Places on the Triassic Coast.
Picture Galleries.
Places on the Jurassic Coast.
Picture Galleries.
Places on the Cretaceous Coast.
Picture Galleries.
Durdle Door – Dorset.
Durdle Door is a natural limestone arch which has been cut by the sea through the outer wall of vertical Jurassic Portland Stone and is the most famous landmark on this stretch of the Jurassic Coast.
Durdle Door with its natural lime stone arch in an area of outstanding natural beauty is one of the most famous landmarks on the West Dorset Coast.
Durdle Door and its beach is a mile east of Lulworth Cove. Portland can be seen in the distance the small rock to the right is known as the Bull.
Bat's Head is located between Swyre Head and Durdle Door to the east and White Nothe to the west. The cave at the base of the headland known as Bat's Cave the chalk pinnacle is known as Butter Rock.
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From the path coming down from Hanbury Tout the east side of the Durdle Door promontory can be seen with part of Man o War Cove.
The beach at Durdle Door Cove is a narrow strand of mixed shingle and sand. The eastern end is protected by the arch, while the rest of the beach is partially sheltered by a submerged offshore reef
Man o' War Cove is on the eastern side of the Durdle Door promontory.
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The name “Durdle” is derived from an Old English word “thirl”, meaning to pierce or drill something, a name given to it probably more than a 1000 years ago.
From Lulworth Cove the walk to Durdle Door follows a steep path up the side of Hambury Tout. The original chalk path has now been paved with limestone sets, having been subject to serious erosion by feet of the 250,000 visitors who use it every year.
The arch, and the cove, has been created by the erosion of the softer bands of rock that lie behind the more resistant Portland Limestone. Durdle Bay with its shingle beach has been eroded into a single bay from what were once 3 separate coves.