Jurassic Coast: Lyme Regis to Old Harry
Fossil beaches, a shingle bank 29 km long, Durdle Door and a ruined castle along Dorset’s World Heritage coast.
- Distance
- 96 km (60 mi)
- Driving
- 1 h 20 min
- Suggested days
- 4
- Stops
- 9
- Countries
- United Kingdom
- Updated
- July 7, 2026
At a glance: 4-day road trip of about 96 km (60 mi) with 9 stops, from Lyme Regis to Old Harry Rocks. About 1 h 20 min of driving in total.
Route description
Start in Lyme Regis, where the cliffs either side of the Cobb shed fossils after every winter storm; join a guided fossil walk rather than digging into the unstable cliffs. Take the A35 east to Chideock and turn down to Seatown for the climb up Golden Cap, the highest point on this coast.
At Bridport leave the A35 for the B3157, the coast road through Abbotsbury. From the hill above the village you see the whole length of Chesil Beach and the Fleet lagoon behind it. The road then drops into Weymouth, a Georgian resort with a sandy beach and a busy harbour.
The A353 and B3070 lead to West Lulworth. Park once and walk: Lulworth Cove is a few minutes from the car park, Durdle Door a steep 20 minutes over the hill. The lanes beyond pass through military ranges, which are sometimes closed on weekdays.
The A351 runs through the Purbeck hills to Corfe Castle, whose ruins tower over the village. Continue to Swanage and walk from Studland to Old Harry Rocks, the chalk stacks that mark the end of the Jurassic Coast. From Studland the chain ferry crosses to Sandbanks and Poole if you are heading east.
Stop-by-stop itinerary
In driving order. Distances are estimates between consecutive stops.
- 1Start
Lyme Regis
United Kingdom - 28 km
Golden Cap
ViewsChideock, United KingdomThe highest cliff on England’s south coast, topped with golden sandstone. The steep climb from the car park at Seatown takes about an hour.
- 324 km
Chesil Beach
NatureAbbotsbury, United KingdomA shingle bank running for about 29 km, with a lagoon behind it and pebbles that grow in size from west to east. The hill road above Abbotsbury gives the best overview.
- 413 km
Weymouth
United Kingdom - 516 km
Durdle Door
NatureWareham, United KingdomA limestone arch on the Jurassic Coast, down a steep path from the car park.
- 63 km
Lulworth Cove
NatureWest Lulworth, United KingdomAn almost circular bay where the sea has broken through a wall of limestone into softer clay. From the same car park a steep path climbs over the hill to Durdle Door.
- 717 km
Corfe Castle
HistoryCorfe Castle, United KingdomJagged ruins of a royal castle on a hill above a stone village, blown apart after a Civil War siege. The steam railway to Swanage stops below it.
- 810 km
Swanage
United Kingdom - 96 km
Old Harry Rocks
NatureStudland, United KingdomWhite chalk stacks at the eastern end of the Jurassic Coast. An easy, mostly level walk of about 2.5 km leads out from Studland.
