Walks from Swanage
Swanage Beach (Easy, 40 mins)
*** Swanage to Studland via Ballard Down (Moderate, 1 hour to 2 hours 45 mins)
Swanage to Durlston Country Park (Easy, 1 hour 45 mins)
Swanage to Corfe Castle (Moderate, 2 hours 30 mins)
Swanage to Worth Matravers circuit (Moderate, 5 hours)
Other Isle of Purbeck Walks
Easy Walks
*** Studland Bay beach (90 mins – 2 hours 30 mins)
Studland to Agglestone Rock (1 hour 30 mins)
RSPB Arne (1 – 2 hours)
Moderate Walks
Durlston Head to Dancing Ledge (2 hours 30 mins)
*** Worth Matravers short circular (1 hour 30 mins)
Worth Matravers to St. Aldhelm’s Head (2 hours 45 mins)
Swyre Head to Kimmeridge (3 hours)
*** Kimmeridge to Tyneham (3 hours 45 mins)
Strenuous Walks
*** Isle of Purbeck, east half circuit (7 hours 45 mins)
Isle of Purbeck, west half circuit (7 hours)
Isle of Purbeck, full circuit (12 hours)
The Isle of Purbeck provides many spectacular walks within easy reach of Swanage, ranging from just a couple of kilometres to the challenging 48 kilometre complete circuit. There are a number of good books and websites that provide walking and hiking options, but here we have provided some suggestions (including our *** favourites per category) suiting various levels of capability, time available, weather, access to transport etc. In the route descriptions we have also provided links to some of the places for food and drink stops, plus websites that provide greater insight into the sites of interest that you will be passing.
Before we get started a few words on why The Isle of Purbeck is great for walking. This section of the Jurassic Coast has three main elevation features: first there are the cliffs from the chalk stacks of Old Harry Rocks to the rugged limestone and rocky bays from Durlston towards Tyneham; the second and third features are the limestone and chalk ridges that arc inland from the coast which create the elevation, not just for an alternative view of the coast, but spectacular 360 degree views towards Poole Harbour, inland to the Bovington tank ranges and on to Weymouth Bay and Portland Bill. Combining these features it is easy to create great circular walks. For gentler walks or on days when you want to be protected from the elements there are the dune walks behind Studland and the nearby heath walks on the southern edge of Poole Harbour. In addition to its UNESCO World Heritage Site status for geology this section of the Jurassic Coast is rich in history, from the Iron Age fort at Flowers Barrow, to medieval farming Strip Lynchets carved into the slopes south of Worth Matravers, and the quarrying of limestone providing the building blocks for London. This area was also important for Britain at war with the development of the WWI tank at Lulworth, WWII radar at Worth Matravers, and the preparation for D-Day with the live-fire practice landings at Studland and the US Rangers rock climb training for their scaling of the German gun batteries above Utah beach. The Isle of Purbeck boasts an abundance of wildlife especially birds, many of them resting in the limestone cliffs from Durlston to St. Aldhelms Head on their seasonal migrations. You might even manage to spot dolphins just off the coast!
Maps
All the walks recommended are covered in the Ordnance Survey Explorer Map OL15. The maps on this website are provided as a guide and have been compiled using the uMap service and accessing the OpenStreetMap data. In some of the shorter walks the links to the organisations websites have maps available to download.
Walking from The White House
The quickest access to the beach is up Burlington Rd and descending either side of the Grand Hotel, about 50m up the road from the house: to the left of the hotel is the path that slopes down to the beach; to the right is a set of steps that leads down from the garden of the hotel to the Cabin Beach Bar .
The South West Coast Path runs along Ulwell Road, located at the bottom of Burlington Rd, just 70m from The White House: turn left and you are heading to Swanage town and then on to Durlston, and to the right is the way to Studland.
Public Transport
If you do not have access to a car or are looking for a linear walk with a ride back, here are your public transport options:-
No. 50 Breezer Bus (bus stop at bottom of Burlington Rd): option for coastal walk to/from Shell Bay/Sandbanks Ferry, and Studland.
No. 40 Breezer Bus (bus terminus at Swanage railway station): option for a day walk to/from Wareham following the Purbeck Way; Corfe Castle; route goes via Langton Matravers and Kingston with stops providing access to Worth Matravers and Swyre Head circular walks.
Swanage Railway: to/from Corfe Castle.
The White House - Swanage 