The Ultimate Guide to Durdle Door & Man O’War Beach

Chasing the sun before it fades away, a perfect scene awaits;  an ancient door standing out at sea, under a heavenly sky of blues, pinks and yellows.

To your left an empty beach with fingers that cling to the shore, the sea doesn’t want to go back to the ocean yet, it wants to stay a little more.

For you see, the sea wishes to view the spectacle too.

With chalk white cliffs that frame the coast and the sun casting a golden glow,  wouldn’t you also want to see this magnificent sunset view?

 

Experience Sunset at the World’s most Famous Rock Arch

When it comes to famous landmarks in foreign countries, I guess you could say I’m a bit naive.  Outside of London, I really didn’t know much about what England had to offer.   But England has AMAZING scenery with Durdle Door being one of my favourite sites during my trip.  I remember walking down the long path to Durdle Door and being blown away as the scenery was revealed before me. Durdle Door is, very, very beautiful, majestic, and quite fittingly feels very “Jurassic” to behold.

Located behind Durdle Door is Man O’War beach.  Also a beautiful beach, I especially loved the way the pebbles caused the waves to wash up looking like the ocean had fingers gripping the shore!

 

 

A little bit of History

For anyone who loves to travel, I think it’s important to get to know a bit about the area and what exactly you’re looking at.   Located on England’s Jurassic Coast, it’s estimated that Durdle Door was created around 10,000 years ago when the waves eroded the limestone rock and created a hole.  Over time the hole eroded to create the door you see now.  Personally I think it looks like a seahorse kissing the ocean…does anyone else see that?

 

How to get there

• Hire a car:

With limited transportation in the area I highly recommend hiring a car.  The drive itself is not too difficult, but the road is windy and narrow in sections so you need to be mindful of oncoming cars.  Simply take your time, be alert and drive at a pace you feel comfortable and you will be fine.  It’ll also save you a tonne of time and give you the freedom to explore the place at your leisure.

I used Google Maps on my phone to navigate, and it was as simple as typing Durdle Door as my destination.  I got there with very little trouble except for the fact that it kept trying to get me to turn into the caravan park on my right (you’ll know it’s the caravan park because there is a sign and gate).  Instead, ignore this and continue straight until you reach the Durdle Door carpark.

I was staying in Weymouth and the drive took approximately 30mins.

From the car park it’s about a 15minute walk to Durdle door by foot.

•  Tour Bus

All you need to do is a quick Google search to find a selection of tours to Durdle door.  In generall, tour buses tend to leave the site around 4:30PM, so you’re likely to miss the sunset – which is a real shame!  I personally prefer to avoid tours where possible as it often means a sacrifice of freedom and intimacy – you’ll probably be sharing the site with the 20+ other people also on the tour which makes nice photos difficult.

From the car park it’s about a 15minute walk to Durdle door by foot.

• PUBLIC TRANSPORT

ARRIVING BY TRAIN: The nearest railway station is Wool (on the London Waterloo to Weymouth line). Bus numbers 15, 30, X55 and X54 connect Wool Railway Station to West Lulworth for Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door Park Entrance. The 15 bus operates on school days only. The 30 operates daily between 25 June and 16 September 2017. The X55 and X54 operate daily from 22 May until 3 September 2017.

It’s about a 20 minute walk from here to Durdle Door.   Plan your travel with Google Maps it will give you exact instructions including the location of bus stops, train stations and the bus numbers you need to catch.

ARRIVING BY BUS: There are 4 bus services to West Lulworth for Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door (numbers 15, 30, X55 and X54). The 15 bus operates on school days only. The 30 operates daily between 25 June and 16 September 2017. The X55 and X 54 operates daily from 22 May until 3 September 2017.

 

When to go for the best photos

Durdle Door is a pretty popular landmark and that means tourists!  Tourists can be really annoying when you’re looking to capture that perfect shot.

Here are my tips to avoid the crowds:

• Visit out of season.  I visited April 5th 2018 and there were still quite a few people here.  I counted about 6-7 other photographers and about 20-30 other people in the area.  This was a small enough amount of people to capture relatively empty shots of the area.   I can’t imagine how busy it would be in summer!
• Visit at sunrise and sunset.  Most tour buses leave the site by 4:30PM which cuts out a bunch of the crowds.  For even less people, visit at sunrise.
• The position of the sun may be something you want to consider too.  In the evening, the sun sets behind the white chalk cliffs, as you can see from my photos.  At sunrise, the sun is actually located behind the door.  I’ve seen some cool shots online where people have captured the sun in the centre of the door, but for me, sunset was ideal!

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What to wear

No matter if you drive or visit with a tour bus, there’s still a 15-20 minute walk to the site that isn’t accessible by vehicle.  Although the walk is easy, it is rocky in areas and has some steep hills and steps.  There’s also a bit of a climb back to the car that will leave you breathless – so it’s important to wear sensible footwear.  I was wearing hiking boots, by any shoes with reasonable grip will be fine,

In the colder months, like when I visited, it’s really, reallly freezing cold, especially when the sun sets, so rug up!  I was in two jumpers and a jacket and still freezing cold.  I remember finding the walk back to the car in the cold horrible, and my hands hurt from the wind and the cold.

 

Things to See and Do:

• Walk along Durdle Door Beach
• Catch the sunset or sunrise – perfect if you’re a photographer
• Explore Man O’War Beach
• Swim at both beaches – perfect in the summer months!
• Visit the caves at the base of the chalk cliffs – don’t venture inside though, cliff falls are really common.
• Hike to Lulworth Cove or explore the various walking trails on the site.  Find out more here: www.southwestcoastpath.org.uk/ or pick up a guide from the Heritage Centre in Lulworth Cove.

 

 

General Info

PRICE

• Free entry to the site
• Paid parking – I paid £5 for 4 hours, but you can pay less or more for a shorter/longer stay.

OPENING HOURS

• Open all year round.
  Carpark timings:
  • April to September: 8am – Midnight
  • October to March: 8am – 4pm

FACILITIES

• Toilets & Disabled toilets can be found at Durdle Door Holiday Park (about 15 mins walk from the beach, near the carpark)
• There are no food facilities at the beach itself.  I saw a restaurant in the holiday park, but best to come prepared.
• Dogs are allowed, but you must pick up after them.
• Camping is allowed in the holiday park, but not on the beach or carpark.

Have a fabulous time! 

Let me know if you’ve been here and what you thought – oh and if you’re planning to visit and have any questions, feel free to ask below, very happy to help you guys out!