Isle of Purbeck - Chapman's Pool

I s l e o f P u r b e c k - i n d e t a i l

Chapman's Pool is something of an idyllic place, partly because few folk actually descend to it, and partly because excepting the fisherman's sheds there is nothing there.
One approach is by sea where you can drop anchor and row ashore.

Chapman's Pool
Besides that, there are a number of ways by land, none of them simple or easy.

If walking the coastal path from the direction of Swanage you will have passed Durslton with it's Castle and Country Park, Anvil Point and the Lighthouse, Dancing Ledge, Seacombe, Winspit, and up to St. Aldhelm's Head with it's Chapel and cottages.

From here you can continue on the defined coastal path and inland a little around the back of what is Chapman's Pool. You can achieve some perception of what a delightful spot it is from this path, and continue along same gaining height on to Hounstout Cliff, continuing past Encombe House laying inland and past Swyre Head above you.

Fisherman's huts/sheds
To actually go down into Chapman's Pool does present an exercise in it's own right. If you are walking from St. Aldhelm's Head you can in fact drop down onto to the shore below what is Emmetts Hill, but, such and expedition should not be taken lightly or alone. Depending on the time of year the terrain can be so different, with the possibility of sliding or tumbling some distance being a possibility. Local knowledge or guidance counts for a lot here.

From top to bottom is in the order of 400 feet.

  If you choose to stay on high over Emmett's Hill you can of course descend before you run into Hill Bottom, again it can be steep, you can as easily slide on dry ground as on wet.
  Moving through Hill Bottom does lose you some height and give you a clamber down Hill Bottom itself.
  Further round you are back to a possible slippery descent.

  If you want to drive there, it cannot be done. Whilst there is a road/track all the way to the huts by the shore, it is private and only walkable.
  Driving there sensibly involves driving into and through Worth Matravers until you effectively can go no further at Renscombe Farm, here you turn left on a track for a couple of hundred yards until you can turn into a car park.
  Here you leave the car and head west on foot for about a quarter mile where you hit the coastal path. Here you can see where you want to go and make your best judgement how you climb down.

If perhaps you are walking from Worth you could turn right at Renscombe Farm and round the back of the farm on to the Hill Bottom track and south to the Pool for the same descent.

Hill Bottom originates with Coombe Bottom in and around Swanworth Quarries and can be a trickle or a serious stream depending on the time of year.

The next walk from point is at Afflington Barn on the Langton to Kingston road where there is a designated footpath for over a mile and a half. If you prefer from Kingston just walk down South Street and keep going which will take you to the coastal path, roughly the same distance, and a turn east/left when you get on it.

Quite a popular walk is to start from the Square and Compass in Worth Matravers and walk almost straight on to the Seacombe or Winspit footpaths, south to the coastal path, turn west to St. Aldhelm's Head, north to Hill Bottom, and then a leisurely amble back east to Worth Tea Shop. In so doing you see Chapman's Pool as in the picture above, 400 feet below !
This is roughly a 5 mile round trip.

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