The sunlight was so good, the I jumped out of the car and dashed up the hill to take a panoramic picture of the surrounding country side. On the one side was the clear view over the sea, on the other a majestic band of cloud billowing up over the green rolling hills of Dorset. This was lit by bright afternoon sunshine, and I could have stayed here for hours. There is a footpath that runs along this ridge, part of the Jurassic Coast walks.

The Ridgeway - Abbotsbury - Abbotsbury visitor guide showing a virtual tour of 'The Ridgeway - Abbotsbury' linked to an interactive map with local and travel information. 360° panoramas from Dorset.

A panoramic picture taken from the top of The Ridgeway showing the view of the Dorset hills between Swyre and Abbotsbury. From here the road descends down the hill towards Abbotsbury itself, giving a good view of St Catherine's Chapel and the hill on which it stands. The Ridgeway has been used as a causeway since Neolithic times. The flat top and steep sides give good panoramic views of the surrounding countryside and provide an excellent defensive position in case of attack.

In the picture, the B3157 runs just to the south of the Abbotsbury Hill itself. The view continues south over the coast of the English Chanel and the sea. To the north lies the rest of Dorset, with a large cloud bank of cumulus nimbus clouds formed by warm moist air being blown onshore and up over the Dorset hills. The A35 from Dorchester to Bridport runs along the top of the next ridge inland under the clouds.

Travel and Getting There:
Abbotsbury is 9 miles west of Weymouth on the B3157, and 20 miles east of Lyme Regis.