Durdle Door – Dorset’s Most Iconic Attraction

Durdle Door is a 7.5 mile drive from Tyneham village. Alternatively you can take the coastal walk which is roughly a mile shorter in distance but you get to take in the sights along one of Dorset’s most iconic stretches of coastline. Walking to Durdle Door from Tyneham will take you about 3 hours if you don’t stop anywhere along the way.

Durdle Door Directions to Get Here

Durdle Door is situated in the lovely village of West Lulworth. Head for the A352 which will then lead you to the B3070 where Durdle Door is located. It’s very well signposted so you shouldn’t have a problem finding it. The Durdle Door Postcode is BH20 5PU. If you put that in your SatNav it will get you here.

Alternatively the walk from Tyneham via Worbarrow Bay and Lulworth Cove is shown below.

Parking and Facilities

There is a lot of parking for Durdle Door and just like in Lulworth Cove, it can be quite expensive. The car park is at the top of the cliff so you’ll still have a long walk ahead of you ahead of you down many steps. If you have any problems with your knees or legs you won’t be able to make the long walk down although you will still be able to see the famous stone arch from the car park. Entrance to the beach is free of charge.

Note, there is no beach parking at Durdle Door. Swimming is allowed but there are no life guards so please be careful.

The walk down to the beach from the car park is roughly half mile. This is a long steep path downhill and then a further 150 steep steps down onto the beach. It is definitely a trek so be prepared!

At the car park you will find some public toilets and there is usually a catering unit selling snacks and drinks. Down on the beach though you will find no facilities whatsoever.

It can get extremely busy here so try and come on a quieter day if possible. When it gets too overcrowded police will prevent access to the whole area including Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door. Fortunately this doesn’t happen too often.

One of Dorset’s Most Iconic Landmarks

Durdle Door is easily one of Dorset’s most photographed landmarks. It belongs to the Weld family family who also own around 12,000 acres of Land in Dorset which is known as the Weld Estate.

How Was Durdle Door Formed?

This giant stone arch was formed roughly 140 million years ago. Over time the softer rocks were eroded away leaving the harder limestone which makes up the arch. Now part of the Jurassic coastline and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it attracts thousands of visitors each year.

Dogs are allowed on the beach all year, however please be sure to pick up after them.

Please Treat Durdle Door With Respect

For such a beautiful place it really sad to see how it has been treated by tourists during the busy summer period. The amount of rubbish that was left on the beach over the busy weekends was absolutely heartbreaking.

Please don’t be part of the problem and if you see anyone littering please advise them of the location of the nearest bin or even better, ask them to take their litter home with them.

Teams of volunteers spent hours clearing up rubbish left by visitors.