Dorset Coast path and Purbeck Ridgeway - tour description

The Purbeck peninsula has long been an officially designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and as part of the 'Jurassic Coast' of Dorset and East Devon, has now been awarded the coveted status of World Heritage Site by UNESCO, putting it on a par with such wonders as the Great Barrier Reef and the Giant's Causeway.

Between White Nothe and Studland coastal footpaths (part of the South West Peninsula Coast Path national trail) pass rugged sea cliffs, headlands, sea stacks, natural arches, rocky coves and sandy beaches. The beauty of the coastline is protected by the Purbeck Heritage Coast Project. Inland ancient ridgeway paths follow the crests of chalk and limestone ridges. The jagged ruins of Corfe Castle punctuate a gap in the chalk ridge. Little Norman churches, village greens with duck ponds and country pubs typify England at its best.

Dorset is known for its mild and sunny climate and is a good place to hike at any time of year. Route-finding is easy with our detailed route descriptions, and the days of 12 to 20km (8 to 12 miles) are not strenuous, although there are some steep gradients. The tour is therefore suitable for those with little or no previous experience of walking tours. The Day 3 walk from Lulworth Cove to Kimmeridge crosses a military zone which is only open to the public at weekends and holidays. So the starting day is generally restricted to Thursday or Friday, except at holiday periods (see dates below).

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Reports from previous customers on our Dorset Coast and Purbeck Ridgeway tour

‘...the rich variety of bed and breakfasts... The magnificent scenery...It was good to walk from one meal to another, feeling like a real connoisseur in a place you never were before...it was very well organised... we met jealous comments from fellow walkers (heav[il]y loaded) about our "very refined" way of doing a walking tour - when they spotted the taxi driver coming to collect our luggage’.

‘...all in all: a very nice vacation, Well arranged. [We particularly liked] the nature, the suroundings, the weather, the nice people. [The accommodation at Corfe Castle was] wonderfully hospitable.’ Mr, Mrs and Miss Snippe.

‘ ...comprehensive information package on the walking route. Your care in sending us all the information...though we booked only shortly in advance.’ Mr Zeun and Ms Kremm.

'.[We particularly liked] the beautiful scenery, the sheep, stiles, sunny unspoiled landscape. The path itself, the small cosy villages...the peaceful quietness' Mrs and Ms Blusse.

' We particularly liked - the very good organisation: maps, luggage transfer etc. - fabulous walks and views.' Mrs van Halem, Mrs ter Maaten.

‘We had a wonderful holiday, great walks, fine weather with lots of sunshine and good accommodations with nice people.’ C Remmelts and W Strijker.

‘[I particularly liked] the views, along the coast path and on the ridge. The walk through the range on Sunday morning was paradise, no-one to be seen until 11am…Thank you very much for this well-documented tour.’ M Mauve.

Dorset Coast path and Purbeck Ridgeway - tour details 2014
A Discerning Traveller self - led hiking tour
Duration: 6 or 8 nights.
Tour code: D6 or D8.
Dates. Available all year except late December.

Dates. Available all year except late December. In 2014 start any Thursday or Friday except: 16 and 17 January, 6 and 7 March, 9 and 10 April, 12 and 13 June, 25 and 26 September, 13 and 14 November. The ranges are also open during the main school holiday periods, so during the periods Wednesday 16 April to Friday 25 April (Easter), Thursday 22 to Friday 30 May (spring bank holiday) and Thursday 24 July to Friday 29 August (summer holiday) 2014 the tour can start any day. Saturday 3 May 2014 is also a permitted start day. In recent years the ranges have also been open during the first week of September – please contact us to check.
The reason for these restrictions is that the third day (Day 3) of the tour crosses a military training area which is only open to the public at weekends (excepting 6 weekends per year as listed above) and at main holiday periods. And Day 3 - along the very best of the Purbeck Heritage Coast, some of the finest scenery in England - should not be missed! For a hiking tour on the Dorset coast path NOT restricted as to starting days please see our Jurassic Coast tour (factsheet code FSJ).
Notes

1. Accommodation in Purbeck tends to be heavily booked in advance for late May, late July and August, so please book early!
2. In recent years we have occasionally had difficulty in getting accommodation at Kimmeridge and Steeple (normally nights 3 and 4 of this tour) for particular weekends.  We have sometimes been able to get round this by using accommodation at Corfe Castle instead (if all of the small number of B&Bs at Kimmeridge are full), but it will of course help if you can provide alternative starting dates. Staying at Corfe Castle will not prevent you from completing all the walks, although the sequence of days may be affected. We will only use such a substitution with your prior agreement.

The reason for these restrictions is that the third day (Day 3) of the tour crosses a military training area which is only open to the public at weekends (excepting 6 weekends per year) and at main holiday periods. And Day 3 - along the very best of the Purbeck Heritage Coast, some of the finest scenery in England - should not be missed!
Note that accommodation in this area tends to be heavily booked in peak holiday periods, especially in late May, late July and August, so book early!
Grade: Moderate hiking, some steep gradients. Routefinding straightforward. For explanation see Grading and difficulty page.
Nearest international airports: Southampton, London Gatwick, London Heathrow, Bristol.
Train stations: start of tour: Wool; end of tour Wareham. Hourly direct train service from London Waterloo via Southampton airport.
Overnight stops: 6 night tour: 1,2 West Lulworth (Lulworth Cove); 3,4 Kimmeridge; 5,6 Corfe Castle. 8 night tour: as 6 night tour, then: 7,8 Studland.
Accommodation: Accommodation: small guest houses (B&Bs), usually including 1 or 2 nights in a farm guest house; some nights with en-suite or private facilities, which can be guaranteed throughout for a supplement.
Meals included: 8 or 6 breakfasts; evening meals can be obtained locally without pre-booking. Packed/picnic lunches are obtainable locally from village shops or from the accommodation.
Factsheets. These are more detailed information sheets, one for each tour, which can be obtained from The Discerning Traveller before booking. The Factsheet code for our Dorset tour is FSD. Enquiry form
Reading. Thomas Hardy is well known as the great Dorset novelist - his novel The Hand of Ethelberta is set among the limestone quarries of Purbeck.

Dorset Coast Path & Purbeck Ridgeway - tour prices 2014

For more walking in Dorset and Devon see Jurassic Coast.
We offer other coastal walking tours in North Pembrokeshire and Cornwall (Lands End and Padstow and Tintagel )
Other ‘easy’ grade walks are available in England in the Cotswolds and the Lake District
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