In February I celebrated my birthday in Charmouth, Dorset with my family. The Jurassic coast in the UK is famous for eagle eyed fossil hunters to discover the past in the historic cliffs. I have visited Dorset many times before and it is almost a home away from home, with its jagged cliff face and crashing waves. I always love visiting Lyme Regis for a sausage roll from the quaint bakeries and wondering around the Cobb – which was also the setting for The French Lieutenant’s woman by John Fowles. Lyme Regis was also the home to famous fossil hunter, Mary Anning, who sold the fossils she found on the beach in her shop in Lyme Regis facing the coast. The shop and house is no longer standing, but is replaced by the Lyme Regis Museum that explores the life of Anning, the local area and fossil hunting.
When fossil hunting on Charmouth beach, fossil hunters or beach walkers should always be wary of the changing tides and unstable cliff faces that can fall at any time. I experienced minor cliff collapses when I was walking along the beach. Over the years, the coast has changed shape due to land slides and when the tide is in the majority of the beach is cut off. This brings me to my experience of sinking mud and determination.
✨ Storytime ✨
*This story is written with dramatic flair but is a true event I experienced!*
Imagine the scene, I was full of sweet birthday cake and enjoying my special day with my family. We take a walk on the beach while the tide is receding, but not enough to easily pass the freshly fallen cliffs. I sat on a rock looking out to sea and continue my journey when my path is blocked by sticky-black-clay rocks that jut into the rough waves. Usually, I am very careful and never walk too close to the cliff face or cross the seamlessly harmless sinking mud. However, on this occasion there was an error in judgement. On the surface, the rock looked solid so I began my trek over the ‘rocks’ following my family over the well-worn path with fresh footprints etched into the surface. This fresh mud slide was firm on the surface, but then very soft underneath almost like ice that once you break the surface, that’s it. I was only several footsteps across when my foot sunk into his sticky clay. Panic shivered down my spine, I yell that “I’m stuck!”. Suddenly another foot is sinking too into the mud. I land on my bum and fear sets in as I sit on top of this cliff watching the waves crash onto the foreshore. My family come to my rescue, yet they sink too. The mud like a dense hand pulling my ankles deeper into the cliff. I know it’s my birthday and I’m getting older, but I don’t want to become a fossil just yet!
I managed to free one leg with the help of my sister, but she lost a shoe, then a sock to the claws of the cliff. She has one shoe on and the other foot is exposed to the elements. She gets to work on helping my other family member, while I try my best to stop panicking – it really wasn’t working! The cold mud seeping into the fabric of my clothes, I look down and my hands are caked in mud. My body cramped from the uncomfortable position. Then in that moment, I realised that I will have to save myself. A wave of clarity and determination washed over me. I turn my body, with one leg still wedged tightly into the dense clay, I kneel and with all my force and determination I mutter a mantra “I will not die on this cliff!” *there was no immediate harm in terms of the tide and we were ready to call the coast guard for assistance* but I am dramatic and this clearly spurred me on to pull my trapped leg out of the mud and run to freedom. The dense clay weighed me down as I made my way down the short distance between the sand and my clay prison.
After a short while the rest of our party were free from the cliff and we hastily walked back to her holiday cottage to de-mud ourselves. This was a truly terrifying experience but one that revealed my hidden strength of determination. I would also like to take this opportunity to suggest that anyone visiting Charmouth Beach should be very vigilant when walking on the beach and offer assistance to those stuck – as many passed us by without a care.
Watch my birthday video below:
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