Man o war beach4/23/2024 ![]() ![]() Again, due to potentially dangerous ground, all of the Stair Hole inlet is fenced off, viewable only from above, though it may be entered if approaching by boat.ĭungy Head, St Oswald's Bay, Man-o-War Cove and Durdle Door The Portland ridge contains two small arches beside the main opening, and the rocks at either side to the north are notable for the extreme buckling of the strata, one section being known as the Lulworth Crumple. Here, the sea has only relatively recently formed a breach in the outer Portland stone and has begun the slow erosion of the Purbeck limestone beyond the waters have not quite penetrated to the softer sandstone just inland. The Lulworth loop hike continues by retracing steps to the west side of the cove then climbing a path to the top of the western promontory, though unlike that to the east, most of this is closed due to steep cliffs and unstable slopes, however there is a good viewpoint on top of the ridge - east across the cove and west to Stair Hole. Another path continues east along the cliffs for a few hundred feet to a fence marking the boundary of the MOD land, to which public access is allowed on most weekends, and major public holidays. The best view of the bay is obtained by walking east then south along the beach, passing beneath the chalk cliffs and some colourful sandstone outcrops, followed by a short climb to the top of the bluffs a path winds up the slopes and leads to an overlook right at the entrance to the cove, on a promontory known as East Horn, or East Point. The seaward side of the bay is formed of Purbeck limestone, somewhat harder, while beyond is a layer of Portland stone that is even more resistant, hence this has eroded the least, and forms the 400 foot-wide opening of the basin, which internally is 1,400 feet across. The chalk is hard, and resistant to erosion, but the rocks to the south - marl and sandstone of the Wealden Supergroup - are much softer hence the sides of the cove have eroded more readily, to the west and east. The north edge of the cove is bordered by tall cliffs of white chalk (mostly covered with grass), above a beach of large, loose pebbles that are a little difficult to walk along. A cove is a small inlet with a narrow entrance, and the feature at Lulworth is one of the most famous in the country perfectly symmetrical in outline, surrounded by interesting rock formations and filled with deep blue water. The closest site to the main carpark is Lulworth Cove, reached after a five minute walk down the road, which ends at a boat shed and cafe overlooking the sea. The return route is back along the beach a short distance, up a short, steep gully then along the top of the cliffs to the car park. ![]() ![]() Next is a short climb over a ridge and a descent to Durdle Door, followed by a walk on a second long beach framed by chalk cliffs, passing beneath the highpoint of Swyre Head to the sheer-walled promontory of Bat's Head. However, a better way to see these two features from all angles, and visit more of the surrounding coastline, is via a loop of five miles - to the cove and along the shoreline to a promontory on the east side, back west to the viewpoint on Dungy Head, then down to the sands of St Oswald's Bay, while coming close to the offshore rocks of Man-o-War, which shelter another pretty cove. Lulworth Cove is 800 feet from a large carpark along the road from West Lulworth, while Durdle Door is one mile west, or just less than half a mile from a smaller alternative parking area beside a large caravan site. The cove is said to be the most visited geological landmark in Britain. The variety of features is a consequence of the complex geology most of the land in this part of the county is underlain by the chalk but some of the most southerly points are composed of more resistant limestone, separated by a narrow, softer band of reddish marl and sandstone it is the limestone which forms the arch, the thin promontories at the entrance to the cove, and the offshore rocks. Also along this relatively short stretch are Stair Hole, a smaller cove lined by extravagantly-folded strata, a fine viewpoint on Dungy Head, a sea stack and a small arch at Bat's Head, a semi-submerged reef ( Man-o-War), and lengthy beaches of golden sand beneath vertical cliffs of white chalk. ![]() The most famous section of Dorset's Jurassic Coast is the 2 miles near the little village of West Lulworth, as this includes two very photogenic features the near-circular inlet of Lulworth Cove and the great sea arch of Durdle Door. ![]()
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