Exploring the Bournemouth Coast Path

The coast path at Milford-on-Sea is expected to be closed immediately after the August Bank Holiday weekend.

Bad weather earlier this month resulted in heavy seas destroying a groyne and as a result a sea wall has been undermined. 

The section of path being closed from Tuesday 26 August is between the clifftop toilets next to the refreshment kiosk west of the village and the White House. 

Heavy machinery will be depositing rocks below the path. At worst the diversion will be by way of the parallel Cliff Road which runs into Milford.

Sandbanks Ferry is running normally this morning.

Overnight repairs were successful and the ferry is ready for a busy August Bank Holiday weekend. In addition to the normal cars, cyclists and coast path walkers there is expected to be extra traffic due to the annual Studland Country Fair.

The service is due to continue daily until 22 September.

See page 20.

Sandbanks Ferry has been closed from about 1.30pm today following a breakdown. 

It is understood that a chain snapped. 

There had been concern just after 12 noon when an alarm sounded as the ferry was about to load on the Sandbanks side. The crew started an evacuation of foot passengers and cyclists who had just boarded but the all-clear was given after a few minutes. 

There are hopes of an overnight repair.

Wilts & Dorset set up an emergency bus service via Wareham which took 90 minutes to reach Bournemouth from Swanage. Passengers arriving at Shell Bay on buses from Studland were carried across the harbour entrance ten at a time in a small vessel. 

The annual 8 week ferry refit is due to start on 22 September.

News that an open-top bus on the Swanage to Bournemouth route fell on to its side yesterday will have come as a surprise to many. 

The accident was on the ferry road near Studland and involved two cars. Fortunately the bus came down on gorse giving maybe a softer landing than might be possible in an urban area. 

However, the remote spot meant that emergency services took some time to reach the injured. The ferry and road were closed to traffic to allow ambulances to reach the scene as quickly as possible.

All those hurt had been released from hospital by evening. A car driver has been arrested.

The bus was the 9.45am from Swanage which is one of few scheduled buses on the 50 route which is sometimes not an open-top. 

This year the Wilts & Dorset 150 bus route was renumbered 50 with the Bournemouth end of the routebeing changed from The Square to the more handy Bournemouth Station.