Local Guide to the Best Walks in Dorset
Seatown is a small coastal hamlet with a privately-owned shingle shelving beach. It is located 3 miles south west of Bridport and about 7.5 miles east of Lyme Regis. This part of the coast forms part of the Jurassic Coast, a world heritage site stretching for 96 miles.
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Great alternative to the Golden Cap walk. This circular coastal walk starts in the sleepy village of Seatown and has great views west towards Golden Cap, east towards West Bay (Bridport) and north to Colmer’s Hill.
Distance: 2.5 miles
Difficulty: easy to moderate
Estimated time: 1 hours 30 minutes,
Total ascent 653ft, Max elevation 486ft.
Golden Cap is the highest point in Dorset so you’ll get stunning views west along the Jurassic Coast towards Lyme Regis, east towards West Bay, Chesil Beach and the Isle of Portland and green rolling farmland to the north.
Distance: 4.1 miles
Difficulty: moderate
Estimated time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Total ascent 1175ft, Max elevation 604ft.
Popular circular coastal walk with great views of Lulworth Cove, Man O War Bay and the famous arch at Durdle Door. Can get busy during the summer months
Distance: 2.1 miles,
Difficulty: easy
Estimated time: 1 hour 30 minutes,
Total ascent 653ft, Max elevation 406ft
Swyre Head is the highest point of the Purbeck Hills. The hill commands extensive views of Dorset’s Jurassic Coast including St. Aldhelm’s Head and Chapmans Pool to the east and Clavell Tower, Kimmeridge and as far as the Isle of Portland and Weymouth Bay to the west. To the north you can see Corfe Castle and Poole Harbour.
Distance: 2 miles,
Difficulty: easy,
Estimated time: 1 hours 10 minutes
Total ascent 214ft, Max elevation 671ft
This is one of the longer Cranborne Estate walks starting in the picturesque village of Cranborne and taking you through water meadows, rolling farmland and forest.
Distance: 4.8 miles
Difficulty: easy
Estimated time: 2 hours 15 minutes
Total ascent 210ft, Max elevation 351ft.
This circular walk starts at Southbourne beach and follows the beach all the way along to the beach huts at Mudeford Sandbank before returning back over the top of Hengistbury Head.
Distance: 4.2 miles
Difficulty: moderate (mostly level but made more difficult by walking on sand),
Estimated time: 2 hours 30 mins
Total ascent: 128ft, Max elevation: 131ft
This is one of my favourite walks in the Worth Matravers area and a great choice for first-time visitors to the Purbeck region. The walk starts off with an easy stroll across farmland and down a sheltered valley to the abandoned stone cliff quarry at Seacombe. The path follows the coastal cliff tops west to another disused quarry at Winspit before retuning for the slow hike back to Worth Matravers along a surfaced track. Did I forgot to mention that there’s a very good pub in the village 🙂
Distance: 2.9 miles (circular walk)
Difficulty: easy (uneven ground, some uphill sections)
Estimated time: 1 hours 45 minutes
Total ascent 436ft, Highest Point 433ft
Badbury Rings is an impressive Iron Age hill fort that has three rings of ramparts and ditches. From May to July you’ll find yourself surrounded by fields of wild flowers as well as butterflies and birds.
Distance: 1.2 mile (circular walk)
Difficulty: very easy
Estimated time: 30 minutes
Total ascent 49ft, Max elevation 280ft
Stanpit Marsh is a local Nature Reserve and Site of Special Scientific Interest on the north side of Christchurch Harbour just below where the River Avon and River Stour meet. This walk takes you through salt marsh and freshwater marsh with reed beds absolutely teeming with wildflowers, butterflies and birds. The marsh is also home to semi-wild New Forest ponies that graze on the grassland.
Distance:Â 1.6 miles
Difficulty:Â easy,
Estimated time:Â 45 minutes
Total ascent 7ft, Highest point 13ft