South West Coast Path marker, Dorset
It takes in stunning scenery and geology and is well worth doing – even if you only manage a small section.
The Dorset marker found on the Studland peninsula by the Sandbanks Ferry crossing is the start, or end, of the South West Coast Path, depending on which way you’re heading. The other end marker is on the promenade in the town of Minehead, Somerset.
The Dorset section takes in Lyme Regis, Seatown, Abbotsbury, Wyke Regis, the Isle of Portland, Lulworth, Worth Matravers and South Haven Point, Poole Harbour.
The path across the Lulworth Ranges is a stunning section of the Jurassic Coast, but can only be used when the range aren’t in use, so check before you go. Also check for closures due to landslips.
Some sections are very step so check what the terrain of the section you plan to walk is like.
A 52 day itinerary will cover the whole path but you many need longer.
The South West Coast Path Association is the charity that cares for the footpath.
The film starring Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs is based on a memoir by Raynor Winn about her and her husband Moth’s walk along the length of the path after losing their home and business and then learning moth had a terminal illness. It’s on general release in the UK on 24 April 2025.
