How to get great photos of Durdle Door
Durdle Door is a natural limestone rock arch that was carved out 10,000 years ago by the rough seas of the English Channel. It’s one of the many, and possibly the most famous sights to see on the Jurassic Coast. It’s likely one of the most photographed places on the Jurassic Coast. In this article I’m going to show you how and from where to get great photos of this great photography location.
The Jurassic Coast
A UNESCO World Heritage Site
Stretching 95 miles along the Dorset and Devon coast, the Jurassic Coast is a stunning piece of land that is a natural museum literally recording 185 million years of the planet’s history within its geology. It’s so precious that it has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are many great locations along this coast for photography, but for today we are going to look at Durdle Door and the best places and times to get pictures of it.
The rock is 200 feet tall and part of the Lulworth Estate, and is not only a world famous landmark, but also a popular holiday resort. The Durdle Door Holiday Park lies at the top of the cliff. In order to visit the rock you need to drive through the holiday park to the pay and display car park behind it. From there it’s a ten-minute walk to the beach. Or you can park at Lulworth Cove and walk the coastal hiking path from there.
Man O' War Cove
From the car park you have to walk down to the cliffs where you will join the southwest coast path. You can also follow this path from Lulworth Cove. Although the terrain is easy, it can be a bit steep in places. It’s not too far to walk but you need to give yourself a good 15 minutes from the car park, so make sure you take that into consideration if arriving late to catch the sunset or early for the sunrise.
As you approach, the first sight you will see is the Man O’ War Cove on your left. The rock sits between here and St Oswald’s Bay. As you can see by the photo above, the Man O’ War Cove also makes a great photo, especially from above.
Steps lead down the cliffsides to each beach. The steps to Durdle Door beach were washed away many years ago during a massive storm, but have since been repaired and restored.
The first good viewpoint is from the southwest coast path here, where looking west you get a great perspective of the rock arch, the beach and across to Bat’s Head. And looking east you get a wide view of Man O’ War Cove.
great pictures anytime of year
Durdle Door is a great place to photograph at any time of the year, but the prime time is from September to March, when the sun moves further south and sets out at sea. Throughout the summer the sun sets over the land. But there are still photography possibilities.
At the right time of year and from the right angle on the cliffside you can capture the sun as it sets over the chalk cliffs at Bat’s Head. I took this photo end of July.
Durdle Door under the moonlight
Also at the right time of year, you can capture the full moon rising over the arch itself. Move yourself around to find the right viewpoint and you’ll get it sitting right in the dip on the top of the arch. I took these photos on the same evening as the one above. I was actually caught by surprise. After the sunset I was planning to leave because there were no clouds, and so I figured the blue hour wouldn’t be very interesting. I took a walk along the beach for a bit and as I turned spotted the full moon rising behind the arch. It just goes to show you never know what you might miss if you leave too soon.
Best moment for soft light on the arch
There is a small window of opportunity when the setting sun is in just the right position to cast soft warm light on the front of the arch as it hits the sea. This happens in spring and autumn. You have to catch it in autumn just as it moves south from setting over the land. But this only lasts a couple of weeks, then it moves too far south and the light falls on the back of the rock. In spring when it comes back northwards there is another short opportunity before it begins to set over the land. To work out when this happens, use the photographers ephemeris (TPE).
It's not all about the arch though
As I said, this entire coastline is stunning, so don’t forget to look around you because there are great photos to be taken everywhere.
The view west towards Bat’s Head is also beautiful either from the beach or the clifftop.
Great for blue hour shots too
The arch makes a great silhouette during the twilight, also known as the blue hour. The light on the horizon is that of the lighthouse at Portland Bill.
Try some close ups
Views from the other side
If you continue to walk west along the cliffs you’ll get great views from the other side like this.
Road Directions
Durdle Door is just west of West Lulworth on the B3070 which leaves the A352 (Wareham to Dorchester road) at Holmbridge.
Getting to the UK
The UK is widely served by pretty much every airline around the world. If you are coming from within Europe then the following airlines are worth looking at.
Wizz Air: Personally I have always found them to be the best and offer the lowest fares.
Skyscanner: A great place to search and compare flights
Ebookers: Ebookers have been around for longer than most and have always offered a great choice of flights.
Getting around
CAR
The best way to get around the UK is by car. Either take your own car or you can rent one easily from any airport or major town and city. Here are three great places to look:
BUS
The national Express coach service connects most major cities and towns and is a great way to get around.
Stagecoach is the local bus service that operates across the UK. Use this for more local connections, and also express services between towns and cities. This is a great way to also meet some locals.
TRAIN
The national train service also serves a lot of the larger towns and cities. Great for getting from one side of the country to the other.
Trainline: A great website to search and book your train tickets online.
Accommodation
Holidu: This is a great website to search for a variety of places to stay.
Hostelworld: If you are looking for budget accommodation then Hostelworld is a great place to search for a variety of backpacker hostels, B&Bs and hotels.
Slideshow
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