Dorset & Jurassic Coast by Motorhome

The Jurassic Coast is 95 miles of geological history so remarkable that UNESCO gave it World Heritage status - the only natural World Heritage Site in England. The cliffs expose 185 million years of rock in a continuous sequence, from the oldest Triassic formations near Exmouth to the Cretaceous chalk at Old Harry Rocks near Swanage. But the geology is only the beginning. Dorset also has some of the finest beaches in England, fossil hunting that children and adults find equally addictive, castles, Thomas Hardy countryside, and a food scene built on fresh seafood and local producers. About four hours from our depot, making it a comfortable week or a natural stop on a longer south-west tour.

Durdle Door and Lulworth

These are the postcard images of the Jurassic Coast and they deserve the fame. Durdle Door is a natural limestone arch standing in the sea below dramatic cliffs. Lulworth Cove, just along the coast path, is an almost-circular bay formed by the sea breaching hard Portland stone to erode softer clays behind - a geology textbook that happens to be beautiful. The walk between the two takes about thirty minutes along the South West Coast Path and is the essential Dorset experience.

The car park at Durdle Door is on a steep hill and charges premium rates in summer. Arrive early or park at Lulworth and walk along the coast. Neither car park has height barriers so motorhomes can access both, but spaces are limited and in July-August you need to arrive before 10am.

Fossil Hunting

Charmouth and Lyme Regis at the western end of the coast are the best places in Britain for fossil hunting. The cliffs erode constantly, revealing ammonites, belemnites, and occasionally significant finds - ichthyosaur skeletons have been pulled from these cliffs since Mary Anning's pioneering discoveries in the early 1800s. The Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre runs guided fossil walks led by experts who know exactly where to look and what the regulations are. Children find it utterly absorbing - a couple of hours on the beach with a guide and they will come back with a pocket full of 190-million-year-old ammonites.

Lyme Regis itself, with its harbour, the Cobb sea wall (famous from The French Lieutenant's Woman), and pastel Georgian townhouses climbing the hillside, is one of the most characterful small towns on the English coast. The fish and chips from the harbour are excellent.

Corfe Castle and the Purbecks

Corfe Castle is one of the most dramatic ruins in England - a shattered fortress on a hilltop visible for miles across the surrounding heathland. The village at its foot has tea rooms, a model village replica of itself, and the Swanage Railway steam trains running from Corfe to the coast at Swanage. Kimmeridge Bay further south has rock pools, a marine centre, and the most accessible fossil-hunting beach in the Purbeck area. Studland Bay has four miles of sandy beach backed by heath - National Trust managed and rarely as busy as you would expect for a beach this good.

The walk along the Purbeck ridge from Corfe Castle to the coast gives you views across the Isle of Purbeck, Poole Harbour (the second largest natural harbour in the world), and the Dorset heathland. On a clear day you can see the Isle of Wight.

Weymouth, Portland, and Chesil Beach

Weymouth has a Georgian esplanade, a wide sandy beach, and a lively harbour. Portland is connected by the extraordinary Chesil Beach - eighteen miles of graded pebbles enclosing the Fleet Lagoon. Portland Bill lighthouse at the southern tip is dramatic and windswept. Portland itself is a limestone island with working quarries that have supplied stone for St Paul's Cathedral and the UN building in New York.

West Bay (the Broadchurch filming location) has towering golden cliffs and a small working harbour. Bridport just inland has one of the best farmers' markets in southern England on Saturdays.

Inland Dorset

Dorchester is Hardy's Casterbridge - a handsome county town with a Roman amphitheatre. Hardy's Cottage at nearby Higher Bockhampton is worth the walk through the woods. Shaftesbury's Gold Hill - the cobbled street from the Hovis advert - has views across the Blackmore Vale that define the English countryside. Sherborne has a golden-stone abbey and two castles.

Food

Dorset seafood is outstanding. The Hive Beach Cafe at Burton Bradstock serves fish landed that morning on a terrace overlooking Chesil Beach - one of the best lunch spots on the south coast. Shell Bay on the Studland peninsula does the same with ferry views. Dorset Blue Vinny cheese is local, strong, and excellent on a ploughman's. Palmers Brewery in Bridport and Hall and Woodhouse in Blandford Forum make proper local ales. The Bridport and Dorchester farmers' markets are stocked with producers you will not find in supermarkets.

Campsites

Durdle Door Holiday Park sits on the cliffs above the arch with hardstanding pitches, hook-ups, and a bar. Freshwater Beach at Burton Bradstock has over 500 pitches, a private Jurassic Coast beach, indoor and outdoor pools. Sea Barn Farm near Weymouth is a working farm with views of the Fleet Lagoon and Chesil Beach - quieter and more atmospheric. Tom's Field near Langton Matravers in the Purbecks is basic but walking distance from the coast path and the dancing ledge swimming spot.

Roads and When to Visit

Dorset's roads are generally good. The A35 is the main east-west route and handles all motorhome sizes. The coast road between Lulworth and Weymouth is scenic and manageable. Lanes into some of the smaller villages are narrow but nothing as challenging as Cornwall or Devon. The 4 berth handles everything in Dorset comfortably.

May to June for wildflowers on the coast path and quiet beaches. July-August for the best beach weather but the busiest campsites and Durdle Door car parks. September is warm, quieter, and the swimming is at its best. Winter for dramatic storms, empty beaches, and fossil hunting at its most productive - winter storms expose the freshest fossils.

Dorset pairs naturally with Devon to the west and the Cotswolds to the north. Cornwall is a further day west for a longer tour. A weekend covers Lulworth, Durdle Door, and either Lyme Regis or Corfe Castle. A week covers the entire coast. A fortnight lets you combine with Devon. Dogs welcome on many beaches outside summer restrictions. Browse our fleet and check our packing checklist. Bring your own bedding - we do not provide duvets or towels.