After a four hour drive we check in at the Ilchester Arms, Abbotsbury, grab a pasty in a local cafe and catch a taxi back to Ferry Bridge. According to the cab driver the Ferry Bridge pub has been closed for many years, oh well, if I win the lottery..

Munching on our pasties we settle into a rhythm walking, not with the sea to our left, but hugging the edge of the Fleet Lagoon – the large stretch of brackish water between us and Chesil Beach. Oh my there are a lot of pill boxes along this stretch of water – were these in case of attack or was this a training ground?

Not far into our walk we come across a sign stating the temporary closure of the footpath – it’s very unclear, but we follow the arrows saying Abbotsbury 10 ¼. Not far on we arrive at a little cove where, thankfully the tide is out as we are forced onto the beach to continue round a grassy headland. The path then skirts the perimeter of an MOD complex topped with coils and coils of razor wire… We soon find ourselves wishing we had brought secateurs as the ivy and brambles close around a narrow muddy path, before we find yet another holiday park with some young holiday makers playing football. I had omitted to check if today was safe to walk the Chickerell Firing Range, but thankfully no red flag is flying and the gate is open. We tried hard to keep to pathway, as instructed, but huge muddy puddles had us making short detours, but we arrived safely the other side, posed in the Sentry Box and continued our way round the Fleet Lagoon.

We surprise a pair of deer in the next field, who stand and stare then let us pass. The beautifully chiselled and carved signposts continue to remind of us of the distance to Abbotsbury, which is going down very slowly. The path continues to run along the bank of the lagoon with its large array of different pill boxes.

We stop for a carton of drink and some fruit – we are starting to get very weary! We pass several signs for the little village of Langton Herring and the rather odd looking complex of Moonfleet Manor, then the path takes a right hand turn away from the lagoon – signs explain that this is to protect the habitat for birds and other wildlife. A lady passing by asks if we’ve seen the egrets and we say no but later realise they are the diving birds we thought were small herons.

The going gets tough as we head inland, over farmers fields, around woodland and up a very steep hill, as we head down there are some very strange lumps and bumps, we are pleased to find the swannery car park at the bottom of the hill – civilisation at last. The coast path meanders further inland towards the village of Abbotsbury where we meet up with family for our stay in this beautiful corner of Dorset. My feet are throbbing and in great need of a rest…