4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[bluekarin]

We are off to the beach on Friday (weather forecast is looking positive ). We usually go to Mudeford or Sandbanks, but I was looking for somewhere different. I have found West Bay and Eype which both look lovely and was wondering if any of you had been there. Or even if anyone has some recomendations. We are a bit limited as to where we can go; ED is still using a crutch and uses a wheelchair for longer distances, so we can't do any long cliff walks to get there.

[Guest]

I was about to suggest sandbanks, oh well. Sorry, don't know anywhere else.

[Joojoo]

I love Mudeford I spent hours and hours and hours when I was growing up crab fishing there

[Guest]

we used to go to weymouth every year in the caravan when we were little, is that too far?

[bluekarin]

No its not too far, Eype and West Beach are further along from there, but it is a nightmare to get to. I was looking for something slightly off the popular track, but isn't everyone?

[Joojoo]

What about Lulworth Cove? One of my fav places in the whole world

[Guest]

ooooooooooo we've been there too when we little! It's all coming back to me now

[Joojoo]

It's just lovely there. Especially the little cafe that does the most divine cream teas oops I've put on a couple of pound just thinking about that

[bluekarin]

Lulworth is beautiful. We went there a little while ago. Bit chilly, but a there was a beautiful blue sky day and we had hot choc from a flask so were toasty. But, its quite a steep walk down to the beach and with ED in a wheelchair, going down hills is not much fun.

[Joojoo]

Is there a car park nearer to the bottom or at a pub so that you don't have to walk or push a wheelchair too far? I'm sure there is somewhere not just the car park at the top.

 

If it was me, given the circumstances I'd ring up the pub in advance and ask if you could pay to park there for the day? I don't know how close this one is but it doesn't look far from the map http://www.lulworth-cove.co.uk/

[Valkyrie]

Boscombe has zig zag paths and towards Southbourne there is a lift. Very long promenades all the way from Highcliffe to Bournemouth. If you go on the ferry across the other side of Sandbanks you could go to Swanage or Studland. Kimmeridge has a disabled access I think, but then there isn't sand, it is stones and rocks but with lots of fossils. Lyme Regis is nice too, but you would need to park in the harbour area otherwise the larger car park is at the top of a very steep hill. Lots to do and see at sea level though.

Lulworth - just make sure you go when they aren't firing missiles into the sea there!

[bluekarin]

The car park is near to the bottom (the pub doesn't have its own) but there is still a steep walk down. But thank you for looking for me

[Joojoo]

It was worth a try Hopefully you have a lovely day out wherever you go.

[ClaireG]

Branksome Chime is nice but you may have been there as it's very close to Sandbanks.

 

Shell Bay?

 

Beautiful sandy beach backed by sand dunes.

 

Shell Bay is a beautiful sandy beach with easy access by road or ferry. The fine sand is ideal for building sand castles and there are dunes to explore too. There is also a woodland nature trail behind the beach. The water is clean and safe and great for swimming. There is a café and toilet, including facilities for the disabled, close by.

 

What's on offer...

 

* Sandy

* Toilets

* Disabled Access

* Cafe / Shop

* Dunes

* Sailing

* Windsurfing

* Wildlife Reserve

* Parking available

[Cinnamon]

We used to have all our childhood holidays in West bay, & while its a nice place the beach is nothing special.

 

My favourite is Chesil beach, as its just beautiful

[craftyhunnypie]

Lulworth cove is just stunning. I also like the hippy that is there painting shells! It is a right tourist trap though - very pricey car park & gets packed!

 

Emma.x

[chickencam]

We love Seatown, there is a camping and caravan site just up from the beach called Golden Cap which we have both camped at and stayed in a caravan. There is a car park fairly close to the beach with a tarmac road down from it. Just by the beach is a pub that serves great beer and food and has a cliff top beer garden. There are also toilets and a beach shop and ice cream kiosk. The beach is pebbles and shingle but it is a lovely spot.

 

If you want somewhere sandy Lyme Regis may be worth a visit, much more touristy but everything from the carpark is fairly level (the main street of the town is on a hill but there are plenty of amusements and icecream shops etc on the level)

[Cinnamon]

I know that pub at Seatown - had many a Christmas Day drinkie in there, as my grandparents lived just down the road opposite the biscuit factory

 

Yes,the beach there is very nice too, sheltered & fairly quiet.

[chickencam]

mmm biscuit factory They don't do mishapes in big plastic bags anymore, they used to be sooo nice

[Guest]

Its already been mentioned, but Highcliffe.. There is a 'castle' and tearoom on the top of the cliff, and a long wooden staircase down to a sandy beach. Playpark on the cliff a little way along.

[Yorkshire Pudding]

I spent several holidays in Eype in the 80s and had my first summer job waitressing in the tea room there! I couldn't stand the sight of clotted cream for years after that!

 

The beach is pebbly and although it's lovely, certainly at that time I would have said the access for wheelchair/crutch users wouldn't be easy. The car park was up on the cliffside, not very high up but a few hundred yards walk down to the beach. Also the road to Eype doesn't go anywhere else, so if you arrive and it's heaving, you have to go quite a way back towards Bridport to get onto the coast road to anywhere else. Having said that, it is a nice beach and we spent a lot of very happy times there as kids - it's good for fossil hunting if you enjoy that, although it would be tricky on crutches!

 

I would say that Seatown would be a better option in terms of access and it is lovely there.

[littleleicesterfox]

I used to holiday in my youth at Dorset and had DH not gone to hospital t'other week we'd be there now!

 

I'd echo the others, Branksome Chine is nice and so is Luworth (although I've only been there once and it was a horrible day!) and Shell Bay is stunning but more commercialised these days . For something a bit different, have you considered Kimmeridge Bay? It's a rocky shelf more than a beach but is really interesting, lots of fossils. Also maybe on Brownsea Island from the Sandbanks Ferry but I don't know how accesible that is.

[Valkyrie]

With regard to Brown Sea Island, it is very easy and wheelchair friendly paths. Not sure about getting on and off the boat though. Lovely with lots of red squirrels bouncing everywhere.

[Guest]

yes lulworth cove is not that big and such a shame its got so crowded and touristy,

if you want a beach of sand then sandbanks it again busy, Boscombe has a nice sandy beach but hilly just to get to the promenade then its flat. In the summer you can park on the promenade but it is pricey or hire a beach hut(again pricey).

Bournemouth is the flatter end from Boscome but when my kids were babies I use to walk from Boscombe to the pier at Bournemouth and through the gardens to the shops(its flat and a little train usually runs along the front if you cant make it). You can grab and ice cream or coffee on the way too, plenty to do here.

 

Lyme regis is nice and I do like Weymouth as well which is sandy but busy, For interest Chesil beach is nice but it is a beach of stones which go up to big pebbles the sea at chesil is not that safe though!

 

oh so much to do in Dorset area....lucky you.

 

indie

[Guest]

One other place is get the ferry across from Sandbanks to swanage (village of Corfe..not much to see at ruins of corfe castly but pretty village) nice beaches as you get off ferry sand dunes..

indie

ps caught my first mackeral off swanage and had it for breakfast next day..urghh was about 13 ...um