- Location: West Lulworth, Wareham, BH20 5PU
- Opening times: Car park open March to October 8.00am – 9.00pm, November to February 8.00am – 5.00pm. No overnight parking or camping permitted.
- Entry: No charge to Durdle Door.
- Access: Parking charge £3.10 for up to one hour, £12.40 for up to four hours, and £20.00 for all day.
Durdle Door, arguably the most dramatic feature of the 100 mile long Jurassic Coast, is a 200 feet tall natural limestone arch formed over thousands of years as the sea eroded the cliff face to leave the hole. The formation we see today has around for about 10,000 years. The sea continues to erode Durdle Door, and it is predicted the roof of the arch will eventually collapse, leaving a sea stack.
It is part of the 12,000-acre Lulworth Estate which is owned by the Weld family, although both Durdle Door Cove and the adjacent Man O’ War Bay are open to the public. The Cove is a favourite location for news teams whenever Britain has a heatwave as it provides both a crowded beach and a uniquely picturesque backdrop. There are no news teams here today, what with it being a cold and grey – but thankfully dry – January 4th, but it is by no means deserted. There are approximately 25 – 30 cars in the car park, and a steady stream of people make their way to or from the beach.
For the most part I’ll let the pictures do the talking, but it is worth pointing out that it is a 10 – 15-minute walk downhill from the car park to the cliff top where Durdle Door first comes into view, and then a steep 150-step stairway leads down to the beach. The trek down and up is therefore probably unsuitable for anyone with mobility issues.
Durdle Door has some serious pop culture credentials, over and above news reports about the rising mercury and overcrowded beaches. It has been used as a location in the 1967 film version of Far from the Madding Crowd starring Julie Christie and Terence Stamp, Wilde (1997) starring Stephen Fry, the Emma Thompson vehicle Nanny McPhee (2005), and the Bollywood film Housefull 3 (2016).
In the Doctor Who episode ‘The Power of the Doctor’ (2022), Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor memorably regenerated into David Tennant’s Fourteenth atop Durdle Door. Although the BBC had received permission for filming, the Weld family were unhappy with the finished product, fearing it would encourage visitors to climb above the arch. In June the following year, some Housefull 3 fans were equally miffed after journeying to Durdle Door only to find it closed because the second season of Netflix’s The Sandman was being filmed there.
In 1984 it was used as a location in the videos for two songs released that November, ‘Shout’ by Tears for Fears and ‘Loverboy’ by Billy Ocean, making it almost as ubiquitous that Christmas as George Michael. And staying with Christmas, Durdle Door was also the setting for the video of 1990 festive chart-topper ‘Saviour’s Day’ by Cliff Richard.
Destination or Diversion?
Annie and I easily passed a couple of hours here and that was on a cold grey Saturday in January, so it is easy to understand people spending the entire day at this lovely location during the summer months. As such, I’m calling Durdle Door a destination.
