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Dorset Coastal Walk

Trail Facts

Total distance: 75 miles (120km)
Duration: 8 days/7 nights, 6 days walking (hiking)
Minimum/maximum daily distances: 9½ miles (15km)/15 miles (24km)
Average daily distance: 12½ miles (20km)
Waymarked: The route is very clearly waymarked with South West Coast Path National Trail acorn waymarks and is very easy to follow.

Itinerary

Day 1: Travel to Lyme Regis, where your first nights accommodation has been booked.
Nestling snugly between steep hills, Lyme Regis is a beautiful old port. Attractive colour-washed cottages and elegant Georgian and Victorian villas overlook the long curving harbour wall known as the Cobb. The Cobb is a famous location in literature: not only did Loisa musgrove's accident in Jane Austen's novel Persuasion take place here, but it is also where The French Lieutenant's Woman stood and stared out to sea in John Fowles novel.

Day 2: Lyme Regis to Bridport. 9½ miles (15km)
From Lyme Regis, the path runs along the cliff top over Golden Cap, the highest point on the south coast, to Bridport's harbour at West Bay. Bridport is an attractive market town. Ropes and fishing nets have been made here from locally grown flax and hemp for more than 1000 years. In the past most of the rope was for the rigging of sailing ships, but ropes for gallows were also made, and the hangman's noose became known as the 'Bridport dagger'. The town owes the width of its street to the rope industry; the houses were set back an extra 10ft to allow for 'ropewalks': places where the flax strands were twisted into shape.

Day 3: Bridport to Abbotsbury. 9½ miles (15km)
From the harbour, the path goes along the cliff tops past Burton Bradstock, before dropping down to Cogden Beach. Burton Bradstock is a picturesque Dorset village with a fine church, attractive chapel, three old inns and a 'swingling' mill, where flax for making linen was dressed. From Cogden Beach the path goes along Chesil Beach, a great bank of pebbles to West Bexington. From here there is a choice of routes to Abbotsbury; the coast route along Chesil Bank or an inland route along the South Dorset Ridgeway which provides glorious views of the coast and visits Abbotsbury Castle, a superb Iron Age hill fort with wonderfully preserved ramparts.
Abbotsbury is a pretty little village of thatched tawny-coloured stone cottages, beside the ruin of a Benedictine Abbey. The huge tithe barn now houses an interesting country museum. The swannery, home to some 600 swans dates back to medieval times, when it presumably formed part of the Abbot's larder. If time permits, a walk up to the 14th century hilltop St Catherine's Chapel provides breathtaking views of the coast.

Day 4: Abbotsbury to Weymouth. 14 miles (22.5km).
Leaving Abbotsbury, the path meanders along the shores of the Fleet lagoon to Weymouth. Sheltered by Chesil Bank, the Fleet attracts thousands of birds and in spring the beach is brightened with pink thrift, white sea campion and yellow-horned poppy An important port since Roman times, Weymouth gained notoriety when a ship unloading here brought the Black Death to England in 1348. It was George III's experimental dip in the sea at Weymouth that ensured the future posperity of this attractive town. Wealthy gentry followed in their droves and the results of their patronage can be seen in the elegant Esplanade, the terraces of poticoed houses, bow-fronted shops and St Mary's Church with its Classical-style clock-tower.

Day 5: Weymouth to Lulworth. 14 miles (22.5km)
From Weymouth, the coast path follows the seawall past the remains of the Roman temple of Jordan Hill to a popular little cove, and then follows cliff top paths to Lulworth Cove, with some stunning views of the limestone arch of Durdle Door, one of the most famous landmarks on the south coast. A famous beauty spot, Lulworth Cove is a perfect shell-shaped bite out of the cliffs. Above the cove, struggling up the hill from the cove, the village of Lulworth, noted for its smuggling exploits in the early 1700's is a pretty jumble of thatch and stone cottages.

Day 6: Lulworth to Worth Matravers. 13 miles (21km)
Returning to the cliff tops, the path follows the edge of the cliffs over Bindon Hill and then Rings Hill, with its extensive Iron Age fort, before visiting the deserted range village of Tyneham. The village is a fascinating - the church with its beautiful 13th century piscina has an interesting display explaining the history of the village. Just opposite the church is the old schoolroom. In use until 1932, all children of school age in the village attended the same class, with a small platform at one end being reserved for the infants. After the village, the path zigzags down the slopes of Tyneham Cap before continuing along the low black cliffs to the 'nodding donkey' oil well at Kimmeridge Bay. From Kimmeridge Bay the path continues along the cliffs past Clavel Tower, a folly built in 1831 that in later times served as a coastguard lookout, to the distinctive peak of Hans-tout, which provides superb views stretching from Portland Bill to the Isle of Wight. Reaching St Alban's Head with its sturdy Norman chapel, the path continues along the cliffs to the village of Worth Matravers, a sleepy village of snug cottages, a post office, village pub and lonely old church.

Day 7: Worth Matravers to Poole. 15 miles (24km)
From the village the path continues along the cliff tops past Durlston Castle to Swanage. Stonework and street furnishings brought from London in the 19th century are an intriguing feature of this pleasant seaside town. The ornate façade of the Town Hall came from the Mercer's Hall in Cheapside and theclock-tower near the pier originally stood by London bridge in honour of the Duke of Wellington. Leaving the seafront, the coast path mounts the chalk ridge of Ballard Down and then follows the cliff top paths to Handfast Point, which provides superb views over the dramatic white chalk stacks of Old Harry, before descending to the village of Studland. After visiting the tiny church of St Nicholas, which has some fine Saxon stonework, the path wanders along the sands of Studland Bay to South Haven Point and the ferry for Poole.
Poole is a beautiful and ancient seaport on a huge harbour. The town developed in the 13th century and was colonized by pirates, fishermen and then timber traders. The old quarter around the harbour rewards exploration - the old Customs House, Scalpen's Court, where the graffiti written by Cromwell's troops is still visible around the fireplace and the Guildhall are the most striking of over 100 historic buildings.

Day 8: Depart from Poole after breakfast.

Extra nights/Rest days

An extra night gives you a chance to explore some of the towns and villages along the trail or relax and give those weary legs a rest. Lyme Regis with its beautiful harbour, fascinating museum and parish church with its amazingly large chained bible is a good choice for an extra night. There is a lot to see and do in Bridport - a fine medieval church, interesting museum, thatched brewery with its waterwheel, some fine almshouses and a lovely old harbour. If you fancy somewhere quieter consider Worth Matravers, a lovely village with fascinating history. Poole, with its rich history and wealth of fine old buildings is another good choice.

 What's included

• 7 nights accommodation in en-suite rooms with private bathrooms (where available) in selected hotels, inns and guesthouses.
• Full English breakfast.
• Door to door luggage transfer along the trail.
• A set of maps with the route marked on and a guidebook describing the trail.
• An information pack containing an itinerary, detailed instructions on how to find your accommodation each night, town plans, information about facilities and places of interest along the trail and a kit list.
• Detailed travel instructions on how to get to the start of your holiday and back from the end of it.
• Emergency assistance

Travel Information

Detailed instructions on how to get to the start of the holiday and back from the end of it are sent to you on booking. A summary is given below.

Most convenient International airport: London

Outward journey from London to Lyme Regis: There is a fast and regular train service from London Paddington/Waterloo to Axminster (2 ½ hours). It is then a short bus or taxi journey to Lyme Regis.

Return journey to London at the end of the holiday: There is a fast and regular train service to London Waterloo from Poole (2 hours).