If you are ever in England, Durdle Door, is a must do! This rock arch rises out of the sea on the Jurassic Coast in Dorset, and is one of the most famous landforms in the world.To our surprise, the Welds, a family from Dorset, privately owns this stunning piece of beauty but it’s still open to the public for visits. The name Durdle is derived from the Old English 'thirl' meaning bore or drill.
After doing a lil’ bit of research we decided to book our Airbnb and off we went to our new adventure!
You can access the shingle beach on foot via a path and steps over the hill from Lulworth Cove or down from the Car Park (located on the cliff top at Durdle Door Holiday Park). Parking there is a minimum of £4 for 4 hours, a bit pricey, but you can use the same ticket at Lulworth Cove too, so don’t have to pay twice. As you approach Durdle Door from the car park or any of the Lulworth coastlines the walk is truly breathtaking. You feel this strong English breeze, even on a warm day like we had. You look out and you see the beautiful ocean crashing against this huge chalky coastline with lush green countryside behind it all to top it off! There aren’t many English beaches we would talk this highly of but this one is for sure special.
What we did, and we couldn’t stress this more, is getting there early, and when we say early we are talking about 6am early, as it does get busy even on a weekday. Take a flask with you, it’ll probably be cold, and even a bit of breakie as there is not much around, but definitely do it! The feel you get when you are in such an amazing natural beauty is sensational and when it is all yours for a few hours even better!
The walk down from the top of the car park to enter it’s a steep walk so take sensible footwear and bear in mind that a reasonable level of fitness and agility is required for this activity.
The good news is that even if you don’t fancy the steep walk you can stay on top of the cliff and still enjoy the breathtaking views!
But Durdle Door is not the only gem in the area, as you walk down you will also see Man O'War Beach to the left hand side which is equally beautiful and worth taking the walk down to check out too. Turquoise water, amazing cliffs, safe bathing in relatively shallow water, and the feeling that you are in Greece!
Whilst in the area you might as well visit the Lulworth village, which has quaint little pubs, shops and cafes. We bought some amazing homemade fudge from a place called the “Doll’s House” where it is all made on site in a small cottage... delicious!
Who would have though that England was the host of this unique gem? The grass isn’t always greener on the other side… Sometimes the best things are just around the corner!
