Some key points of interest of Jurassic Coast East are:
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Stair Hole
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Lulworth Cove
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A “fossil forest”
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The ruined village and museum of Tyneham
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The beautiful village of Worth Matravers
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Dancing Ledge
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Durlston Park nature reserve
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The seaside resort of Swanage (with its steam railway)
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Old Harry Rock
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The sweeping sandy beach of Studland
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The dramatic and historic ruin of Corfe Castle.
The trail starts at Lulworth, continuing on from where Jurassic Coast West ends, past a series of holes that the sea has punched its way through at “Stair Hole” and down to the beautiful, horseshoe-shaped Lulworth Cove itself. It then crosses several miles of wild and magnificent terrain that belongs to the army, with no road in sight at all. This entire area is closed to the public during the week for most of the year, opening only at weekends, on public holidays and for 6 weeks in the summer.
Soon after leaving Lulworth Cove, the path goes past the fossilised remains of a forest that grew over 100 million years ago, before heading down to the spectacular Mupe Bay, from where there are two very steep climbs and descents in succession, the second leading from Arish Mell to the grass-covered remains of the iron age hillfort of Flower’s Barrow and then down to the coast at Worbarrow Bay. The views along this entire stretch of coastline are stunning.
From Worbarrow Bay, the trail heads a short way inland to the ghostly remains and museum of Tyneham Village, whose 250 inhabitants were told to leave before Christmas in 1943, when the entire area was requisitioned by the War Office. After a gentle climb back towards the coast, the path stays on top of a long, undulating, grassy ridge that leads out of the restricted area and past the village of Kimmeridge, before turning into a track that continues in the same direction to a spectacular viewpoint at Swyre Head, from where, on clear days, one can see the entire coastline to Weymouth and Portland to the west and Bournemouth and the Isle of Wight to the East.
The first view of Corfe Castle can be seen between Swyre Head and the pretty village of Kingston, where the path heads back to the coast at Hounstout Cliff. Another exceptionally beautiful stretch of walk follows, leading to the picture postcard village of Worth Matravers, from where the path descends back to the coast, which it hugs all the way to Durlstone Park and Swanage, passing a large flat rock, called Dancing Ledge, a popular destination for rock climbers and walkers.
From the small seaside resort of Swanage, the trail returns to the cliff tops before descending along a majestic path over Ballard Down to the tip of Handfast Point and Old Harry Rock, a famous chalk stack. It is a short, flat walk from here to Studland and the most popular sandy beach in the area.
The final part of the trail is along a magnificent ridge (with one steep dip) all the way to the famous landmark of Corfe Castle and the attractive village of the same name.
All prices are per person
A1 country house style hotels of exceptional quality
A2 widely acclaimed small independent hotels
A3 top rated guest houses (B&Bs) or village inns
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If you want a longer walking holiday (12 nights), you can do Jurassic Coast West and Jurassic Coast East trails consecutively (at a discounted price). This includes one free/rest day in the middle.
All prices are per person
A1 country house style hotels of exceptional quality
A2 widely acclaimed small independent hotels
A3 top rated guest houses (B&Bs) or village inns
|
