Lulworth

Lulworth is an area in Dorset. It consists of the villages of West Lulworth and East Lulworth.

Understand

The area is famous for Lulworth Cove, an important feature of the Jurassic Coast. West Lulworth is situated about half a mile inland from the cove.

Get in

Leave the A352 at either Wool or Winfrith Newburgh. Parking is limited in the West Lulworth village. Drive through the village to reach the cove. There is a large car park and visitors centre as you approach the cove. Cars are not allowed past this point.

Get around

Parking is available at Lulworth Cove and at Durdle Door for £2.50 for 1 hour, €4 for 2 hours, £5 for 4 hours, or€9 for the day. Your parking ticket is valid at both car parks if you decide to drive between them.

See

• 1 Lulworth Cove. Walk down the road from the car park to the cove. Alternatively, walk along the cliff path for a good view of the cove and Stair Hole, another geological feature. It is possible to walk along the hills that surround the cove or along the shingle beach. Access to the area east of the cove is restricted as it is part of a firing range. It is normally only open at weekends and throughout August.  
• 2 Durdle Door (1 mile west of the cove. Take the well trodden path up the hill to the west from the car park. Alternatively, there is a nearer car park at the top of the cliff above Durdle Door. Take the road to Weymouth out of West Lulworth to the top of the hill. The car park is reached through the caravan park.).  
• 3 Lulworth Castle, East Lulworth. Easter to December: Su-F 10:30AM-4PM; closed Sa and occasional other days. Grounds open Su-F in winter. Castle dating from the 17th century, which was destroyed by fire in 1929 and rebuilt in the 1990s. Built as a hunting lodge to entertain aristocracy and royalty, it was for centuries the family seat of the Weld family, the current owners of the Lulworth Estate. Climb the tower for spectacular panoramic views of the Purbeck countryside and towards the Jurassic Coast. Visit the 18th-century Roman Catholic Chapel and the 15th-century Church of St Andrew. Extensive parkland, woodland walks, and a children’s playground. The Castle Tearoom offers homemade cakes, cream teas and souvenirs. Pay & display parking gives access to the park and grounds, with a separate admission charge for the Castle (children under 4 free). Castle and chapel: Adults £6, children (4-15 years) £4, under 4’s free. Parking and admission to the grounds: £3 per vehicle. (updated Mar 2017)

Do

• Camp Bestival is a music festival held at Lulworth Castle aimed at families with young children. It's a successor to Bestival, which went bust in 2018. The next event is 28-31 July 2022.

Eat

There are several restaurants, seafood stands, and cafes in Lulworth Cove, and more ice cream stands that you can shake a stick at.

At the Durdle Door car park, there is a snack stand in season drink, ice cream, coffee, tea, etc., and toilets are available.

Drink

• The Castle Inn (In the village). 

Sleep

There are several hotels and guest houses at Lulworth Cove, and a campground and caravan park at Durdle Door.

• Cove House B & B, Main Road, West Lulworth, ☏ +44 1929 400137. 
• Lulworth Cove Inn, Main Rd, Lulworth Cove, ☏ +44 1929 400333. 

Connect

As of May 2022, Lulworth has 4G from EE, O2 and Vodafone but no signal from Three. 5G has not reached this area.

Go next

• West to Weymouth and Isle of Portland
• East to Swanage, Corfe Castle and Wareham