Lulworth Day 1: Durdle Door

Length: 5.6 km

Duration: 1:40

Total ascent/descent: 221/-224 m

Max/min slope: 24%/-25%

Wayfinding: easy, with some closed sections with no signs

Weather: overcast, shorts

Transfer: Long bus trip (3 hours!) from Lyme Regis to West Lulworth

Dinner: Limestone Hotel

Overnight: Limestone hotel

Lulworth

It was about 3pm when our bus pulled into Lulworth. It was as beautiful as I remembered: stone cottages with thatched roofs, dramatic coastline, and the sweetest cove, perfectly rounded, almost circular. If only the rest of the world didn’t know about it too!

We took a short circular walk from the hotel to take in both Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove. We had to change the route a couple of times due to path closures:

The coast path beyond The Man o’ War towards Lulworth was closed without signage or explanation. You must climb back up to the carpark and the trailer shops, and take the higher track.

The footpath that starts on the western end of the cove and goes up north of Lulworth was closed, with a tiny “Route closed” sign.

I could see no effort in restoring either paths. My opinion of the Lulworth Estate’s management of the area was low after the walk:

Sticky taping the lock of a broken gate to prevent use
Notices printed on pieces of A4 paper (unlaminated, unheaded)
In the carpark, notices were everywhere to say that the carpark was closed after 9pm. Yet, there was no physical mechanism by which the carpark could be closed. So basically rule enforcement by wishful thinking and shouting.
The two prime holiday cottages managed by the estate had ghastly out-of-place outdoor furniture in the front gardens, in full view of the unceasing stream of visitors. Achieving a sort of lifestyle by wishful thinking.

The estate can do with more thinking and spending.

Durdle Door

Very, very popular, and still worth seeing. I was tempted to join the crowds in the water but decided against it.

The last photo and audio recording were taken the next day when Durdle Door was just as popular. The crowds were audible from almost 1 km away on Swyre Head.