Southbourne zigzags are a more energetic walk from my Southbourne B and B

If you are looking for a more energetic walk from my B and B in Southbourne, the zigzags are for you because they connect the Southbourne Overcliff with its significant drop to the Southbourne beaches.

The closest zigzag to Newpoint Hotel B and B is Gordon's Zigzag. The zigzag ensures that the drop is not too steep but it certainly isn't the same as a leisurely level walk on Southbourne Overcliff.


Seats are provided for those who want to enjoy the view or take a rest and there are plenty of plants and bird life to look at, depending on the season.

As they say, going down is easy but the coming up is the challenge, depending on your level of fitness.


I love Gordon's Zigzag and must find out one day where the name came from. If you know, I'd love to hear in the comments below :-)

Bed and breakfast then a gentle walk along Southbourne Overcliff from my B and B

On a Sunday, there is nothing I like better than to climb out of bed, enjoy a lovely full English breakfast and then take a leisurely walk from my B and B in Pinecliffe Avenue, Southbourne, Bournemouth to the Southbourne Overcliff. It's just a short flat walk which is about right for a Sunday morning :-)

Whether in Summer or Winter, there is always something to see and, on a warm day, there are some really great hidden away places to just sit and smell the scents of the plants and enjoy the view over the sea to Hengistbury Head.

The Southbourne Overcliff was declared a Local Nature Reserve (LNR) in 2007 and with Boscombe Overcliff amounts to around 23 acres, rich in wildlife and geology and containing some rare species and plants.

I especially love the patches of gorse which provide an ideal nesting habitat for birds such as the Stonechat and the internationally protected Dartford warbler. Only yesterday, I saw a Stonechat and even got a photo of a low hovering Kestrel. Stonechats are delightfully perky little birds with a short scrunching cry. I'm hoping to get a photo of a Stonechat to put here soon so watch this space.

The acid and sandy grassland encourages a community of plants that can only be found in a few other places in Britain. Species include hairy birds-foot trefoil and mossy stonecrop, according to my husband, Noel, who knows much more about this sort of thing than I do and who is an avid ornithologist and plant spotter.

In recent years the wall lizard and green lizard, neither of which are native to mainland Britain, have also made an intriguing appearance. I love sitting in the sun on the Southbourne Overcliff, especially when there are lots of butterflies. Noel tells me to look closely and I might see a bee-killer wasp (or bee wolf) carrying its honey bee prey to its burrow but, for me, it's often much more tempting to fall gently asleep in the sun!

Bye for now

Chris
(Christine Watson - Newpoint Hotel Bed and Breakfast, Southbourne, Bournemouth, Dorset)

Southbourne Overcliff - Kestrel hovers then swoops near to my bed and breakfast

As I walked along Southbourne Overcliff close to where I have my bed and breakfast in Bournemouth, I looked up and saw a kestrel falcon in the sky hovering.

It was approximately 30 ft away and looked magnificent in the sky. I tried to get a photograph which you can see top right on this page. I'd never been as close to a kestrel before and it was a magnificent sight.

Within moments, it plummeted to the ground and then soared away over the sea with its prey, a small mouse.

My luck held later, when I saw a stonechat, as I walked down Gordon's Zigzag which is one of the paths down to the sea from the end of Pinecliffe Avenue. It had a little fledgeling closely following behind. The sands looked beautiful and there were white horse waves breaking on the beach and the sun was warm on my face.

Sometimes I feel so fortunate to live close to such a wonderful place as Southbourne Overcliff and, through my bed and breakfast, to be able to share these bird watching (twitching) wonders with my visitors.

Have you ever seen kestrels on the Overcliff? I'd love to hear in the comments below :-)

Bye for now

Christine
(Christine Watson for Newpoint Hotel)

Welcome to my Southbourne bed and breakfast blog

Welcome to my Southbourne bed and breakfast blog. Here I will be posting daily information about places and events of interest accessible to my bed and breakfast hotel at 25 Pinecliffe Avenue, Southbourne, Bournemouth, Dorset.

The picture on the right shows Gordon's Zigzag which is close to the end of Pinecliffe Avenue, only a few hundred yards away. I love the spectacular views from the Overcliff out to sea and across to Hengistbury Head.

If you are looking for bed and breakfast accommodation in Southbourne or elsewhere in Bournemouth, why not check out my competitive rates at my main Newpoint Hotel site.

If you have questions that I might be able to answer about your preferences for your stay in Southbourne, Bournemouth, I will be happy to help through the comments below or, alternatively, through the contact details on my Newpoint Hotel site.

Bye for now

Christine
(Christine Watson - Newpoint Hotel)