By Ellie Švrlanská

LULWORTH COVE AND DURDLE DOOR

Image by Ellie Švrlanská of Pugwash Magazine

West Lulworth is a historic village in the English county of Dorset. The scenery around Lulworth is breathtaking, with Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door among the most dramatic geological features along the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site. The Cove and surrounding coastline are part of the world famous Jurassic Coast - a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

This delightful village is easily accessible by train and bus directly from Portsmouth & Southsea station. The easiest way is to take the train to Wareham and change there to the Jurassic Coaster bus. Between Easter and September is the best time to visit, not just because the buses are more frequent, but also because you can enjoy swimming in crystal clear waters. The only downside of going during the summer or on weekends is that it could be pretty crowded. 

West Lulworth is famous for Lulworth Cove, with its perfectly rounded bay and picturesque scenery with a pebble beach full of white stones and crystal clear water. There is also a viewing point above the bay from which you can admire the sheltered cove and the boats that sail past it in all its glory. The view point can be found if you head down to the cove, just next to the Boat Shed Cafe on the right, you will see a sign pointing up the steps to the coast path.

Image by Ellie Švrlanská of Pugwash Magazine

Short walk from Lulworth to Durdle Door

The Cove and surrounding countryside are extremely popular among walkers. You can walk to the cove along the South West Coast Path national trail. A short 30 minute stroll up and down a steep path along the South West Coast Path from the Cove gets you to Stair Hole, Man O'War, and finally Durdle Door - a spectacular stone arch situated beside a stunning curved beach. 

This short trail is very popular and easy to find. It can be accessed from the West Lulworth car park. To get to the path leading up and over the hill, walk through the car park and through the gate at the end. This path can get fairly busy depending on the day and time of day. You have a magnificent 360-degree perspective of the entire area after you reach the top of the first hill. When you get a little further down the hill, near the holiday park, go through a gate and you can either descend to further reach Man O'War beach or continue straight to Durdle Door. The wooden stairs from the beach lead back to the trail and if you follow that path, you will soon reach Durdle Door.

Durdle Door stands at the foot of a steep path followed by a set of wooden steps. There are also many viewpoints from which you can see the whole stone arch. From Durdle Door you can walk back the same way back to Lulworth and get the bus back to Wareham.

If you plan on staying in this area for more than a day, there is a holiday park near Durdle Door where you can camp. If you want to stay there for sunset and just chill by the beach or wake up really early and see the sunrise with no one else around, this is the best option.

What else to visit in West Lulworth 

Before you leave, stop by the Lulworth Cove Visitor Centre to discover more about the Cove and Durdle Door, two of the Jurassic Coast's most iconic geological features.

Another place worth visiting is Lulworth Castle, which is said to be the most beautiful castle in the south! From the Lulworth Castle tower, enjoy breathtaking views of the Purbeck countryside and the Jurassic Coast. There is a park linked to the castle where you may relax and enjoy the spacious grounds: have a picnic on the lawn or stroll through ancient woodland.

The Castle is open daily from Easter to Christmas, Sunday – Friday (closed Saturdays and occasionally on other days) between 10.30am and 5pm (summer) and 10.30am and 4pm (winter).


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