Dorset in 3 Days: Jurassic Coast Photography & Seaside Eats
Durdle Door
95 Miles of World Heritage Site Goodness and Lashings of Ginger Beer!
From fossil covered beaches to dramatic sea arches, Dorset crams 185 million years of history into just 95 miles of coastline. With my Leica M11 and a freshly dusted-off Hasselblad 500c, I set out to capture the Jurassic Coast’s rugged beauty, hunt for fossils, and eat as much fresh seafood as I could.
After last month’s wander through Morocco’s vibrant souks, it felt good to explore closer to home. Dorset has been high on my list for its wild coastline and the iconic Durdle Door, and this trip was the perfect excuse to finish off the portra 800 in my Hasselblad saved for somewhere coastal and bright.
The forecast on iPhone weather promised three days of relentless rain, but instead, Dorset greeted me with sunshine, coastal charm, and a perfect mix of experiences and seaside feasting.
Where I Stayed
I stayed in a small studio in Charmouth, right on the South West Coastal Path, that was literally just seven minutes from Lyme Regis and an hour from Durdle Door.
At £189 for two nights, it came with a foldaway king bed, full kitchen, separate bathroom, WiFi, and a private outdoor space. It was very quiet and wasn’t far from Charmouth where I had some of the best fish and chips I’ve ever had!
Durdle Door & Man O’ War Cove
Man O' War Cove
I headed straight to Durdle Door and Man O’ War Cove, arriving at 2:30pm to glorious sunshine.
It was busy, with coaches unloading visitors wanting to see the world’s most famous limestone arch, but still easy to find a quiet moment for a swim and to take in the views before taking a few photos. The area’s also great for coastal walks, paddle boarding, and coasteering. I am definitely trying paddle boarding on next months trip to Cornwall!
For the shot I have posted above of Durdle door, you need to follow the path from the car park, turn right at the steps, and walk to the ledge with a safe tripod spot (but mind the cliff edge). The image above was taken on my M11 on a 28mm lens.
I did also shoot some frames with my Hasselblad 500c, my medium format camera that I’ve neglected lately in favour of my Leica, finishing a roll of Portra 800 despite the bright sun.
Behind the Scenes Shot of Durdle Door on Hasselblad 500c
Important Info for visiting Durdle Door and Man O’ War Cove:
Address: Durdle Door Car Park, Wareham BH20 5PU
Opening hours: 8 am – 9 pm
Parking: £3.10 (1 hr), £12.40 (4 hrs), £20 (all day)
Note: No shops/toilets on the beach so pack snacks, water, and take rubbish back.
It is a 900m walk to the beach via a fairly steep path packed earth and gravel (see picture below). This should take around 20 minutes perhaps a little longer on the way back up. So wear sensible footwear. I did see someone who was highly prepared with a heavy duty picnic trolley that seemed a good idea.
The walk down to Durdle Door and Man o War cove
Swanage & Corfe Castle
Swanage
Swanage Seagull Bandits
Following Durdle Door, I then headed to Swanage as there’s two great shots I wanted of the old pier with Peveril Point in the background and the current Swanage Pier which is a restored Victorian seaside pier, these are best shot as a long exposure (see below).
Sadly tho due to the time, I wasn’t permitted to go on to the pier which is where you need to go to take the picture as it was 5.17pm and the they shut at 5pm. Due to the short time I was in Dorset there wasn’t really an option to go back which is disappointing, so if I’m ever there again this will be on the list to shoot.
So I took some time to walk along the sea front, looking at the boats moored up and people who were eating fish and chips, surprise surprise, seagull bandits trying their best to get a little bit.
I made it to the fun world amusement centre and treated myself to a quick 20mins play on the machine, needless to say I didn’t win anything.
Then it was off to Corfe Castle after a quick coffee at The Cornish Bakery.
Corfe castle is a historic ruin set on a dramatic hilltop, it only really became a ruin during the English Civil War, when it was sacked and destroyed.
By the time I got there it was 7pm, the light was poor, I was tired and hungry so my tolerance levels were low.
So I grabbed one picture which is below but, something I still think about is how the hell they built it on that hill, I get that hills are elevated and give the advantage but the top of this hill is so small it must have been a nightmare to build on, how many stone must have fallen to the bottom!
Corfe Castle
Lyme Regis Food Stops
Waves Crashing on The Cobb Lyme Regis
The Cobb Lyme Regis
Lyme Regis harbour
The Harbour at Lyme Regis is actually a really nice sport to have a wander, and there is parking literally just past here at Monmouth Beach.
The Cobb is Grade I listed, it is the harbour wall that you can see above in the video and photo. It wraps around the harbour to protect the ships and town, it’s a popular place for crabbing, so if you have young children this is the spot. There is also a marine aquarium to visit there too.
Walking on the Cobb is a great experience and offers a great spot to take photos, but just make sure that the weather is not wild as it is an uneven surface and can get wet and slippy with the waves crashing up on it.
Movie trivia: The French Lieutenant’s Woman starring Jeremy Iron and Meryl Streep was shot here.
Sauna on the Beach
Beach front view
Sailing boats
Beach huts at Lyme Regis
The Seagull enjoy the food from Kiosk too
Enjoying food and drink from Kiosk on the deckchairs
As you walk up the front of Lyme regis there are plenty of places to stop and eat or grab an ice cream, one spot I stopped at was Kiosk, a takeaway cafe that overlooks the pebble beach.
It is open every day 8am-5pm, serving organic coffee, breakfast bagels, granola pots, toasties, Lyme Bay crab sandwiches and more. It is vegetarian friendly, has vegan and gluten free options.
What I love about Kiosk, is the fact you can sit on the deck chair enjoying a drink and something eat on the beach.
However, be warned get the umbrella if you are sitting down, seagulls will swoop down and steal your food, drink and dignity all in one go.
Don’t believe me watch the video below of me losing my bacon, avocado and chilli jam bagel to these bandits!
However, The Whole Hog saved the day with their legendary roast bap (see below) which is rammed with roast pork, crackling and apple sauce on a bite bap! £9.50.
Legend also has it that the doughnuts are pure fire! but sell out quickly, sometimes as fast as 20mins, which meant I missed out.
The Whole Hog is easy to miss so if you are walking up Broad Street look left and if you go to Mulberry Manor bakery it is literally down the steps in front of the bakery and on the road to the right.
I did also buy some Monmouth espresso which was £12.00 for 250g and is a great coffee that is going down well at home!
A few moments later..
The Legendary "Roast Bap"
The Whole Hog Lyme Bay
If you’re looking for a sit down meal in Lyme regis then I’d highly recommend The Harbour Inn for food but I’d also recommend making a reservation to avoid disappointment as it’s pretty popular.
Whilst my food photography is not great you can see the food is well presented and a good portion size, the staff are friendly and service is quick.
Starter: Hand dived skewered Scallops £14.50 with Pickled ginger, mint salad, satay sauce. The Scallops were succulent and tender and not overly fishy, I enjoyed the mix of the sauces and the crunchiest of the salad alongside them.
Main: Catch of the Day £25.50 (was Hake when I was there) with leek and bacon fricassée, lemon crushed Cornish new potatoes and tartar beurre blanc. I’m a big fan of Hake, much preferring that to cod, as I find it has a more softer delicate flesh when eating.
Plus a cheeky whisky.
Hand dived skewered Scallops
Catch of the Day
Colmer’s Hill & Charmouth Fossil Beach
Colmer’s Hill
Colmer’s hill is well know spot for walking and also to photograph. There are several different spots to take photos of this hill with its nine pine trees but this view was my favourite. It's part of the Symondsbury Estate and there is parking there if you want to go and do some of the walks in the area.
So depending on what camera and lens set up you have will dictate the location more. There is a shot that you can take on Quarr lane, but be warned it is not car friendly and the turning point causes utter chaos.
The shot above was on my Leica M11, 35mm with a digital zoom, you need to travel up Broadoak Road until you see a kind of cross roads that isn’t a cross roads but had gates to fields. You can walk up the road on the lefthand side and you come to a cut out in the hedge that has a seated log and it is there you can frame up and get the shot.
Fossil Hunting at Charmouth Beach
Charmouth Beach has long been on my Jurassic Coast wish list even if it was to just find a fossil. The beach is very well known for fossils that are as old as 185 million years old, with finds such as ammonites, belemnites, and the occasional glimpse of something far bigger such as a ichthyosaur skull.
Despite wandering along the shoreline scanning every pebble and rock with real determination, my fossil haul for the day amounted to absolutely nothing. No ammonites, no belemnites or anything I could claim to be a fossil to sit on my desk back at home as a souvenir. I just hope the people in the picture above had better luck once the tide had gone out.
But I did settle on the beach for some Vitamin D, soaking up the sun for an hour, thanks to some SPF 50 sunscreen, as it was such a lovely day.
If you're after fish and chips in Charmouth, then Charmouth Fish Bar and Pizzeria is the place to go, A large cod and small chips will set you back £14.25 which seemed a bit expensive till I ate them, bonus is Charmouth Fish bar also do churros with chocolate for £4.00 too.
Bath Day Trip
Royal Crescent Bath
So I was going to either go to Stonehenge or Bath on the way home, but seeing as Stonehenge entry was £34.50 to walk around for 10mins and get one photo, it was off to Bath.
Bath is a favourite of mine as there is some cracking cafes and restaurants. One being Frites Caesar who do steak, lobster, lamb and frites or sandwiches that are off the chart! but are closed Monday and Tuesdays so I missed out with it being Monday when I was there.
I did eat at Watch House having some banana bread with espresso butter and a great espresso, sitting outside to people watch.
The two main reasons to stop off here were to get a panoramic image of Royal Crescent (see above) and to take a photo on my Hasselblad 500c of the pigeon man who is often at the Cathedral, (sadly he wasn't there).
I did get a photo of a very interesting man in a glittery purple hat playing a guitar who was sat on a bench, so will be processing the film soon and will share that image once scanned.
After which I headed home, with a very quick stop at the world best service station at Gloucester service and treated myself to some black pudding and a fresh can of water.
Final Thoughts
Dorset didn’t just tick off bucket list locations for my photography but actually surprised me how much I enjoyed being there with different things to do and see.
There is more than just Durdle Door!
I’ve loved all the food I’ve had whilst there and just taking time to relax more on the beaches to catch my breath and take in all the goodness Dorset has to offer.
So whether you’re a photographer chasing bucket list locations, a family on the hunt for ancient fossils, or simply someone craving a salty breeze and a plate of fresh seafood, then this is a road trip that balances dramatic scenery with great food and everything else, Dorset is a perfect choice and if you catch the good weather, a swim in the sea at Durdle Door is very good for the soul.
However, I think personal one you have done it you have done it and now that I have my Durdle Door and Corfe castle image (and while there’s always chance to do them again different) I don’t feel Dorset wins over Cornwall and I’d rather use time to return there. Bath I is lovely city and again for a day trip would return.
Would I go back: No to Dorset but Yes to Bath.
Overall Experience: ⭐⭐⭐
If you have photographed Durdle Door I’d love to see your images! Tag your instagram in the comments below.