A once in a generation solar eclipse was watched by hundreds of people from the best vantage points in Purbeck as the heavens put on a perfect display.
As the sun sat low in the sky on the evening of Wednesday 12th August 2026, the moon passed between it and the Earth, blocking out about 95 percent of light for a few eerie minutes.
As the light begins to fade, the group at Houns Tout settle down for the celestial spectacle
A hundred people at Houns Tout
About a hundred people gathered on the clifftops at Houns Tout, near Kingston, bringing folding chairs, blankets, picnics and the all important eclipse glasses, to make the most of the celestial spectacle.
Similar numbers were reported at Swyre Head, Durlston, Dancing Ledge, St Aldhelm’s, Kimmeridge, Durdle Door, and other sites with a clear view to the west.
Elsewhere, a large crowd at Worth Matravers took the opportunity to sit outside and watch the event unfold on the site of the now dismantled Woodhenge near the Square and Compass pub.
A clear view of the sun over the Jurassic Coast
95 percent of sun’s surface obscured
The partial eclipse started soon after 6.30 pm and at its height just before 7.15 pm, about 95 percent of the sun’s surface was obscured, the most it has been blocked above UK skies since the total eclipse in 1999.
A solar eclipse happens when the Earth, moon and sun align, but although a total solar eclipse happens somewhere on Earth roughly every 18 months, you have to be on the narrow path of the Moon’s shadow to see it.
The next time the moon obscures as much of the sun in Dorset will be in 2081, and the next total solar eclipse in the UK will be in 2090.
Solar eclipse watchers in Worth Matravers on the site of the now dismantled Woodhenge near the Square and Compass pub
Watch the eclipse unfold
Swanage nursing practitioner Claire Twiselton, who has set up guided walk group Talkthewalks, organised an event from Kingston to Houns Tout for a fantastic view of the eclipse, and had her best response to date.
Almost 50 people joined her for a two mile walk to the end of the promontory and settled down to watch the partial eclipse unfold.
For those who were unable to pick up a pair of special eclipse eye protectors, which make it safe to look at the sun without damaging the retina, there were also do it yourself ways to watch the shadow of the sun change during the eclipse, through holes in colanders and cardboard boxes.
Photographed safely, the moon begins to obscure the surface of the sun in the early evening
“Walking is better when it’s shared”
Claire Twiselton said:
“Talkthewalks is all about getting people out walking and talking, which is how I met all my friends when I moved to Dorset four years ago
“Growing up, I spent many holidays visiting here, exploring the coastline and countryside and building a lifelong love for the landscape. I was finally lucky enough to settle in Swanage and have these beautiful hills, coast paths and countryside right on my doorstep.
“I have a simple belief that walking is better when it’s shared – it’s an absolute privilege to explore these places, and an even greater privilege to share them with such wonderful people.
“What is specially nice about this evening is that it’s a wonderful way for lots of people to come together and connect with nature, looking up at the sky at objects that we typically tend to take for granted.”
At its peak, about 95 percent of the sun was blotted out for a few seconds
“Chatting about this amazing event!”
Claire added:
“Previously, we’ve had about 35 people when we went swimming at Dancing Ledge at the end of a magical Dorset evening, but we’ve had lots of new faces tonight.
“I usually have a couple of people tell me that it takes quite a bit of courage to come along on their own, and to then see them leave chatting, smiling and already planning another walk, is exactly what Talkthewalks is for.
“I genuinely can’t think of many better ways to spend a summer evening, time outdoors has a way of resetting everything and builds a sense of connection, people arriving as individuals and leaving as part of something more.
“I’m a nurse by profession, but if I had my way, I would walk all the time. I have trained in lowland leadership, navigation, outdoor first aid, and run all kinds of guided walks in Purbeck and Dorset.
“I love walking and I love people, and try to include something social on the walks like a swim, or a sauna, and finish at a pub.
“The eclipse was a perfect opportunity to design a walk around, to bring people together who had never met before, who are now sitting next to each other and chatting about this amazing event!”
Demonstrating how to watch the eclipse safely without glasses, in shadows cast through a colander
Other viewers had far more sophisticated equipment to view the solar eclipse
Shooting star showers
In an added bonus for stargazers, the annual Perseid meteor shower reached its peak at around midnight on Thursday 12th August 2026, hours after the eclipse.
A number of eclipse watchers said they intended to go back outside to watch the meteors, produced at the same time each year as Earth ploughs through a stream of dust left behind by Comet Swift-Tuttle.
Each tiny grain strikes the Earth’s atmosphere at about 130,000 miles an hour, burning up in a brief flash that takes the appearance of a shooting star.
David Wise of Purbeck Sounds was one of the many who watched the eclipse from Houns Tout
Numbers are growing on the Talkthewalks guided walks, here at Dancing Ledge
Durlston Ranger Andy was on hand to talk about the stunning scenery around Kingston and Houns Tout
Further information
- More about the eclipse on the Royal Observatory Greenwich website
- Join Claire’s guided walks at Talkthewalks
