Swanage – The Travelling Ginger

The original plan for today was to head over to Shaftesbury to see Gold Hill (aka Hovis Hill). However, a quick Google revealed it was bin day… which would have completely ruined Momma’s photos! So, with a swift change of plan from the side of the road, we headed instead to Studland Bay for a walk out to Old Harry Rocks.

This is a great walk to do as it’s pretty flat, but you’re rewarded with some seriously spectacular coastal views. Think iconic chalk formations—cliffs, stacks, stumps, and arches. You also get panoramic views over Studland Bay and Bournemouth. We did a 4-mile circular, which also gave us views over Swanage, and of course, the all-important trig bagging!

And what else is important at the end of a hike.. a snack! Joe’s Cafe is a very short detour down onto South Beach, and we sat here enjoying the sound of the waves, with a delicious flat white, sandwich, and a homemade brownie.

We jumped in the car and headed over to Knoll Beach, but unfortunately this is where our weather luck ended. The heavens opened and it absolutely poured with rain. We tried to stick it out as long as possible, but being battered by the wind and rain really isn’t fun.. so we sadly gave up, got back in the car, and drove to a highly rated CAMRA pub. The Square and Compass in Worth Matravers is definitely one of the more quirkier pubs we’ve been to. It’s got that proper old-pub feel, with no fancy bar in sight, just a serving hatch, stone floors, and a charm that makes it feel like it hasn’t changed in decades. Everyone was sat around large tables, or a selection of chairs by the fire. Santa thoroughly enjoyed his pint of Butcombe.

The rain had finally stopped and, with a few hours of the day left, we squeezed in a bit of a whistle-stop tour of Swanage. We started with a wander along the remains of the old pier—restored to keep its heritage charm, it’s perfect for a gentle stroll and a dose of seaside nostalgia.

We headed over to the heritage train station, and although we had just missed the train, we were still able to admire the vintage details, similar to those at Corfe Castle.

I dragged Momma to the 2p machines, where we lost our money in record time, before taking a walk along the beach. We rounded things off with a classic chippy tea and headed back to the Airbnb. Note to self – much more time is needed in Swanage!