Durdle Door

Durdle Door is one of the most photographed landmarks along the Jurassic Coast. This rock arch in the sea was formed as a result of the softer rocks being eroded away behind the hard limestones, allowing the sea to punch through them. The name Durdle is derived from an old English word ‘thirl’ meaning bore or drill.

There are a few ways to get there:
1) You can leave your car at Lulworth Cove car park because it has cheaper parking rates than the Durdle Door’s parking which operates under National Trust, then hike up and down the hills; or
2) You can drive directly to the location if you are not in the mood for the long hiking trip.

Getting down to the beach is quite a challenge in itself. We weren’t up for it ’cause we hiked elsewhere before that, so we just enjoyed the sunset looking down from the hill.

Each year more than 200,000 walkers use the footpath between Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door, making it the busiest stretch in the south west. Scenes from the 1967 film of Thomas Hardy’s novel ‘Far From the Madding Crowd’ were filmed here, and in 1997, parts of the film ‘Wilde’ starring Stephen Fry were also shot here. Many may recall Cliff Richards’ 1990 hit ’Saviour’s Day’ which saw Cliff singing both down on the beach and on the clifftop in the promotional video. And later, Tears for Fears shot parts of their video to promote ‘Shout’ at this iconic arch. It is privately owned by the Welds, a family who own 12,000 acres (50 km2) in Dorset.

written by neja on 2011-09-14 #places #mountain #nature #sea #hiking #sunset #landmark #rocks #walk #beauty #beautiful #location #beach #uk #great-britain #fossil #formations #dorset #escape-from-the-city #jurassic-coast #durdle-door #united-kingdon