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Lulworth Cove and Village, Purbeck, Dorset

Lulworth Village & Lulworth Cove, Purbeck, Dorset


About Lulworth Village & Lulworth Cove

Lulworth Cove, part of the World Heritage Jurassic Coastline, is one of the many outstanding places of natural beauty to be found in the Isle of Purbeck, Dorset. Formed over millions of years ago the naturally shaped shell like cove is very popular with geologists, physical geographers and school trips wishing to study rock formations and marine erosion; while the relaxing beach, coastal walks and guided boat tours are a regular draw for tourists.

The coastal village itself is charming and well worth exploring, and the Fossil Forest, Durdle Door and Lulworth Castle are all a short walk away.

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Things To See & Do

Stair Hole

Adjoining Lulworth Cove is Stair Hole which is a classic geological example of a marine erosion blow hole, where the sea has exploited a weakness in the rocks to form a small archway. In time this will develop into a much larger archway such as that seen at Durdle Door.

Durdle Door

From the Heritage Cenre car park you will see a trail signposted for Durdle Door. After a moderate climb to the top of the hill, it is down the otherside to Durdle Door, a famous Dorset landmark. Naturally shaped by the erosion of the sea and coastal weather, Durdle Door is an archway jutting out into the sea and partially forming it's own mini cove with pebble beach. Again this is a very popular spot in the summer. From the beach you can see a number of small caves in the hillside.

Fossil Forest

A little further along the coast is the Fossil Forest. Be aware that this area is part of the Lulworth Range Walks, and are subject to closure for MOD training. They are usually open to the public every weekend from 9.00am Saturday to 7.30pm Sunday. However, if you are planning a visit to the Fossil Forest it's probably a good idea to ring the dedicated number to check that the area will be open (+44 (0) 1929 462721 extension 4819).

At the Fossil Forest, you can see the remains of petrified tree stumps formed some 135 millions years ago. Steps from the top of the cliff lead down to where the fossils are located. A few hundred feet to the East of the Fossil Forest you can see a World War II pillbox.

Lulworth Castle

Further East again is Lulworth Castle which was originally built by Thomas Howard as a hunting lodge to attract James I and his Court, early in the 17th century. It is now a significant country house at the heart of the Lulworth country estate. The Howards owned the castle until 1641 when it was purchased by Humphrey Weld. Humphrey Weld's ancestors still own the estate today.

Not much has changed to the outside of the castle since it was built. However, the interior changed regularly and consistently with the fashion of the time. Unfortunatley the castle suffered a disasterous fire in 1929. Restoration work was carried out however and was finally completed in 1998 by English Heritage.

There is a fee to enter Lulworth Castle.

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Shops & Amenities

Lulworth village has a church, a grocery store, a post office, and a number of guest houses. There are some road side parking spaces in the village but these are very limited and you will invariably find yourself turning round to return to the Heritage Centre parking lot.

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More About Corfe Castle

Select one of the articles from the list below to learn more about Lulworth Village and Lulworth Cove in Purbeck, Dorset and the immediate surrounding area.

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How To Get There

From the Poole & Dorset Adventure Centre, turn left onto Renscombe Road and follow the road into Worth Matravers. Follow the one way system as it bears left with the village hall on your right. Go past the church, post office and tea rooms and at the bottom of the road, turn left. When you reach the end of this road turn left onto the B3069, signposted for Kingston.

Follow the B3069 into Kingston and stay on it as you leave Kingston signposted for Corfe Castle.  After approximately 1 mile you will reach a T-junction. Turn left onto A351 (East Street), and drive through Corfe Castle village. Stay on the A351, following signposts for Wareham, until you reach the roundabout with the A352. Turn left at this roundabout onto the A352 (Worgret Hill).

After 3000yds turn left onto the B3070 signposted for West Holme and Lulworth. Stay on this road, driving through East Lulworth, Lulworth Camp and West Lulworth village before reaching your destination.

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Durdle Door

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