Dan posted an update
Chapman’s Pool Dorset
Early October 2024
Tonight was one of those memorable camps.
The spot I wanted to camp on (Houns Tout) was closed due to a landslide.
I had read about the landslide and knew there was a rerouting of the South West Coast path but because I had arrived later than I had planned, there was very little daylight left to follow the detour.
I chose instead to head straight for the valley that led to Chapman’s Pool. Making my way down in the dark was pretty treacherous. The paths are steep and narrow and it was a mud bath with all the rain.
At one point, I used a rope which had been attached in order to abseil down a muddy path.
Once I was at the beach, I decided it wasn’t for me. The tide was in and a river was flowing onto the beach from the valley due to all the rain. I headed back up the sides of the valley to higher ground.
The whole place is pretty much a landslide and sliding down the valley and ultimately, ending in the sea.
I could see ripples in the grassy banks of the side of the valley as it was beginning to give way and head downwards.
I found a spo which was flat. It had some rocks which were used as a firepit. It wasn;t until the morning that I realised that I was just below a path and I would have been visible by anyone in daylight.
No issues during the night apart from some deer getting very close to the tent and also very vocal.
Coordinates:
50°35’35.7″N 2°03’41.8″W
Getting there:
The SW Coast Path runs around Chapman’s Pool so it’s accessible from either side. As I mentioned, the landslide at Houns Tout has meant that access from the west is via a detour.
I got the train to Wareham station where I jumped on the Purbeck Breezer 40 to the village of Kingston and got off at the Scott Arms which took around 20 minutes.
There’s a free car park nearby called Parking Renscombe (50°35’47.0″N 2°03’07.1″W)
and it’s a 1 mile / 1.6 km walk to Chapman’ Pool at the shortest route via the SW Coast Path.
Heads up:
I have never been here before but I’ve read that it’s quiet because it can be challenging to get to the beach via the steep paths.
I unwisely went on a wet and stormy night in October. It had been raining a lot around the time of my visit so the ground was saturated and the paths were muddy and slippery.
The areas I walked on had signs of giving way and there were constant reminders of landslides.
I found the beach wasn’t a safe place to be tonight. The tide was in and the sea was angry which made the beach narrow. There was also water gushing out from the valley due to all the rain.
I am sure it’s different in the summer months and especially if you stick to the paths.
#chapmanspool #dorset #tent #swcoastpath
1 Comment
What3words: ///loving.settled.romantics #wildcamp
