Season: autumn
A bright, blowy day greeted me at Hengistbury Head for this visit. From my high vantage point on the Head, the morning sun lit the long beach, which stretches west down to Bournemouth and beyond. To the east are The Needles and the Isle of Wight and behind, to the north, is Mudeford Sandbank, a sand spit that protects Christchurch harbour and its little boats. On this occasion the picturesque beach huts on the sand offered a wistful memory of the warm summer that had just passed.
Barbara and Lorraine share their beach eulogies.
On top of Hengistbury Head in the sunshine.
Season: spring
What a stunning location this is. As you stand on top of Hengistbury Head, surrounded by outrageously bright yellow gorse in the spring time, you feel as if you are looking at an endless beach, all the way west in an arc to the beach at Swanage on the Isle of Purbeck. Looking north, Mudeford Sandbank is laid out in front of you, with the lake to its left. Down on the beach below the cliffs, Mike and Pat referenced the close family associations that the beach holds for them and the sense of release from tension and hassle that it offers as a permanent tonic.
What the beach means to Pat and Mike.
A superb location on the beach at Hengistbury Head.
Season: autumn
Also known as Solent Beach, the beach below Hengistbury Head is one of the the least commercialised in the Bournemouth area. Most people refer to it as Hengistbury Head beach. The beach itself is a mix of sand and shingle, framed by the high, crumbling cliff-face of Hengistbury Head itself. Although there are sea defences here, it’s a quiet, natural place. There is no lifeguard on this beach and care needs to be taken near the cliff.
Wild nature and memories pull Nigel and Jo away from Bath to revisit Hengistbury Head.
A view of the beach at Hengistbury Head, as seen from the cliffs on a stormy day.
