Durdle Door & Dorchester – Dorset’s treasures

While we were in Weymouth (https://gotthefridgemagnet.com/?p=14903) we visited Lulworth Cove and Dorchester. The former is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the latter, Dorset’s county town.

Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove

Lulworth Cove and the surrounding coastline are part of the famous Jurassic Coast – a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

We took a bus (X50) from Weymouth towards Swanage and got off at the stop “West Lulworth Cove Park” about 30 minutes from Weymouth. We walked down some wooden steps and more steep hillside steps to enter a forest path signposted for Durdle Door.

When we emerged from the track to the main car park, next to Durdle Door Holiday Park, we realised that we could have taken the less onerous route on the parallel road to the car park!

From the car park there’s more steep slope to negotiate before reaching the cliff top where the stunning view of Durdle Door unfolded on one side, and West Lulworth Cove on the other.

There were 2 set of steps to go down to either beach. I chose Durdle Door. 

I have long been fascinated by its dramatic shape which resembles a pre-historic creature rising from the sea to drink water! After all, the limestone structure was formed naturally 10,000 years ago!

Having gone thus far there’s no way I wasn’t going to go down more steps to get to the beach for a closer look! 

I would have loved to go down to West Lulworth Cove too. However, by the time I walked back up from Durdle Door beach my legs seemed to be weighed down by concrete blocks! I had to content myself with admiring the beauty of the stunning coastline from the top.

Dorchester

Dorset does not have a city, though full of charming towns. Dorchester is the County Town with lots of interesting historic buildings. It is about 8 miles from Weymouth. Before the bypass (Weymouth Relief Road) was opened in 2011, traffic heading for the West Country used to have to go right through Dorchester. This time decided to stop to check it out on our way to Weymouth. 

Brewery Square 

We parked at the car park close to Brewery Square so it’s a natural place to start.

This leisure and residential complex is being built on the vast site of Eldridge Pope Brewery, which was the mainstay of Dorchester’s economy for over 100 years. The leisure part of the project seemed to be up and running but the residential development is still very much work-in-progress

The bronze sculpture of a horse is called Drummer. The statue is 5 metre tall and one and a quarter life-size of a dray horse used at the brewery for pulling heavy load.

The Keep Military Museum

There’re no less than 8 museums and exhibitions in the town centre: The Dinosaur Museum, Dorset Museum, The Keep Military Museum, The Mummies Exhibition · The Teddy Bear Museum, The Terracotta Warriors Museum, The Tutankhamun Exhibition, Shire Hall Museum. 

My choice was The Keep Military Museum not because I’m not really interested in military stuff but it’s for the views from the roof of The Keep. The Keep was built in 1880, part of the former county barracks.

Historical buildings in Dorchester

Napper’s Mite

Nappers Mite on South Street was originally one of three almshouses built by Sir Robert Napper in 1615 Now the upper floor is café / restaurant and shops on the ground floor. Through the arches there’re a couple of charming courtyards

Finally, that’s me connecting with the historical past!