Walks around Weymouth

Weymouth is known as  England's Bay of Naples. This seaside town holds many attractions itself with its long sweeping promenade and picturesque harbour. Nearby there are numerous places to visit. Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door must be two of the most photographed places in the UK sitting next to each other along the coast. The Isle of Portland holds a treasure of historical and natural features to explore. West of Weymouth the Jurassic Coast follows round to Abbotsbury and the wide expanse of Chesil Beach by Moonfleet. These different walks are our favourites in this area. 

  • Abbotsbury Castle - 5.9 miles (9.5 km)

    On top of Abbotsbury hill looking towards Portland. Photographer Charlie Steadman
    Challenging

    A rewarding walk through 5000 years of history, travelling high above the coastline along the South Dorset Ridgeway, a Stone Age route peppered with archaeological remains. Below, St Peter's Abbey was a fifth-century holy site. Subtropical gardens, a swannery and a fourteenth-century chapel add to the many charms of the picturesque village of Abbotsbury. Older children able to cope with the rigours of the route will love exploring the rambling remains of the hillfort.

    Abbotsbury Beach is a dog-friendly beach. Have a look at our...

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  • Bindon Hill - 4.2 miles (6.7 km)

    Rocky ledges of Mupe Rocks on the Jurassic Coast. Photographer Adam Burton.
    Moderate

    A breathtaking walk high above the famously beautiful Lulworth Cove, giving spectacular views over land and sea. In Mupe Cove, to the east, chalk cliffs rear dramatically from limestone ledges and the waves lap around a chain of tiny islands before curling in around Lulworth to lick along its shingle beach. Just a few metres to the west, the sea has carved caves and arches in the softer rock. Children old enough for the distance and hills will love the rocks and beach. A good...

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  • Durdle Door & White Nothe - 7.0 miles (11.3 km)

    The Purple and the Blue. Along the coast between Durdle Door and Ringstead Bay. Photographer Philip Watts, Somerset.
    Challenging

    A walk to take your breath away in every sense of the word! There are spectacular coastal views from the high paths trodden by people since Stone Age times, with tremendous vistas over the chalk stacks and arches carved by the sea in Jurassic times. A good walk in late Spring and early summer, when the limestone grassland beside the path is full of flowers and butterflies. A good walk, too, for dogs, which are allowed on the beaches at Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove...

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  • Legacy Trail 1 - Around Lorton Meadows - 2.3 miles (3.7 km)

    Riviera Hotel at Bowleaze Cove  Photographer Andrew Child (2012 Photo Competition entry)
    Easy

    Go for a wildlife wander around Lorton Meadows nature reserve – and take a step back in time with old fashioned hay meadows, lightly grazed pasture, mature hedgerows, small copses, dew ponds and seasonal streams.

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  • Legacy Trail 8 - The Weares and Church Ope Cove - 1.3 miles (2.1 km)

    Easy

    This short walk around Church Ope Cove and the Weares explores the unique landscape of the east coast, altered by landslips and quarrying but now being reclaimed and softened by nature. It is a very special area for wildlife particularly the smaller plants; mosses and lichens.

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  • Moonfleet Walk - 6.2 miles (10.0 km)

    The path running alongside Chesil Beach. Photographer Jennifer Rowlandson, Tiverton
    Moderate

    The rhythmic roar of the sea on the shingle of Chesil Beach and the plaintive cry of the gulls above it lends the perfect atmosphere to this stroll through the pages of the classic tale of 'Moonfleet', a ripping yarn of smugglers, ghosts and diamonds, shipwrecks, brigands and a happy-ever-after. Children will love to visit the church where the brandy casks were stored among the coffins in the vault, see the remains of the village which really was decimated in the great storm of 1824,...

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