31st May 2026 – Durlston Country Park, Dorset

Oh I do love to be beside the seaside ….

This morning we discovered Durlston Country Park for the first time. 

The coastline from Durlston Country Park

Durlston’s Jurassic coast

Durlston Country Park is a 320 acre National Nature Reserve consisting of beautiful clifftop walks with stunning views, a recently renovated Victorian Durlston Castle with its historic Great Globe, a visitor centre, cafe and Anvil Point Lighthouse. It’s located just 1 mile from Swanage and only 15 minutes from where we are staying. The Park, which is part of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site is owned and managed by the Dorset County.

The Great Globe – constructed of Portland stone in 1887 – is one of the largest stone spheres in the world  and weighs about 40 tonnes and is 3 metres in diameter.

On the circular cliff top walk we had good views of guillemots and razorbills in the sea below the cliffs and even better views of northern fulmar and herring gulls flying by and, along with the rock doves, settling on the cliffs.

Northern fulmar

Razorbill

Mainly guillemots

Northern fulmar

Northern fulmar

Rock doves

Guillemot enjoying the wide open spaces of the sea after being jammed tightly together on the rock faces

Anvil Point Lighthouse

Cormorant or shag?

European herring gull

On the return part of the walk, back from the cliffs, the best of the birds we saw was a common whitethroat but the flora was interesting too.

Buff tailed bumble bee

Common whitethroat

Common whitethroat

Iris

Roe deer

Roe deer

After our walk we dropped down into Swanage and had a lovely fish lunch alfresco at the Pier Café and Bistrot located on the historic Victorian pier.

Swanage

What’s not to like?

Comments

2 responses to “31st May 2026 – Durlston Country Park, Dorset”

  1. robbiesinspiration Avatar

    What a wonderful walk, Martin. That globe is fascinating and I love the birds, bee and deer you saw. I didn’t know there was a real Jurassic coast.

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    1. martintayler Avatar

      It’s not really very far from home but it’s been an eye opener to us. Definitely fossil centre here.

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