Exploring the Bournemouth Coast Path

“I began to discover that Swanage was definitely, as the saying is, surrealist” said artist Paul Nash.

The Paul Nash exhibition at Dulwich Picture Gallery in London has reminders of the artist’s time living on the Dorset coast.

From his thousands of black and white photographs there is ‘Shelter and Stock Pen near Swanage’ 1935. This is near the Priests’ Way with Swanage down below in the background.

From the same year is ‘Old Pier at Swanage’ showing wooden fish boxes and the pier’s floor half up as has so often been seen in recent years.

The catalogue reminds us that Paul Nash and his wife lived on the seafront at 2 The Parade -round the corner from the fish and chip shop.

His painting ‘Event on the Downs’ is always thought to be mysterious and not  a location but Ballard Down is clearly in the background. The picture has hung in the British Embassy in Bonn and for year at 10 Downing Street during Tony Blair’s premiership.

Paul Nash died in July 1946 along the coast at Boscombe where he painted his last picture as he looked across to Honeycombe Chine and a familiar Bournemouth cliff top shelter. This exhibition sadly does not have this work which is in a private collection although curator Fraser Jenkins has traced several unknown works.

Postcards (60p), prints (£9.50) and the catalogue (£25) are on sale at the museum shop.

Paul Nash: The Elements continues Tuesday to Sunday and Bank Holidays until Sunday 9 May; admission £9 (OAP £8; accompanied child free).

See pages 13 and 44.

Digging, diving and data-recording opportunities are on offer to volunteers who would like to take part in the Coastal Heritage Project being led by the New Forest National Park Authority.

The project was set up to fully record the archaeology of the coastal area

“We are looking for willing volunteers with an interest in the outdoors, archaeology or local history to join our team for a season of fieldwork both above and below the waterline,” said James Brown, the Authority’s Maritime Archaeology Education and Outreach Officer.

The coastline under investigation includes the Milford-on-Sea area where the Bournemouth Coast Path joins the Solent Way.  The volunteers will have the opportunity to work alongside professional archaeologists to carry out site surveys, excavations, monitoring and recording.

The project also needs qualified diving volunteers.

James Brown can be contacted direct on 01590 646695 or email [email protected].

See pages 76-85.

The IMAX at Bournemouth has been bought by the Council and will be demolished.

The building, alongside the coast path and voted Britain’s second most ugly building, ruins the Pier Approach and blocks the view of the bay and Isle of Purbeck to those arriving by way of Bath Hill.

This is a surprise and very welcome news.

Bournemouth Council declared that it had very little money to spend on this year’s Bournemouth Bicentenary celebrations but paying £7.5m to pull down a dreadful building it once approved is the best anniversary contribution possible.

I suggest the site, which for years was the town swimming pool, becomes a garden free of any building.

See page 33.

The Crown Estate has announced nine sites for offshore wind farms including one visible from Bournemouth clifftop and Swanage.

There has been little comment over the past few months and yesterday’s news was greeted warmly by Bournemouth Council and Friends of the Earth.

However, the picture in tonight’s Bournemouth Daily Echo of the turbines massed behind Old Harry Rocks must start a debate about the future of the view from the Bournemouth Coast Path. Henry James loved the view although he disliked the ‘new’ buildings in the town.

The plan is like placing a wind farm in the Bay of Naples. We might be obliged to do so in the end but we should tthink carefully first and not just rush to welcome the employment prospects.

I wonder if those who slept out overnight this week to get  a beach hut on Avon Beach know that the view might change by 2016.

Last night I was in Bournemouth’s Lower Pleasure Gardens for the launch of the town’s 200th anniversary celebrations.

The event at dusk was very low key with a small crowd. There was no public transport available! But the fireworks by the Bourne stream with The Pavilion as a backdrop were an impressive start.

In June 1810 Lewis Tregonwell rode over from Mudeford with his wife to the Bourne valley and together they decided to buy a plot of land on the almost deserted heathland. They built a house which survives as part of the Royal Exeter Hotel.

There is  a programme of celebrations. Events include a performance of Percy Whitlock’s ‘Song of Bournemouth’ at St Stephen’s Church on Sunday 2 May and an exhibition at the Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum which is on the coast path.

More information will appear here during this year.

The rescue helicopter was called out yesterday after a man fell down the cliff at Barton-on-Sea during darkness.

He dropped 30 feet but survived with just bruised ribs.

This is the third time this year that the coastguard helicopter has had to respond to a person tumbling down the cliff after dark.

Early morning and dusk has a special feel on the coast path but night walking is unwise.

See page 71.

The Poole and Christchurch Bays Shoreline Management Policy is now out for consultation.

The message for Poole Bay, better known as Bournemouth seafront, is hold the line. East of Point House in Southbourne the report uses the phrase ‘robust defence’.

Christchurch Bay, Mudeford to Barton-on-Sea, looks less safe.

The recommendation for Mudeford Spit is “allow gradual rollback in line with sea level rise”. Hordle cliff also faces a “natural rollback’ and at Naish Farm where there is crumbling cliff there would be ‘limited intervention’.

However, the report does see a need for long term defence of Highcliffe Castle.

There is a SMP roadshow today at the Beachcomber Cafe in Barton-on-Sea and on Thursday at Bournemouth’s BIC.

This is the first full report since the National Trust announced that it was to cease defending the shoreline near Studland.

Any decisions taken as a result of this report will affect the coast path on each side of Bournemouth in the next few years.

Coastguards are warning people to stay off  beaches at Sandbanks and Branksome and Purbeck cliff paths to avoid severe weather on Saturday.

The winter route between Southbourne and Mudeford is likely to be flooded tomorrow (Saturday) according to the Environment Agency.

Its message tonight warns about “areas in close proximity to Christchurch Harbour including Mudeford, Stanpit, the Quomps and Wick “. This includes Wick Ferry.

There has been heavy overnight rain in Bournemouth and more is to follow this Friday night.

See pages 56 to 61.

Now that we have changed clocks, which means no Mudeford ferry, walkers will be using the winter route between Southbourne and Mudeford.

This involves crossing Stanpit Marsh which is currently subject of a draft management plan. The public consultation has revealed a very strong wish to restrain dogs from running freely.

It looks as if, after further consultation with residents, the byelaw requiring “proper control” will be changed to an enforecement of having all dogs on leads.

Dog walkers may not like this but Christchurch Council has a duty to preserve precious Stanpit Marsh, a detached section of the old New Forest, which has horses and cattle as well as migrating birds.

See page 60.