Enjoy an extremely varied and delicious breakfast at the Haven hotel whilst admiring the most amazing view of Old Harry Rocks in the distance. The view comes and goes as large ferries drift pass the window and a morning sea mist washes over.

We can hear the clanging of the chains of the Sandbanks to Studland chain ferry chugging its way over from one spit of land to another. The ferry port is a mere couple of steps away from the hotel lobby so we are soon paying the ferryman our £1 fare and snapping a photo of the diminishing view of the our hotel.

Stepping off onto the sandy beach of the Studland peninsula you would think it was almost summer – cyclists and motorists head off on the road, walkers and a great many dogs on the beach. Water inlets drive us inland a bit and for a while we slightly lose our way as we wander along Heather Walk.

The gorse, heather and woodland are a lovely area to walk but the magnetic draw of the sea pulls us back to the sandy beach as we head west towards the village of Studland. There are people galore on the beach, even horse riders enjoying a splash in the sea. We avert our eyes as one brave tattooed male body reveals all to us on the naturist beach..

The National Trust coffee shop is a welcome break. As we enjoy a brownie and local lemonade, I chat to the shop assistant pondering on what a stunning location it is to work, but as she says, it’s not always this sunny!

The pathway soon leaves the beach, up past cottages and right passed Fort Henry with its slit view of the coast towards the gentle grassy cliff top walk towards Old Harry Rocks. Voted in the top twenty of Britain’s favourite walks, it doesn’t disappoint us nor todays hundreds of other walkers!

We stop for a photo of the white rocks, perhaps named after Harry, the devil, who sleeps on them or a pirate from years gone by? We soon take a well-earned rest in some long grass with our heads resting on our backpacks admiring the clear view straight towards the needles which perhaps were joined on to this land many, many years back!

The crowds slowly disperse as we continue our walk towards Swanage – the pathway narrows as the fields beside us turn to farmland and we go over the brow of the cliff to see the coastal town of Swanage below, with its beach held together by wooden groynes, and the steam of a train heading out to Corfe Castle.

Slowly meandering our way down, the open countryside soon turns into a community of seaside bungalows. The route takes us away from the coast for a while before the little road drops us by the beach and an array of cafes, shops, fish and chip bars and beach side entertainment.

An hilarious event happens in our first choice of cafe who have run out of peppermint tea and cakes! We finally ask for our money back and head off realising after a few minutes that I’ve forgotten my hat – I dash back for it to no avail, so return to Jen. Hilariously realise that she has my hat on her head. So, she then dashes back to the cafe to find her hat at our first choice of table!

Tonight’s hotel, The Purbeck Hotel, is up a short hill – the turreted dwelling which was once a convent school is very welcoming. The lovely lady directs us up to our room, number 18, on the second floor with three windows overlooking the sea – wow!

Enjoy a bath and wander down to Tawny’s restaurant for a freshly cooked fish dish – yum. We are asleep before 9:30 but kept awake through the night by the Swanage Saturday night revellers.