England

Durdle Door & Man of War Beach

March 2, 2017

Durdle Door, Dorset UKLulworth Cove to Durdle Door Hike Lulworth Cove to Durdle Door Hike Lulworth Cove to Durdle Door Hike Man of War Beach, Dorset South West Coastal Path - Durdle Door

Durdle Door, Dorset

It’s been a while since we last took a trip away, so we thought it was about time for one. We decided to go back to one of our favourite places in the UK – Dorset! We tend to visit every couple of years and one of the places that I’ve been dying to visit was Durdle Door.

The last time we visited was last summer and it was so so busy! We parked up and before we paid our parking fee, took a quick look down the hill to find it filled with people, so we quickly returned to the car and left. The time before that, we only had about 30 minutes to explore before we had to leave so we didn’t get to see much.

Durdle Door, Dorset UK Durdle Door, Dorset UK Durdle Door, Dorset UK Durdle Door, Dorset UK

This time, we devoted a whole day to it and it was definitely worth it. We drove down to Weymouth after work on Friday night and planned to get started exploring first thing Saturday morning. After a disasterous morning where we slept in, spilled a full cup of hot chocolate in my new car, and then had to drive around finding a supermarket to buy kitchen roll and wipes, we eventually got to Durdle Door around lunchtime.

The weather wasn’t too great with rain scheduled and the last remains of windy Storm Doris. Luckily the rain held off till we got back in the car later that afternoon. We started at Lulworth Cove and decided to hike to Durdle Door instead.

You can park at Durdle Door (the car park is through the holiday park) if you don’t want to do the longer hike, but it’s still a massive hill to get down (and back up) no matter which car park you choose.

Durdle Door, Dorset UK Durdle Door, Dorset UK Durdle Door, Dorset UK Durdle Door, Dorset UK Durdle Door, Dorset UK

The views were incredible over Durdle Door, and I actually think I prefer the stormy views that we had this time, than the clear blue sky and sunshine we had the last time we were there. I can’t get over the colour of the water though – it’s so blue. You can definitely tell the difference when it’s a nice sunny summers day.

We took a little hike along the cliffs overlooking Durdle Door before heading down to the beach for a little wander around. The coastline is stunning, but so hilly so make sure you take walking shoes or trainers because sandals aren’t the best footwear (trust me on this).

In the summer, the water is perfect for a little swim too! You definitely need to take lots of water because there’s no facilities at the bottom.

Man of War Beach, DorsetMan of War Beach, DorsetMan of War Beach, Dorset

Man of War Beach, Dorset Man of War Beach, Dorset Man of War Beach, Dorset Man of War Beach, Dorset Man of War Beach, Dorset Lulworth Cove, Dorset

Man Of War Beach

On the other side is Man of War beach which is absolutely stunning too and a lot quieter! We walked back to the car park along the beach instead of getting blown up the hill but that was definitely a bad decision. The steps have washed away over the years and you practically have to do mountain climbing up a mud slope to get back up.

I’d definitely recommend a little weekend break to Weymouth whenever you get the chance, but if you’re planning on visiting Durdle Door then it’s probably best to do it in the off-season or during the weeks when the crowds aren’t too busy (unless you don’t mind crowds). It’s about a 30 minute drive from Weymouth, but not the easiest place to get to with public transport.

Have you been to Durdle Door before?

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  • Reply
    Sarah
    March 4, 2017 at 1:03 pm

    Absolutely love your photos, April – what do you use to edit them? I love Durdle Door. I’ve actually only been once, but it was during my first ever visit to my boyfriend’s home/family, and we did a day trip out. I have such perfect memories even though it was the windiest/drizzliest day ever.

    • Reply
      April
      March 4, 2017 at 3:19 pm

      Thanks, Sarah! I use Lightroom – no specific presets or anything though, I just mess around with the brightness, shadows/highlights, warmth etc until they look decent haha! I’m so glad you have great memories of it, even though the weather sounded like the day we had too haha!
      xo April

  • Reply
    Annabelle
    March 4, 2017 at 4:36 pm

    Adore this post, amazing photos!

    x Annabelle

    • Reply
      April
      March 6, 2017 at 10:24 pm

      Thanks, Annabelle!
      xo April

  • Reply
    Gemma Evans
    March 5, 2017 at 7:52 pm

    Beautiful tone in these photos, they are remind me of vintage seaside postcards <3

    • Reply
      April
      March 6, 2017 at 10:26 pm

      Yeah, they do look a bit vintagey haha, though I didn’t actually do much editing to them other than brightness, shadows and warmth etc. The colours were just pretty amazing there.
      xo April

  • Reply
    Georgina
    March 6, 2017 at 10:11 am

    Im pretty sure I’ve been on a school trip once haha. I am loving the tone of your photos here though, they’re great!

    http://www.georginadoes.co.uk

    • Reply
      April
      March 6, 2017 at 10:26 pm

      Haha, that’s such a fun school trip though! I wish we got to visit places like this.
      xo April

  • Reply
    Carina
    March 6, 2017 at 6:29 pm

    The water looks incredible, all of it looks breathtaking. Need to visit next time I’m in the UK!

    xo
    http://www.carinavardie.com

    • Reply
      April
      March 6, 2017 at 10:27 pm

      Yes! Definitely put it on your list – it’s one of my favourite places in the UK!
      xo April

  • Reply
    Brianna
    March 7, 2017 at 3:46 am

    What a beautiful beach!

    With love,
    Brianna
    http://www.globalfashiongal.com
    https://www.youtube.com/user/briannadeg

    • Reply
      April
      March 8, 2017 at 6:49 am

      It’s one of my favourites! Thanks for stopping by!
      xo April

  • Reply
    Kate
    March 7, 2017 at 9:09 am

    Wow your photos are gorgeous and it looks amazing there! I’d love to go! X

    Kate// itskaterose.com

    • Reply
      April
      March 8, 2017 at 6:50 am

      Aw, thanks so much, Kate! If you get the chance, please visit – it’s so stunning there!
      xo April

  • Reply
    Hannah
    March 7, 2017 at 10:02 am

    Aww wow, what a stunning coast! The water is SO blue as well. I’m going to Weymouth for a week in the summer, so I’m definitely adding this to my list of things to do there! 🙂

    Hannatalks

    • Reply
      April
      March 8, 2017 at 6:51 am

      It’s so stunning isn’t it?! Yay! I really hope you enjoy it there, but I’d definitely recommend if you’re visiting during the summer, then go on a weekday or when the weather isn’t so great as it gets SO busy!
      xo April

  • Reply
    the Fashion Matters
    March 8, 2017 at 3:10 pm

    Amazing photos! I need to go there !

    x

    THE FASHION MATTERS- Travel & Fashion blog

  • Reply
    Clazz - An Orcadian Abroad
    April 11, 2017 at 11:19 am

    Well I’m sold! Dorset is one part of the country that has been very overlooked by me, and from your photos I reckon it’s underrated as a whole! Lovely post. 🙂

    • Reply
      April
      April 19, 2017 at 7:02 am

      Dorset is one of my favourite parts of the UK! Please visit next time you get a chance!
      xo April

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