Swimming Man of War and Durdle Door, Dorset, UK From Lulworth Cove and Stair hole, you can swim or walk west to the Durdle Door and Man O’War beach. The south coast of England offers miles of beaches and also marked foot paths where you can hike for days.

The pebble beach and blue waters of Lulworth Cove make it an extremely popular destination. The Cove and surrounding coastline are part of the world famous Jurassic Coast – a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Low tide reveals wonderful rock pools teeming with sea creatures – great for exploring with children.

Durdle Door is probably the most famous stone arch anywhere in the world. It was created when the sea pierced through the Portland limestone around 10,000 years ago. At the base of the chalk cliffs a number of caves can be seen which have been carved out by the sea (wave cut notches).

England’s First And Only Natural World Heritage Site The Earth’s history and the evolution of species is etched into the landscape here with such significance that UNESCO designated this coastline as an area of ‘outstanding universal value’ alongside the Great Barrier Reef and the Grand Canyon.

Well worth a visit for the great scenery. A few local shops can be found on one side of the large car park and a short walk from the beach. The other side of the car park is the hilly walk of around 20 minutes up to durdle door itself where there are some great views across the coast and the door itself.

Linear Walk: Lulworth Cove to Durdle Door, 2 Miles It’s a very straightforward linear walk, approximately 1 mile (1.75km) each way. If you only want to walk one way, you can also take the X54 bus back to Lulworth Cove.

30 minutes

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Accessibility: Durdle Door beach is accessed by a steep path and steps – not reccommended for wheelchair users, mobility scooters or those who have mobility problems. From the car park it takes 15 minutes to the view point and then another 140+ steps down onto the beach.

Durdle Door is open to the public all year round. During the summer months (April – September) the pay & display car park opens at 9am and is locked at 9pm/dusk. During the winter months (October – March) the car park is open from 9am and is locked at 4pm.

You can walk from Weymouth to Durdle door, along the South West Coastal Path. It’s about 15 miles, so quite a long walk for one day but very scenic.

Most of the area is privately owned by the Lulworth Estate, an estate held by the Welds, a wealthy landowning family. The coast and land to the north and around the village is owned and managed by the Lulworth Estate (see Lulworth Castle).

Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove closed to public after four injured jumping 200ft into sea. Two beaches have been closed after four people were injured cliff jumping at the popular Durdle Door tourism spot during lockdown.

The area is extremely important for its geology, with some of the finest folding strata in Europe. This horseshoe cove and pebble beach has recently been added into the World Heritage Jurassic Coastline.

Curving away from the arch the the sand and shingle beach at Durdle Door is backed by the high limestone cliffs of the Jurassic Coast. However, there is no lifeguard and children need to be closely supervised as the sand in the bay shelves suddenly in places.

Why is it called the Jurassic Coast? The Dorset and East Devon Coast World Heritage Site is more popularly known as the ‘Jurassic Coast’. The name comes from the best known of the geological periods found within it, but in fact the site includes rocks from the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.

Inside the ledge there is a deep water pool that is ½ a mile long and about from 120 to 180 metres wide. Depths in excess of 6 metres can be found between the ledge and the steeply shelving beach with 5 metres in the approach.

Sorry, due to ground movement it is not currently possible to access this beach. A mix of sand and shingle, this is one of the hidden treasures at Lulworth. Aquamarine water with safe seas for gentle swimming and paddling. Located to the east of Durdle Door.

Dorset is the place to come for award winning beaches. In the east of the county, the famous sandy beaches of Poole and Bournemouth are nestled beneath a magnificent cliff line. Stretching along the coastline for 10 golden miles, all the way from Sandbanks to Hengistbury Head.

The rock pools at Lulworth Cove are only accessible for a few hours each day when the tide is out. You can however discover creatures such as barnacles, anemones, seaweed and crabs. There is ample parking near the Heritage and Visitor Centre at Lulworth Cove, with plenty of things to see and do for a whole day out.

Rock Pool School sessions run during the summer (£5) or just get out by yourselves. There is a large visitor centre and good facilities, parking is pay and display. If you are feeling energetic the walk over to Durdle Door is lovely and look for fossils.

If you are looking for somewhere with sand where you can go for a swim and get an ice cream, don’t go to Kilve Beach. Instead, what you will find is a treasure trove of wonderful geology, fascinating rock pools for beachcombing and a mass of fossils just waiting to be discovered.

How to identify rockpool wildlife

• Long-spined sea scorpion (Taurulus bubalis)
• Shanny (Lipophrys pholis)
• Common prawn (Palaemon serratus)
• Shore crab (Carcinus maenas)
• Common hermit crab (Pagurus bernhardus)
• Common starfish (Asterias rubens)
• Beadlet anemone (Actinia equina)
• Snakelocks anemone (Anemone viridis)

Because of its remote location the pools are dangerous to access, with a combination of low tide and a small swell required for a safe viewing. The NPWS has been issuing daily alerts this week, saying the pools were too dangerous to access due to high tides and big swell.

The only vertebrate animals you are likely to come across living in a rock pool are a few species of fish. Rock pool fish may be permanent residents or just visitors stranded by the tide. The fish you are most likely to come across from the upper shore downwards is the common blenny or shanny.

Get to grips with our safety tips Old trainers, wellies or wetsuit boots with a thick sole are ideal. Flip-flops are fun to wear, but they might make you stumble or slip on the rocks. It can get chilly when you’re rock pooling, so take a warm jumper or a coat with you.

How to go rockpooling. Slowly submerge a bucket into the water and see what’s inside when you pull it back up again. Once you’re done observing, slowly push the bucket back into the water, returning the creatures to their home.

low tide

Above all, choose footwear that you can get wet in and that will protect your feet from sharp rocks and pincers – wellies or beach shoes are ideal. Beaches slope downwards, so the further towards the sea you go, the deeper the underwater habitat you’ll be exploring.