12. Dorset: Osmington Mills - Durdle Door - Lulworth Cove - 13 miles return - OS Landranger 194
11 miles to Durdle Door and back, 13 miles if your legs can't make it to Lulworth Cove. Parking in layby as you enter Osmington Mills. Pub at Osmington Mills. Cafes, pubs at Lulworth. Easy going until last section of steep climbs and jarring descents too close together for comfort.
The Dorset coast path isn't as consistently wonderful as Devon and Cornwall's, but when it’s good it’s gobsmacking. This stunning walk covers two gems: the limestone arch of Durdle Door and (if you choose to press on) lovely Lulworth Cove. But a word of advice: go in late autumn or winter because it gets very crowded at other times. I walked to Durdle Door and back on the 13th of November 2017 and the mile extra to Lulworth Cove in summer. The difference was Cretaceous rock and cheese.
Pick up the coast path to the left of the Smuggler’s Inn at Osmington , an attractive 13th century pub with good ales and a genuine history of smuggling. In the 17th century it was the hang out of French Peter, well known in these parts for his untaxed contribution to the local economy. Head east.
Gentle slopes and woodland lead onto Ringstead beach with its caravan site and smatterings of homes bordering the pebbles. Before you get there watch out through the trees for the ribs and bow of a shipwreck: the Minx, a coal barge that came to grief in 1927. A cormorant was drying its outstretched wings on one of the protrusions when I passed.
At Ringstead, the coast path is the beach. Ignore the numerous wooden steps up from it with private or the unnecessarily rude KEEP OUT! (I’d suggest a psychiatrist whoever you are) signs. The final one is yours and is clearly marked coastal path.
Another gentle rise follows to a few homes and more woodland before giving way to open fields. Now you can enjoy uninterrupted views to Portland Bill across the water (fabulous at sunset) and the peak of White Nothe, a chalk (Cretaceous) cliff, ahead. A terrace of former coastguard cottages sits on top. If any are for sale when you pass let me know (I might have won the lottery by then).
For those of you who don’t know, this is called the Jurassic coast. A World Heritage site, it stretches way beyond the confines of this little walk. In places like Charmouth, its cliffs are full of the leftovers of Jurassic life, some enormous with that my grandson can name but I can’t.
But the cliffs aren't all Jurassic. The ones on this walk formed later in the Cretaceous period, and this time it was billions of tiny creatures who left their remains as chalk rather than fossils. These chalk cliffs stretch (with lengthy breaks and sudden reappearances) from Dover to Beer (in Devon) and there are no bluebirds over any of them.
With farmland to your left and grass underfoot, it’s now a steady walk down toward a navigation point and beyond. I imagine this open stretch of coast is pretty horrendous in wind and rain, so pick a nice day.
And watch out for and relish the small stone way-markers telling you how far to Scratchy Bottom. Unfortunately, they don’t warn you it's a bummer to get there with steep climbs and knee jarring descents.
Scratchy Bottom is a serene green valley. It was where the sheep ran over the cliff in the 1967 film version of Far from the Madding Crowd . Ahead of you is the remarkable limestone arch of Durdle Door, sheltering one of many beautiful beaches along this stretch. In winter, without the crowds, it’s magical, except when the weather turns, which is not uncommon at Durdle. Moments before the video below was shot, it was clear blue skies. Then the sun buggered off, along with the heat and the beach dwellers in that order.
Like Scratchy Bottom, Durdle Door has had its share of fame. In the nineties, no Christmas was complete without a Cliff Richard single. This link to Saviour’s Day was shot at Durdle Door on a summer's day with no misty intrusions. Enjoy the geology, wonder at the clothes and blush at Cliff attempting cool.
Beyond Durdle Door are more fine beaches and Lulworth Cove, another geological wonder somewhat marred by excessive tourist development and its popularity, but still well worth a gawp.
Also worth a gawp is Stair Hole. As you drop down the hill to Lulworth Cove, you enter a large (and expensive) car park. At the far end, near the cafe, watch out for the signpost to it. Like Lulworth cove, the ocean has broken through the cliffs here, but the inlet in not so wide and the sea doglegs to the right, leaving a thin strip of remaining cliff between it and the pounding waves beyond. What makes it spectacular are holes in the cliff, allowing the ocean to thunder through.
It's quite a sight, but when you can drag yourself away, make your way to the western tip of the entrance to Lulworth Cove for a fine view down to it.
As for the walk back: Why not reward yourself with a pint at the Lulworth Cove Inn, and taxi back. No need to admit it. This is fictional Wessex in Thomas Hardy novels. Flights of fancy are encouraged..