After crossing the stream that flows from West Hill Bottom, an executive decision was made to head up to the track that follows Hill Bottom rather than cut down along the muddy path to Chapman's Pool. As the tide was in, we would not have been able to study the cliffs from the beach anyway. A herd of young cows obstinately refused to move off the track but appeared generally uninterested in an intrepid band of pseudo-geologists, so we pushed past and continued to Hill Bottom hamlet. Lunchtime at last; we flopped down on a sheltered bank in the sunshine for well earned sandwiches - nobody did gather those tempting blackberries for afters!
Suitably refreshed, we started the ascent of Emmetts Hill, almost to blown back down again as we crested the top! As we followed the path southwards, the view to the west just kept getting better below us Chapman's Pool, behind that Houns-tout Cliff and Molly's Garden, and the cliffs below Swyre Head stretching towards Kimmeridge Bay, Gad Cliff and Worbarrow Bay. In the far distance the chalk cliffs around Lulworth and, emerging out of the haze, the Isle of Portland. To the east we were looking across the Limestone plateau where the Purbeck Limestone overlies the Portland Limestone, gently dipping to the east, and which is quarried for the so-called Purbeck Marble, and beyond that to the ridge of the Purbeck monocline. We continued past the Royal Marines Monument, but thought better of continuing to St Alban's Head due the now incredibly strong gusting wind, the prospect of a steep descent into Pier Bottom and the equally steep ascent of St Alban's Head. Yes, we chickened out, and re-traced our steps down to Hill Bottom and then round into West Hill Bottom!
Gently ascending West Hill Bottom we could see further evidence of rotational landslips on the eastern side of Houns-tout Cliff where the Sands are slipping over the Clay. It was possible to trace the boundary between the Sands and the Clay up the Bottom and eventually we came to a small disused quarry in the Portland Sands. The sides of the quarry have a considerable quantity of Portland Limestone debris set in the Sands.
Arriving back at Kingston, from opposite the church we could clearly see the Purbeck monocline to the north, where a gap in the ridge nicely frames the majestic remains of Corfe Castle. The valley between the ridge that we were standing on and the monocline is Lower Cretaceous Wealden Clay, Greensand and Gault, and beyond the monocline the Dorset heathland with its completely different landscape is formed of Tertiary deposits.
A final stroll up into the wood to collect our cars, and a thank you to Richard and Robin who admirably stood in for John Chaffey who was unable to be with us due to a family crisis.
Author Stephen Jackman