0:00:02 > 0:00:05The South West Coast Path is one of the world's best loved walks.
0:00:05 > 0:00:07At 630 miles,
0:00:07 > 0:00:10it's also England's longest National Trail.
0:00:10 > 0:00:12It's not for the faint-hearted.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15This can be challenging walking.
0:00:15 > 0:00:19'But, boy, is it worth it!'
0:00:19 > 0:00:22'I'm Paul Rose and I have explored the world.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25'But although I love the south-west coast,
0:00:25 > 0:00:27'I've never actually walked its path.
0:00:27 > 0:00:29'Until now.'
0:00:29 > 0:00:30Run, run, run, run...
0:00:30 > 0:00:34'In this series, I'll be discovering adventure at every turn.'
0:00:34 > 0:00:36Wow! We're flying, buddy.
0:00:39 > 0:00:41How big of a cliff is it?
0:00:41 > 0:00:43High enough to make your knees wobble.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45HE LAUGHS
0:00:45 > 0:00:48'I'll be discovering wildlife...
0:00:48 > 0:00:50'and wild traditions.'
0:00:50 > 0:00:54Now, that's what you call an entrance!
0:00:54 > 0:00:57'This is where land and sea collide.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02'It really is the walk of a lifetime.'
0:01:18 > 0:01:20In this episode I'll be exploring the coastline
0:01:20 > 0:01:22of East Devon and Dorset
0:01:22 > 0:01:26on a walk through time, as the coast path cuts through
0:01:26 > 0:01:30some 185 million years of the earth's history.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40I'm starting at Beer Head in Devon,
0:01:40 > 0:01:43with its distinctive white cliffs.
0:01:43 > 0:01:46These are the most westerly chalk cliffs in England,
0:01:46 > 0:01:48and to understand more about them,
0:01:48 > 0:01:50I'm going to have to tear myself away from the coastal path
0:01:50 > 0:01:52and head underground.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00The limestone in the cliffs at Beer Head has been one
0:02:00 > 0:02:03of our most highly prized building materials since the Roman times.
0:02:05 > 0:02:10For almost 2,000 years, it was quarried here at Beer Quarry Caves.
0:02:15 > 0:02:20Today, John Scott runs the caves as a museum.
0:02:20 > 0:02:22This whole thing is so unexpected. Especially that thing,
0:02:22 > 0:02:26- that's the last thing I'd have expected to see.- Well, it must be quite unique, mustn't it?
0:02:26 > 0:02:29This church window was actually carved down here in 58 pieces
0:02:29 > 0:02:31by candlelight in the spring of 1492.
0:02:31 > 0:02:35And that is a great example of how
0:02:35 > 0:02:37fine this Beer stone can be carved, isn't it?
0:02:37 > 0:02:40Oh, yes. Because it has no fossil remains in it,
0:02:40 > 0:02:43it's ideal for very fine-detailed carving.
0:02:43 > 0:02:45But when you take it outside, it dries a creamy white
0:02:45 > 0:02:47and becomes five times harder.
0:02:47 > 0:02:50Whereabouts is Beer stone now?
0:02:50 > 0:02:52You can find it in Westminster Abbey, Tower of London,
0:02:52 > 0:02:54Hampton Court, Windsor Castle.
0:02:54 > 0:02:56In 24 cathedrals.
0:02:56 > 0:02:59So Beer Village is the home of cathedrals.
0:02:59 > 0:03:02Well, they often say that it's the birthplace of cathedrals.
0:03:02 > 0:03:04I would love to see how the stone is extracted, John.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06Let's take you down one of the old working faces
0:03:06 > 0:03:09- and see exactly how it would be done.- Thank you very much.- Yeah.
0:03:14 > 0:03:18Over the centuries, 75 acres of space
0:03:18 > 0:03:20was carved out from Beer caves...
0:03:20 > 0:03:22entirely by hand.
0:03:24 > 0:03:27It feels like a vast underground cathedral.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31But for the quarry men who created it, working conditions were hell.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39I'm glad we were together cos it's a long walk, round here,
0:03:39 > 0:03:41and I absolutely, definitely would have been lost!
0:03:41 > 0:03:43There's nowhere you can stand in this place
0:03:43 > 0:03:45and appreciate the sheer physical size.
0:03:45 > 0:03:49- And every single bit of it by hand. - Cut out by hand.
0:03:49 > 0:03:51There was never any machinery was used here at all.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01It's like a monument to plain hard graft, isn't it?
0:04:01 > 0:04:03It is, yeah.
0:04:03 > 0:04:05But how did they do it? How did they actually cut the stuff?
0:04:05 > 0:04:07It was an evil job.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10I mean, not only was it dangerous, but you were single-handedly
0:04:10 > 0:04:12expected to cut a four-ton block of Beer stone
0:04:12 > 0:04:15out of the blank rock face every day to earn your living.
0:04:16 > 0:04:18- A four-ton block every single day? - Yeah.
0:04:19 > 0:04:23Now, you've got to imagine, you've been working like this 14 solid hours,
0:04:23 > 0:04:25soaked in sweat, you're totally exhausted. You can stop
0:04:25 > 0:04:27but you can't go home.
0:04:27 > 0:04:29Now you stand here shivering.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32You're waiting for a man called the tapstone to come.
0:04:32 > 0:04:33And he carries a hammer,
0:04:33 > 0:04:36and after all the work you have done, you know when he hits the block,
0:04:36 > 0:04:39the Beer stone you've quarried, if it doesn't ring like a bell,
0:04:39 > 0:04:41doesn't ring true, but gives a dull thud,
0:04:41 > 0:04:45you will know the stone is cracked, useless for a mason to carve.
0:04:45 > 0:04:48- So, they won't pay you a penny wages for what you've done.- Oh, no.
0:04:48 > 0:04:52- Bears some thinking about, the true cost of this stone, doesn't it? - That's right.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59The caves and the stories they tell are humbling.
0:04:59 > 0:05:03And they would have been lost forever if it wasn't for John.
0:05:08 > 0:05:11How did you become so involved with this quarry?
0:05:11 > 0:05:14I first got fascinated when I was a kid.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16I used to come down here with some of the last of the old boys who worked here.
0:05:16 > 0:05:21And some while later I heard the quarry company that owned the lease at the time
0:05:21 > 0:05:24were going to blast the whole place flat.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26So, we managed to stop that happening
0:05:26 > 0:05:28in an effort to try and preserve it and keep it open
0:05:28 > 0:05:31so future generations can see what our ancestors did.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34Oh, fantastic. So, you actually saved this place?
0:05:34 > 0:05:37Well, basically, yes. I mean, it came within a few hours of them
0:05:37 > 0:05:40about to blast the whole place flat.
0:05:40 > 0:05:42- Wow.- Otherwise, it would all be gone by now.
0:05:46 > 0:05:51It's unthinkable that these caves were nearly destroyed.
0:05:51 > 0:05:54But thanks to John, they're a haunting reminder
0:05:54 > 0:05:58of the extraordinary efforts that went into quarrying this highly-prized stone.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11I'm back in the fresh air and heading towards
0:06:11 > 0:06:13the shingle beach of Charmouth.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19This stretch of coast suffers from constant landslips
0:06:19 > 0:06:23and, as a result, the coast path has been diverted inland.
0:06:25 > 0:06:27It's frustrating for walkers,
0:06:27 > 0:06:30but for fossil hunters like Phil Davidson,
0:06:30 > 0:06:33the erosion here is a reason to jump for joy.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36- Up here?- Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just round a bit further.
0:06:39 > 0:06:43What we like is a big storm because that washes the fossils
0:06:43 > 0:06:44out of the mud slide,
0:06:44 > 0:06:46cos the fossils are a lot harder than the mud
0:06:46 > 0:06:49that they have become fossilised in, so they just wash loose
0:06:49 > 0:06:51- onto the beach.- Why is this a perfect place for fossils?
0:06:51 > 0:06:56Well, it's because of the geology here. You can see the cliffs behind us are made up of layers.
0:06:56 > 0:06:58Now, these layers were at the bottom of the sea floor
0:06:58 > 0:07:00200 million years ago.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03So, that's one of the best chances in the country that people will have
0:07:03 > 0:07:06- of finding their own fossils? - Yeah, it's world famous, here, for finding fossils.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09One of the best places in the country, if not the world.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11- But you have to know where to look for them.- OK!
0:07:11 > 0:07:13- So, that is where we're going to go. - Let's go.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21It seems to me there is a fossil hunter in all of us.
0:07:21 > 0:07:22I mean it's entirely natural...
0:07:24 > 0:07:27- Can you see one there?- No.
0:07:27 > 0:07:29- Oh, yes!- This great big ammonite here. It's looking very...
0:07:29 > 0:07:31No wonder I didn't see him, he's so big(!)
0:07:31 > 0:07:33THEY LAUGH
0:07:33 > 0:07:35It's quite hard to see. Sometimes when they're wet,
0:07:35 > 0:07:36you can see them a little bit better.
0:07:36 > 0:07:40- Is that right?- So...- Oh, yeah, look at this.
0:07:41 > 0:07:44- And what is this?- So, this is a really big ammonite.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47So, it's one of the spiral-shaped fossils here.
0:07:47 > 0:07:49These creatures were swimming around underneath the sea
0:07:49 > 0:07:52and died out when the dinosaurs did, 65 million years ago.
0:07:52 > 0:07:56This bit here is where the creature lived inside, like a big squid
0:07:56 > 0:07:59with its head and tentacles sticking out of the end.
0:08:00 > 0:08:02So, when you are walking along the beach, you need to know
0:08:02 > 0:08:05a little bit about basic geology as to where to look, I suppose.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08Definitely, yeah. So, it's just on that tide line that you want to look,
0:08:08 > 0:08:11- cos it's the sea that churns everything up.- Right.
0:08:11 > 0:08:13So, you only want to look as far as the tide's been.
0:08:17 > 0:08:21- So, it's a good place to stop and have a good old rummage.- Right.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27True to his word, Phil's found us the perfect spot.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30It's not long before I find my first fossil.
0:08:30 > 0:08:32- Look at that one!- That's perfect.
0:08:32 > 0:08:36- So, that's one of the fool's gold ammonites. That's brilliant.- Wow.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40I'm not joking, this is a great thing to do.
0:08:40 > 0:08:43Some people think that we make them and scatter them on the beaches
0:08:43 > 0:08:45for people to find, just cos they are so perfect!
0:08:45 > 0:08:46THEY LAUGH
0:08:50 > 0:08:51- I'm not moving.- Yeah!
0:08:51 > 0:08:53THEY LAUGH
0:08:53 > 0:08:55We've got a little gold mine going on down here.
0:08:55 > 0:08:57What better way to spend a sunny day?
0:09:05 > 0:09:07- Just one hour we have been on this beach...- Yeah.
0:09:07 > 0:09:09- ..and look at these treasures. - Not a bad haul, is it?
0:09:09 > 0:09:12You just need an expert, maybe.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15But, if you think, we're the first people to see these.
0:09:15 > 0:09:17They've been hiding on this beach for 200 million years.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20So, you've got 200 million years of history in your hands there.
0:09:20 > 0:09:22Absolutely great. Thank you very much.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25- That's all right. My pleasure.- Yeah.
0:09:37 > 0:09:40With my pockets full of fossils, I'm back on the path,
0:09:40 > 0:09:44and heading through the long grasses of West Hay Farm.
0:09:55 > 0:09:59This is one of the oldest wildflower meadows in the country.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02The land here at West Hay Farm has been farmed
0:10:02 > 0:10:06without modern machinery or fertilisers for over 100 years,
0:10:06 > 0:10:10and as a result, it's just bursting with rare plants and flowers.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15Of all the species here, the green-winged orchids
0:10:15 > 0:10:17are the most prolific.
0:10:17 > 0:10:20They carpet the hillside in purple.
0:10:20 > 0:10:24It's a beautiful spot to slow the pace and enjoy the scenery.
0:10:32 > 0:10:33And it's well needed,
0:10:33 > 0:10:38as I'm about to tackle one of the steepest climbs on the whole path,
0:10:38 > 0:10:40the mighty Golden Cap.
0:10:41 > 0:10:45The top of Golden Cap is the highest point on the south coast.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48But if I have learned one thing walking the South West Coastal Path so far,
0:10:48 > 0:10:51it's wherever there's a hill, there's a killer view in store.
0:11:09 > 0:11:11There you go. What did I tell you?
0:11:21 > 0:11:24I'm leaving the heights of Golden Cap
0:11:24 > 0:11:27and heading across the vast shingle ridge of Chesil Beach.
0:11:33 > 0:11:37The coast path here runs right beside Abbotsbury Swannery,
0:11:37 > 0:11:39the only managed colony of mute swans in the world.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44You can come straight on in if you like.
0:11:44 > 0:11:46- I'd love to.- Come and have a close encounter.
0:11:46 > 0:11:48Swanherd David Wheeler looks after them.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53Well, I've never been quite so close to so many swans.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56- It's impressive, isn't it?- It's an incredibly unique experience.- An amazing place.
0:11:56 > 0:12:00- How many birds are here?- There's probably close to 600 altogether.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02So, all these birds are wild?
0:12:02 > 0:12:04Absolutely. They're free to go at any time.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07They only here because they want to be here.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10Swans are protected by the Queen, aren't they?
0:12:10 > 0:12:14Yes, the Crown have very special rights over swans.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16But the truth is that the ones that hatch here
0:12:16 > 0:12:18belong to the owners of the swannery,
0:12:18 > 0:12:21and they've been responsible for this
0:12:21 > 0:12:23all the way back to King Henry VIII.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35The swans here are fed three times a day.
0:12:35 > 0:12:37I've arrived at lunchtime,
0:12:37 > 0:12:41so I'm going to join the waiter service.
0:12:41 > 0:12:43A little at a time. We can woosh it around.
0:12:52 > 0:12:54As we're feeding the birds, Dave gets wind
0:12:54 > 0:12:56that a clutch of eggs are hatching,
0:12:56 > 0:12:59So, we hightail it over to the nesting pair.
0:13:00 > 0:13:03So, we could actually see some young ones popping out of the eggs.
0:13:03 > 0:13:08It is possible, if we... We need a little bit of luck.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11She's actually in the process of hatching now.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14- Is that right?- It is, yes.
0:13:14 > 0:13:15How can you tell?
0:13:15 > 0:13:17Well, she's holding her wings like an umbrella.
0:13:17 > 0:13:21She's trying to shelter the young underneath.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24She got eight eggs under her, and there's a lot of action there.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26So, it must be quite uncomfortable for her.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31- I can see one little one.- Yes.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34- Little grey one. Look, there he is! - Yes, indeed.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38That's a beautiful looking chick.
0:13:44 > 0:13:47It's the most exciting of times, really.
0:13:47 > 0:13:51She's been incubating for 35 days and she was due to hatch today,
0:13:51 > 0:13:52and she is bang on time.
0:13:56 > 0:13:59This is such a unique experience, Dave. I mean, not everybody gets to see this.
0:13:59 > 0:14:02No, indeed. I don't think it's anywhere else
0:14:02 > 0:14:05that people can be this close to swans' eggs to watch them hatch.
0:14:11 > 0:14:15When the chicks are a couple of days old, Dave and his team tag them.
0:14:21 > 0:14:23Upsetting the parent birds can be a risky business,
0:14:23 > 0:14:25so Dave works quickly.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31- You made that look pretty easy, Dave.- Went reasonably well, yes.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34- Look, there's a whole bucket full of cygnets.- Absolutely. Yes.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36- Very cute, aren't they?- Right. What do we do now?
0:14:36 > 0:14:40- We take them a safe distance away and we'll do the work. - All right, deal. Hello!
0:14:42 > 0:14:44We'll pass one to Steve,
0:14:44 > 0:14:48- and he'll try to find out if it's a male or a female.- All right.
0:14:48 > 0:14:52- It's a female.- That's a female, right.- Yeah, OK.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55You hold it, and Dave will take it.
0:14:57 > 0:14:59- I need you to present it to me. - Right.
0:14:59 > 0:15:00I need to see...
0:15:00 > 0:15:03As it's a female, we use the right web.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06- Right. Hang on.- And... That's good.- Get it the other way round.
0:15:06 > 0:15:08And just show me the web and you might even be able to hold it.
0:15:08 > 0:15:11- That's the left one.- That's the left, you're right. Thank you, thank you.
0:15:11 > 0:15:15- There's the right one.- Can you hold that? That's perfect, perfect.
0:15:16 > 0:15:18If you could twist this way a little.
0:15:18 > 0:15:19That's good.
0:15:19 > 0:15:20- How's that?- That's perfect.
0:15:22 > 0:15:23That's good.
0:15:23 > 0:15:24Oh, yeah? Beautiful.
0:15:24 > 0:15:25There you go, number 308.
0:15:25 > 0:15:27- That goes into there.- There you go.
0:15:29 > 0:15:31All done.
0:15:31 > 0:15:33All right, Dave.
0:15:33 > 0:15:34Good stuff.
0:15:34 > 0:15:36So now I'm going to run these back and I'm going
0:15:36 > 0:15:38to get her to follow them.
0:15:38 > 0:15:39All right, come see.
0:15:39 > 0:15:41OK...
0:15:44 > 0:15:47Now, if the cygnets get lost on the lake, Dave will be
0:15:47 > 0:15:50able to return them to the safety of their parents.
0:15:53 > 0:15:56- So, now newly tagged, they're going in the water?- Indeed, yes.
0:15:58 > 0:16:00They're a bit unsteady on their feet.
0:16:00 > 0:16:02They'll probably be a little bit unsteady in
0:16:02 > 0:16:03the water.
0:16:03 > 0:16:05They're a little bit wobbly the first time in.
0:16:06 > 0:16:09But they soon get the hang of it and start to explore
0:16:09 > 0:16:11their beautiful home for the first time.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27The swannery is perched on the edge of the Fleet Lagoon,
0:16:27 > 0:16:30a 13-mile stretch of water that separates the mainland
0:16:30 > 0:16:31from Chesil Beach.
0:16:40 > 0:16:42I'm following the coast path as it traces the lagoon's
0:16:42 > 0:16:46inner edge and rounds the headland towards Portland and Weymouth.
0:16:50 > 0:16:52There's one spot here that dominates the horizon.
0:16:57 > 0:17:00The sheltered waters here at Weymouth and Portland offer some of the finest
0:17:00 > 0:17:03sailing conditions in the world.
0:17:03 > 0:17:06And that's why, in 2012, they were selected to host
0:17:06 > 0:17:10the sailing events for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
0:17:12 > 0:17:16It was then that Helena Lucas made history when she became Britain's
0:17:16 > 0:17:19first-ever Paralympic sailing gold medallist.
0:17:21 > 0:17:23Right, so this is she.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25- This is it. The mighty ship. - It actually looks all right.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28This isn't what I sail in the Paralympics,
0:17:28 > 0:17:31but it's a good boat for us for today.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34- It must be heavier than what you'd normally sail, Helena. - Well, actually...
0:17:34 > 0:17:37'She's going to give me a few sailing tips.'
0:17:40 > 0:17:42Well, I must say, I'm really looking forward to this.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45How often does someone like me get to sail with an Olympic gold medallist?
0:17:45 > 0:17:48I'm pleased to be able to give you that opportunity and, you know,
0:17:48 > 0:17:50we could do with a little more wind today,
0:17:50 > 0:17:52but I think it should be a nice, pleasant sail out there.
0:17:52 > 0:17:54I'm very, very keen to get on the water with you.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56What do we do next?
0:17:56 > 0:17:58- I think we'll get this boat in the water, shall we?- All right.
0:17:59 > 0:18:03'I've done a fair bit of sailing, but I'm always keen to improve,
0:18:03 > 0:18:06'so Helena's going to teach me a few racing manoeuvres.'
0:18:14 > 0:18:16- OK, so here we go, so your helm going down.- OK.
0:18:16 > 0:18:18OK. Stay, stay, stay.
0:18:20 > 0:18:22OK, and move.
0:18:22 > 0:18:23THEY LAUGH
0:18:23 > 0:18:24Oh, caught.
0:18:24 > 0:18:26Caught on the camera. OK.
0:18:26 > 0:18:28Cool.
0:18:28 > 0:18:29Should we try it again?
0:18:29 > 0:18:30Yeah, let's try again.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32- OK, right, are you ready? - Yeah.- Here we go.
0:18:34 > 0:18:36That's it. Change the sheet.
0:18:38 > 0:18:40- And then we move.- Got it.
0:18:41 > 0:18:43- Yeah, because it helps us round.- Yeah.
0:18:43 > 0:18:46Basically, what we're doing is we're using the sails to steer the
0:18:46 > 0:18:49boat so I don't have to use that so much.
0:18:49 > 0:18:52- Which would slow us down. - Which slows us down. It's like a break.- Hey, that's great.
0:18:52 > 0:18:54Hey, I got a racing tip from Helena.
0:18:54 > 0:18:55- HE LAUGHS - Exactly.
0:18:55 > 0:18:59- Well, you can't come sailing with a gold medallist and not learn something.- You're telling me!
0:18:59 > 0:19:00HE LAUGHS
0:19:00 > 0:19:02- Cool, should we have a go at another one?- Yeah, dead right.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04- OK, ready?- Yeah. - OK, so turn in the boat.- Yeah.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08OK, that's it. Do the gybe.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12- And now we move.- That's clever.
0:19:23 > 0:19:26It is just great to see them having so much fun.
0:19:26 > 0:19:30'Helena was born without thumbs, but that hasn't held her back.
0:19:30 > 0:19:35'She's been beating Weymouth's champion sailors ever since she was a kid.'
0:19:38 > 0:19:41It sounds a bit crazy, but in some ways I, kind of, feel almost,
0:19:41 > 0:19:43sort of, fortunate to actually have been born without thumbs,
0:19:43 > 0:19:46because I don't know any different.
0:19:46 > 0:19:49As a kid, my mum was told that I wouldn't be able to use scissors
0:19:49 > 0:19:52and I'd struggle writing and I don't think
0:19:52 > 0:19:54there is anything that I can't do.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58You'd describe this as an able-bodied boat, probably.
0:19:58 > 0:20:00But, you know, I can sail anything.
0:20:01 > 0:20:05- Sailing works for you but, with your spirit, it could have been anything. - Yeah.
0:20:05 > 0:20:06Who knows, who knows?
0:20:13 > 0:20:16Well, it's not the fastest sail in the world, but it is fun.
0:20:16 > 0:20:19Yeah, I think that's the beauty about sailing - it's never boring.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22These waters always hold a special place in my heart as this is where I
0:20:22 > 0:20:25won my gold medal, so it's always a pleasure for me to be out here.
0:20:25 > 0:20:29- Well, thanks for sharing it, Helena. It's absolutely brilliant.- No, my pleasure.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40I'm leaving the sporting waters of Weymouth behind me
0:20:40 > 0:20:42and getting back to the path.
0:20:47 > 0:20:51At White Nothe, the geology changes again as the path rollercoasters
0:20:51 > 0:20:54along sheer white cliffs.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10Around this part of the coast, most of the limestone has been eroded by
0:21:10 > 0:21:14the sea, but what remains has formed one of the most famous geological
0:21:14 > 0:21:15formations in the world.
0:21:17 > 0:21:18Durdle Door.
0:21:28 > 0:21:33A popular spot and one of the most photographed sites on the South West Coast Path.
0:21:37 > 0:21:38Well, when in Rome...
0:21:46 > 0:21:50Durdle Door isn't the only big hitter on this stretch.
0:21:50 > 0:21:54The perfect horseshoe-shaped bay of Lulworth Cove draws the crowds too.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58Derry Billings is the ranger here.
0:22:01 > 0:22:03Well, I can see why it's so popular down here.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05It's absolutely beautiful, isn't it?
0:22:05 > 0:22:08It certainly is, yeah, but, I mean, for me the best way to explore it
0:22:08 > 0:22:11is by getting outside of the busy area, getting out there
0:22:11 > 0:22:15to see what the unique bit of the Jurassic Coast is all about.
0:22:15 > 0:22:19- Shall we go and have a bit of an explore?- I'll follow you, yes! - Follow me. Let's go.
0:22:33 > 0:22:35- Look at that, Derry, look.- Yeah. Here we go.
0:22:35 > 0:22:36Just the way that's opening up.
0:22:36 > 0:22:38Now we come out, and we can see the whole Jurassic Coast.
0:22:49 > 0:22:51So, what's going on here geologically, then?
0:22:51 > 0:22:54It's what I'd call a soft rock sandwich.
0:22:54 > 0:22:55So, what's in the sandwich?
0:22:55 > 0:22:58So we've got hard layers, so Portland limestone, which is out the front there,
0:22:58 > 0:23:01famous for building all over the world, really.
0:23:01 > 0:23:03Then we've got quite resistant chalk at the back
0:23:03 > 0:23:06and then three softer rocks sandwiched in the middle.
0:23:06 > 0:23:10- It's the way to remember geology. - Yeah, that's right. - Is as a rock sandwich.- Yeah.
0:23:10 > 0:23:11DERRY LAUGHS
0:23:11 > 0:23:14So, the cove formation has been what I call a coincidence of events.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17First, we had our different rock layers, our sandwich,
0:23:17 > 0:23:20then we had some uplift, tectonic activity pushing them around,
0:23:20 > 0:23:25and the final, kind of, icing on the cake, really, was when a glacial meltwater river
0:23:25 > 0:23:27came down through the soft layers
0:23:27 > 0:23:29and it punched a hole in the hard layers.
0:23:29 > 0:23:32So, it's the glaciers that opened up the cove?
0:23:32 > 0:23:37That's right. Then, once this was breached, the sea could come in and scoop out the soft layers.
0:23:37 > 0:23:38- This is a great place.- Yeah. - Thank you.
0:23:38 > 0:23:40- Shall we keep going, then? - Yes, please.
0:23:53 > 0:23:54Right, Paul.
0:23:54 > 0:23:58So, we're coming up to another little spot along the Jurassic Coast here that's called Stair Hole.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02To be honest, if you thought the geology back in Lulworth Cove was good,
0:24:02 > 0:24:05this place is going to absolutely blow your socks off. It's my favourite place
0:24:05 > 0:24:07along the coast line here.
0:24:07 > 0:24:10- Let's have a look.- Pop in there. Yes, please.- Yeah, let's go.
0:24:12 > 0:24:16Now, when we go in, Paul, what I want you to do is look up to your right.
0:24:18 > 0:24:22- That is what we call the Lulworth Crumple.- Oh, yes.
0:24:23 > 0:24:25- That is beautiful. - Yeah, absolutely stunning.
0:24:27 > 0:24:28Different layers of rocks.
0:24:28 > 0:24:31Some hard, some soft, that have been uplifted
0:24:31 > 0:24:35through the same processes that made the Alps and the Pyrenees.
0:24:35 > 0:24:36That is our answer to the Alps.
0:24:38 > 0:24:40'The Lulworth crumple might not be quite as big as
0:24:40 > 0:24:44'the Alps, but the detailed patterns in the rock are stunning.'
0:24:45 > 0:24:48If you're studying geography and geology, this
0:24:48 > 0:24:49is the place to be.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52All of those things you learn at school happening right here.
0:24:55 > 0:24:56- Shall we head off?- Yeah.
0:24:56 > 0:24:58- That way?- That way.
0:24:58 > 0:24:59PAUL LAUGHS
0:25:01 > 0:25:04I've learned so much about this World Heritage
0:25:04 > 0:25:07coastline, but my next stop marks the end of the Jurassic Coast.
0:25:38 > 0:25:42These striking formations are known as the Old Harry Rocks.
0:25:42 > 0:25:44They were once part of a vast chalk ridge that, just a
0:25:44 > 0:25:49few thousand years ago, connected this mainland to the Isle of Wight.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01The pounding waves that hit the shore after the last Ice Age have
0:26:01 > 0:26:04polished the cliffs here to a dazzling white.
0:26:05 > 0:26:09And worked away at the soft rock to create arches and sea stacks.
0:26:14 > 0:26:19They are a final reminder of the dynamic and ever-changing nature of our coastline.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38I'm now on the home straight of my epic walk on the
0:26:38 > 0:26:39South West Coast Path.
0:26:44 > 0:26:48All that remains is the two and a half miles of sandy beach here at Studland.
0:26:59 > 0:27:04I've explored so many incredible places along Britain's longest and finest footpath.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14From the heights of Exmoor...
0:27:16 > 0:27:18..to the golden sands of Porthcurno.
0:27:20 > 0:27:21Firing the gun!
0:27:21 > 0:27:23'From getting hands-on with history...'
0:27:23 > 0:27:24GUN FIRES
0:27:24 > 0:27:26Oh! Fantastic!
0:27:26 > 0:27:28STEAM TRAIN WHISTLES
0:27:28 > 0:27:30'..to letting off steam.'
0:27:31 > 0:27:34I'm driving a steam train!
0:27:34 > 0:27:36'It's been every bit as beautiful...'
0:27:36 > 0:27:38Fly, fly, fly. Come on.
0:27:38 > 0:27:39Wow!
0:27:40 > 0:27:41'..satisfying...'
0:27:42 > 0:27:43Hmm. Perfect.
0:27:45 > 0:27:46Good effort, Paul.
0:27:46 > 0:27:47'..and fun...'
0:27:47 > 0:27:48Slide here!
0:27:48 > 0:27:50'..as I could have hoped for.'
0:27:59 > 0:28:01Well, here I am.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04South Haven Point, the official end of the
0:28:04 > 0:28:08South West Coast Path, or start, depending which way you're going.
0:28:09 > 0:28:11But, you know, it's true what they say -
0:28:11 > 0:28:16a good walk isn't really about the destination, but the journey.
0:28:16 > 0:28:18And, boy, what a journey it's been.