle Door. We watch our step as we cross the firing ranges of Lulworth,and make our way to

Studland and Swanage; 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, Abbotsbury Swannery and

Langton Herring.

Distance: 12.3 miles

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

Distance: 12.8 miles

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

Distance: 6.1 miles

Day 4 Lulworth to Worth Matravers, via Lulworth Firing Ranges, Iron Age Hill Fort, St Aldhelm’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 Lagoon.

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 concrete pillboxes.

Double back west to the South West Coast Path 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 Bomb

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 bouncing bomb.

Sir Barnes Wallis, a leading WWII scientist, needed a place with long stretches of open water to test his bouncing bombs,

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 pub, 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 Isle of

Portland. Overlooking the ex-military Portland

Harbour stands Nothe Fort.

Nothe Fort

Nothe Fort, now a museum, was

built under Queen Victoria 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 royal naval cemetery which lies on the northern slope of

Portland Bill, three-quarters of a mile east from Portland railway station.

Portland Royal Navy 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 torpedo 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 breakwater. These were constructed

from sections of Mulberry Harbour 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 Weymouth bay 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 Ringstead Bay.

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 National Trust.

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 England.

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 natural arch 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 Jurassic Coast.

This rock arch in the sea was formed as a result of the softer rocks being eroded away

behind the hard limestone, 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 Ranges.

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 Arish Mell, up a steep incline and through a military encampment from another

age. At the top of the hill above Worbarrow Bay, 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 Tyneham village, or

continue to trace the coastline. Both routes bring us out at the firing ranges at Kimmeridge 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 Sherborne 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 Isle of Purbeck, 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 Corfe Castle. It is well worth the short

detour to the castle ruin, thought to have been

built in the reign of William the Conqueror.

Head east along the Purbeck Way, across

Challow Hill, through Nine Barrow Down

towards Ballard Down. 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 Normandy 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 chalk 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.