Portland

8/11/11. This was supposed to be another Berrys trip, but they cancelled the day before. So I drove to near the Ferrybridge. That pub was closed, it was 10:40, so we strolled along the causeway towards Portland. We had been able to see this large rock for most of our walk and we were now starting to look up at it. Arriving into the town of Portland, past the buildings for the Olympics, Chesil Beach was also getting larger.

It was only 11:10 on a wet November Tuesday morning, but the Little Ship was open. Two pints of Doom Bar for £5.80. The locals thought that we had come to burgle their houses, but they were chatty nevertheless. Then it was on to the Cove House Inn.

A slightly more upmarket pub right on the beach. A Ringwood Best (3.8%) and Broadside (4.7%) for £6.40. Two pints before midday wasn't a bad start. As we left to start the climb upwards, so the weather closed in. By the time we were on top, it was wet and windy. We decide to go around clockwise. The old quarries and military buildings made it feel quite desolate and bleak. The path stays on top most of the way until we reached Church Ope Cove.

They do like their sheds on Portland. It was then on to Portland Bill.

The sign encouragingly tells us that we had only done 49 miles with 581 to go. So we carry on back up the west side.

The rain had stopped now, but the path down into Portland town was still a little tricky. This place was closed on the way in, but that was three and a half hours earlier and we were thirsty again.

The sign says Royal Victoria Lounge, but it might be called the Masons and Mariners. No real ale, so we had to settle for a John Smiths and Guinness for £6.20. The current landlord and a previous bankrupt one had an acrimonious discussion while we were there. Then it was back across the causeway to the Ferrybridge Inn for two pints of Bombardier (4.1%) at £6.20.