The Jurassic Coast · Linear (one way)

Swanage to Studland over Ballard Down

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

Official trail pageNational Trails: South West Coast Path

Distance 7.2 km · 4.5 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) Swanage (coast path) to Studland (coast path)

Take this walk offline

Near the start, along the way and at the finish

Swanage Railway, Swanage, Studland & Purbeck — Near the start: Swanage Railway (under 1 km away)Photo: LordHarris at English Wikipedia, Public domain

Studland Beach, Swanage, Studland & Purbeck — Near the finish: Studland Beach (under 1 km away)Photo: Malc McDonald, CC BY-SA 2.0

Swanage Pier, Swanage, Studland & Purbeck — Swanage Pier (under 1 km from the start)Photo: Daniel Schmidt, CC BY-SA 4.0

Durlston Country Park, Swanage, Studland & Purbeck — Durlston Country Park (about 1.5 km from the start)Photo: Michael Garlick, CC BY-SA 2.0

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 one-way section of the South West Coast Path climbs from Swanage onto Ballard Down and drops towards Studland. Dorset Council describes the Studland and Ballard Down area as access land owned and managed by the National Trust. Plan your return by bus or taxi, or check the Studland bus details on the Dorset Council page.

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

Along the way

Start: Swanage (coast path)
Finish: Studland (coast path)

The line is drawn from OpenStreetMap data and simplified to 314 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 dataSwanage (station), about 0.4 km in a straight line.
Nearest to the finishSwanage (station), about 3.7 km in a straight line.
Dorset Council says Studland is served by bus route 50 and suggests the bus in summer, when the South Beach car park may be full. Source (opens in new tab)

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 path has some very steep ascents and descents in Purbeck, 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. 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. 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; 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 in Purbeck, steps, landslip closures. Checked on 2026-10-25.
Dorset Council: Studland and Ballard Down round walk (opens in new tab). National Trust access land, bus route 50, car park note. Checked on 2026-10-25.
Visit Dorset: beach safety (opens in new tab). cliff safety advice. Checked on 2026-10-25.
OpenStreetMap: South West Coast Path section 52, Worth Matravers to South Haven Point (relation 2376455) (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

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.

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