Walk Of The Week- Week Two

Hi everyone, it's that time again when we announce the Walk Of The Week. This week it is...

Shell Bay/Studland Bay, Bournemouth

Last Friday, I went on a lovely walk with Jasper on Studland Bay that totalled 4.8 miles long. We started on the Sandbanks side of harbour and got on the chain ferry across the harbour entrance. Jasper loved this as it was his first time going on it! Once we got across, we turned left onto Shell Bay, a beach owned by The National Trust. After a corner, the beach changes to Studland Bay. The sea was very clean and clear, and I was even contemplating having a go in it (in February, yes, I know!). Jasper ran straight into the water and was content from then onwards! The sand on the beach is clean, so you could walk with bare feet if you wanted to. There is a Naturist part that lasts about 1km, about 1km into the walk but there weren't any people using this area whilst I was there! We followed the bay all the way down, past a National Trust cafe, to a ramp that led up a hill. It was just by a sea wall. We went up this ramp and turned left at a block of thatched bungalows. Then, we went down this road and carried on until we got to The Bankes Arms. It is a very dog-friendly pub which is great and if the weather is warm enough, there is a big garden out the front with a sea view. The food that I had (sausages and chips with a fresh salad!) was lovely so if you time the walk to have lunch half way, I highly recommend stopping there! After the meal, we walked back to the chain ferry using the same route.

This route is definitely dog-friendly from 1st October to 30 April, but please double check if planning on walking after these dates. The view out to sea is beautiful the entire walk, with Old Harry's Rock easily viewable- definitely bring a camera (I might have forgot mine...!)! If you want to go on a longer walk, from the pub you can follow a route up to Old Harry's Rock, but I wouldn't recommend this if taking a dog. If you are planning to take this route with your dog, keep him on a tight lead near the summit of the rock. This extra bit would add on 3 miles altogether. I hope you found this post interesting, Flo x