Once a village, Southbourne is now a seaside suburb of Bournemouth.  It is popular with visitors because of its sandy beaches and warm, sunny climate, remaining relatively mild even in deepest winter.  This coastal strip holds a surprising wealth of wildlife and plants, which flourish along the Undercliff slopes.In 1870 a Dr Thomas Armetriding Compton gave Southbourne its name after purchasing 230 acres with sea frontage from a General Cleveland.  Dr Compton, who had a Bournemouth practice, saw Southbourne as a new residential area and popular health resort because of the mild climate.  He also founded the Southbourne Land Company which undertook construction of the undercliff parade.  This was eventually opened on 24th September 1885.  It unfortunately disintegrated over the years but a new undercliff promenade has since been built which is longer than the original.Plant life along the cliffs is a mixture of native and naturalised species which thrive in the warmth of the sheltered, south-facing slopes.  These in turn attract a variety of butterflies, some of which may be seen well into late autumn.  There is a chance of seeing the Clouded Yellow on this walk if the weather conditions have been suitable for their arrival from the continent.  The mild weather often allow Clouded Yellows and both Large and Small Whites to linger on into the latter half of October, indeed Clouded Yellows have been recorded here into Mid-November, perhaps being the offspring of earlier arrivals which have bred on the Trefoils and Clovers along the slopes.

SECTION 1: FISHERMAN'S WALK ZIG-ZAG PATH  (Length 310m).

Take the path signposted "Fisherman's Walk", located directly opposite the Commodore Hotel, towards the sea.  After passing the public toilets to your right, continue to the cliff lift.  Here the path slopes down to your left, descending towards the beach.  Before making your way down, admire the view over Poole Bay:  to your right the coastline leads to Bournemouth with the Isle of Purbeck visible in the distance, and to your left Hengistbury Head and the Isle of Wight can be seen.  On a clear day this clifftop panorama is truly breathtaking, the varied colours of the landscapes contrasting boldly with the sea and the vast blue sky. Walking down to the undercliff path look carefully at the slopes either side of you.  Familiar garden flowers, such as Alison and Marigold, can be seen alongside the native Cat's Ear and Common Mallow.  Look out also for the lilac flowers of the Seaside Daisy; this is an introduced plant which remains in bloom until late in the year and is a firm butterfly favourite.  These flowers form part of the colourful mosaic which attract good numbers of butterflies and other insects who thrive on these south-facing, almost frost free, slopes.  This is one of the best spots along the route to linger and search for the Clouded Yellow, these deep yellow butterflies being common here in some years.  Painted Ladies are often found here with Red Admirals, perhaps nectaring on the varied flora before continuing their migration inland, or possibly making a return trip back to the continent during autumn.

SECTION 2: SOUTHBOURNE PROMENADE  (Length 495m).

At the bottom of the zig-zag path turn left to begin Section 2.  The promenade is well sheltered from cold northerly winds and sometimes the temperature difference from cliff top to bottom is quite remarkable.  Walking along the promenade the scrub on the slopes becomes a mixture of Tamarisk, Escallonia and Privet, often on a carpet of the widespread Hottentot Fig.  It can be interesting to pause and look out to sea to observe the birdlife on or above the waves, especially if you have binoculars.  Birdlife sometimes visible at sea include Sandwich, Common and Little Tern during the summer months, with Arctic Skuas and Manx Shearwaters occasionally being seen in company with Gannets during windy autumn weather.  Great Crested Grebes congregate in large numbers on the sea in the winter months and the odd Red-throated Diver can may be seen with some patience at that time of year.  The flowers on the cliffs include large patches of Seaside and Michaelmas Daisies, which replace the early summer mat of pink Thrift.  All these flowers are immensely attractive to Red Admirals, Commas, Peacocks and Painted Ladies, spending their time feeding and basking on the slopes.The promenade walk passes beach huts which are usually well occupied on hot, sunny days when the beach is frequented by visitors, often unaware of the rich variety of wildlife which surrounds them on all four sides.  Eventually you will reach the next zig-zag path, a little way past some public toilets.  If you pause here and look up at the cliffs you will see a group of small holes near the top.  This is a Sand Martin colony.  These small brown birds of the Swallow family are very busy here over the summer months, flying in and out of their burrows feeding ever-hungry young.

SECTION 3: GORDON'S ZIG-ZAG PATH  (Length 440m).

This is a particularly warm sheltered path back up to the top of the cliff.  As well as the butterflies already mentioned, Small Coppers and Common Blues are also found here.  This section seems to be favoured by the Small Copper partly because of the sheltering effect, giving protection from strong westerly winds, allowing temperatures to rise independently of the more exposed areas.  There are also many flowers here with bare patches of soil, ideal for Small Coppers to bask on in the sunshine, with nearby Sheep Sorrel and Dock forming the foodplants of their caterpillars.  Keep an eye open for Common Lizards along this section:  like many butterflies they enjoy basking on the exposed soil in hot, sunny conditions.Small Tortoiseshells can sometimes be seen along this section in large numbers, particularly in years when immigrants have arrived and warm, settled weather has boosted the local population.  Flowers here include the Rock Samphire, with its yellowish flowers, and the prolific Hottentot Fig amongst more Tamarisk and Escallonia scrub.The zig-zag path winds its way up to the cliff top where it is possible to take a break from the walk and relax with a drink in the Spyglass and Kettle Hotel.  This is situated at the Overcliff Drive/Stourwood Avenue junction (see map).  Return slowly to the bottom of the zig-zag path, looking out for anything you may have missed on the way up.

SECTION 4: SOUTHBOURNE PROMENADE  (Length 1046m).

On returning to the bottom of the zig-zag path, turn left and continue along Southbourne Promenade past the beach huts towards Hengistbury Head.  Eventually the path bends left then right rather abruptly.  At this bend survey the cliff; there is a profusion of flowers stretching up the slope including Seaside Daisy, Marigold, Evening Primrose, Alison and another introduction:  Silver Ragwort.  Butterflies such as Red Admiral, Painted Lady and Peacock may be joined by Meadow Brown and Gatekeeper in July, with the odd visit of Marbled White.The cliffs can also hold some interesting birds.  As you walk on, watch out for the Stonechat:  Robin-sized, the male is unmistakable with his black head and orange breast, the female being somewhat more drab.  Stonechats often perch well out in the open on scrub, making their presence known by their "tac-tac" call, like two pebbles being struck together.  Autumn and winter months may see Black Redstart in this section, often near the cliff top.  This is another Robin-sized bird which has a sooty grey to black body colour and a contrasting red tail.As you pass the sheltered wooden seat and cliff top house, you will notice how the rough grassy slope gives way to a large area of Gorse, Bramble and Privet scrub, with accompanying Bell Heather.  It is here, in the autumn, that the Dartford Warbler may be seen.  This tiny active warbler flies quickly into the Gorse, its long tail often being the last you will see of it.  The habitat changes again as you approach St. Catherine's Path, the Gorse scrub giving way to shorter vegetation on the slopes, with a flora similar to Section 1.  This section ends beyond the beach huts, where St. Catherine's Path is signposted.

SECTION 5: ST. CATHERINE'S PATH  (Length 185m).

Turn left and left again, and slowly make your way up the sloping path.  There is another spectacular view along the coast towards Bournemouth; the long, sandy beach may tempt you to remain for a swim after the walk.  This beach certainly tempted the Victorians; from 1875 bathing had become fashionable and trouville bathing boxes made their first appearance in the Bournemouth area at this time.This is another good section for Clouded Yellow, sometimes seen in company with the Silver Y moths skimming over the slopes.  This silvery-grey moth is easily identified by the letter "Y" on both forewings.  There is also a chance of finding the Devil's Coach Horse beetle on the path as you are walking up.  Its other name of Cocktail Beetle becomes apparent when it curls its abdomen up like a Scorpion when alarmed.The section finishes at the top of the slope.  The road to your right is Southbourne Overcliff Drive.  You can visit Southbourne (opposite the roundabout) for refreshments if you wish before either retracing your steps along the promenade or following the Overcliff road left back to the Commodore Hotel.