UKC

Hi Everyone, 

I work on the Lulworth Estate in Dorset, and we have been inundated with visitors that quite frankly we'd rather not have, leaving their litter all over the beaches. This coupled with the highly publicised events at Durdle Door a month ago have meant there has been a lot of negative press, and thus put climbing there as a sensitive issue.

If anyone would like to help alleviate both problems, the litter, and help access (as I can feed this activity straight back to the landowner) I'm planning a litter pick at Stair Hole (Of DWS fame) and the Cove in general. Stair Hole in general very rarely gets a clean due to the path not being conducive to our normal volunteers. I can offer free parking for the afternoon and will be sure to supply some refreshments.

If you're keen to help. email me derek.billings @ lulworth .com as I will need to register your vehicle for free parking. If you turn up on the day I wont be able to do this, sorry.

Friday the 10th. 4:30 until 8:30ish (low tide through the afternoon/evening). Meet outside the Visitor Centre and stick to government advice regarding distancing etc. Should have plenty of equipment.

Thanks, hope to see you there.

Derry

Not quite sure how climbing comes out as the sensitive issue here; the 'events' at Durdle Door were due to the Lulworth Estate still allowing thousands of paying visitors to come and inundate the site. I doubt if the 'tombstoning' was done by climbers; far more likely by average beachgoing punters. Unless you know different.

But good on you for the litter pick at the Cove and Stair Hole.

Sorry, that one is too far for me, but I hope you get a good team and make an impact.

I'm going to have to up my litter picking game though if you are offering your volunteers refreshments!! You will be puting me to shame, I only offer the loan of litter picker tools! Lol

I think being fair to them they were a bit stuck - Durdle door (and stair hole for that matter) is access land; they've said publically that they can't actually stop people going to the beach. Whilst obviously they did make money from the car parks being open, the fact that parking then overflowed out onto the surrounding roads where it is prohibited suggests that the crowds would probably not have ended up elsewhere had the car parks been closed.

Agree it's unlikely to have been climbers and nothing really to do with climbing - if nothing else the tide time was terrible that afternoon and you'd have hoped a climber might have checked!

Edit: to add - I do have that afternoon off bit 430 is too late I'm afraid, by the time I get home it clashes with the faff that is kiddie teatime

Hi AJM and captain paranoia, without trying to sound rude, the above points have been well thrashed out in a previous thread (or maybe it was on a facebook thread, I can't keep up these days). So, I am aware this thread can be 'hijacked' easily and thus distract from people actually helping.

So, to get back on topic... are you coming along?

Yeah, feeling hard done by here.

I'll be speaking to the Union, mark my words.

Our Christmas festive beach clean is finished off with mince pies and mulled wine!

Oh no! Litter clearing just got complicated! Lol

I was trying to be vaguely supportive in that I don't really think the various issues at Durdle Door are the estates fault. That's despite the fact that your post - "[lots of litter]... Coupled with... Durdle Door..... [Led to negative press]... And thus put climbing there as a sensitive issue" basically reads as though climbers are in some way responsible for either of those two things. 

As a genuine feedback suggestion, if you had led with the same two points about litter and durdle door and then said something like:

"since I know that climbers appreciate the beauty of these places in the same way that we do, I wondered if climbers might come and help. We'd particularly appreciate any support that people could offer at Stair Hole since our usual volunteers can't get there. I can take the opportunity to feed back to the estate how the climbing community has helped us and help improve relations"

It asks basically the same thing but not in a way which implies climbers have something to do with the issues you're currently facing - since as you've seen that's an approach that's going to get people's backs up. As well as being closer to the truth, I would expect.

I'm afraid as I said in my other post I can't make late afternoon/evening, sorry - child faff. I do hope you get good take-up though.

I haven't seen such a thread on UKC. But maybe I just missed it.

AJM explains in more detail why I queried the 'climbing is a sensitive issue' bit. That rather rankled with me.

I can't come, as I don't drive, and I'm not local. I know the area well, though, as my parents have lived a bit along the coast for 35 years.

Best of luck with your litter pick.

Yep, fair enough. Point taken.

I guess from a local's point of view most climbers in Dorset realise that it was the actions of the hordes that made visiting the Lulworth area a sensitive topic, not the actual climbers. I can see from an objectionable point of view it would be construed in that way.

Best of luck with the litter pick. Did my own along the road near to Snailsden reservoir, near Holmfirth, on Wednesday evening. The area had suddenly become popular with many people in last week's heatwave. Filled six rubble sacks with jetsom. 🤪

Can be a bit soul destroying at times for sure. We lifted about a hundred sacks off Durdle Door beach on Monday. Anyone who has ever been there knows how punishing those steps are. 

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