The Jurassic Coast · Linear (one way)

South West Coast Path: Durdle Door to Lulworth Cove

A short one-way stretch of the National Trail between two of Dorset's best-known bays.

Official trail pageNational Trails: South West Coast Path

Distance 2.3 km · 1.4 miles Route length measured from OpenStreetMap geometry
Typical time Not stated The official page gives no time, so we show none.
Ascent Not stated No official ascent figure
Grade Easy Our rule, see below
Route typeLinear (one way) Durdle Door (coast path) to Lulworth Cove (coast path)

Take this walk offline

Near the start, along the way and at the finish

Durdle Door, Lulworth Cove, Durdle Door & Wareham — Near the start: Durdle Door (under 1 km away)Photo: miketnorton, CC BY 2.0

Stair Hole, Lulworth Cove, Durdle Door & Wareham — Near the finish: Stair Hole (under 1 km away)Photo: ian freeman, CC BY-SA 3.0

Lulworth Cove Heritage Centre, Lulworth Cove, Durdle Door & Wareham — Lulworth Cove Heritage Centre (about 1.7 km from the start)Photo: Andy Potter, CC BY-SA 2.0

Lulworth Cove, Lulworth Cove, Durdle Door & Wareham — Lulworth Cove (about 2.1 km from the start)Photo: Paste at English Wikipedia, Public domain

Photos of named places from our guides closest to each point of the walk, with the straight-line distance. They show the area, not the path itself: follow the waymarks and the official page.

The route

This short section of the South West Coast Path links Durdle Door with Lulworth Cove on the Dorset coast. It follows the waymarked National Trail, so look for the acorn symbol. Plan how you will get back, or walk it out and back.

The interactive map needs JavaScript. The start and finish are listed below.

Along the way

Start: Durdle Door (coast path)
Finish: Lulworth Cove (coast path)

The line is drawn from OpenStreetMap data and simplified to 143 points. It can differ from what is on the ground: waymarks and the official page take priority.

Route and map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), saved 2026-10-25. Spotted a mistake? Fix the map.

Download GPX Official trail page

The GPX file holds the route as a track and the start, finish and waypoints, for use in a walking or hiking app. It is a planning aid, not a navigation guarantee.

Before you go

Safety and access notes come from official pages. Conditions change, so read the linked page for the day you walk.

Getting there

Nearest station or stop to the start in our dataWool (station), about 7.7 km in a straight line.
Nearest to the finishWool (station), about 7.3 km in a straight line.

Straight-line distances from our station list, not walking distances. Check timetables and the route to the start before you travel. Getting between regions

Step-free and pushchair access

The official page does not say whether this route is step-free or suitable for pushchairs, so we do not either. Check the official page (opens in new tab) or ask the site.

Safety

Dorset Council says the Dorset section of the path has some very steep ascents and descents, with steps on most of the steeper parts. Dorset Council: South West Coast Path (opens in new tab)
Visit Dorset advises keeping well away from cliff edges and from the foot of the cliffs, because rock falls can happen at any time, and sticking to marked paths. Visit Dorset: beach safety (opens in new tab)

Seasonal access

Dorset Council says sections of the Dorset coast path are prone to periodic closures after landslips. Check the South West Coast Path website for current closures before you go. Dorset Council: South West Coast Path (opens in new tab)

How these figures were worked out

Distance: route length measured from OpenStreetMap geometry. The official page gives no distance. It is a straight-segment sum along mapped paths, so it can differ from a waymarked figure.
Grade: our rule, because the official page gives no grade. Easy: up to 8 km and up to 150 m of ascent. Hard: over 16 km or over 600 m of ascent. Moderate: everything else. No ascent figure is available for this walk, so the rule used distance only and the real grade may be higher.
Time: only shown when an official page states it.

Sources

National Trails: South West Coast Path (opens in new tab). the path is a National Trail, 630 miles; page gives no Dorset section figures. Checked on 2026-10-25.
Dorset Council: South West Coast Path (opens in new tab). steep ascents and descents, steps, landslip closures. Checked on 2026-10-25.
Visit Dorset: beach safety (opens in new tab). cliff and tide safety advice. Checked on 2026-10-25.
OpenStreetMap: South West Coast Path section 50, Ferrybridge to Lulworth Cove (relation 2376424) (opens in new tab). route line and measured length. Checked on 2026-10-25.
OpenStreetMap contributors (opens in new tab) (ODbL). Route geometry. Saved 2026-10-25.

More walks in the Jurassic Coast

Swanage to Studland over Ballard Down
The end of the National Trail, on chalk downland above Swanage Bay and Studland.

All walks · The Jurassic Coast guide · Beaches · Parks and gardens