🥾 Walking route
King Charles III England Coast Path: Portland to Lulworth
Dorset
- 📏 7.1 km · 4.4 mi
- ⛰ +554 m
- ⏱ 2 hr 30 min
- 🐕 On lead
Walk stats
- Distance7.1 km · 4.4 mi
- Elevation+554 m
- Duration2 hr 30 min
- DifficultyChallenging
- Route typeLinear
- TerrainSteep chalk clifftop path with repeated ascents and descents
- Best seasonLate spring to early autumn
- DogsDog friendly, but keep on lead near cliff edges and livestock
About this walk
This 7.1 km section of the King Charles III England Coast Path packs in some of Dorset's most dramatic coastal scenery, with a hefty 554 m of ascent as the trail rolls over headland after headland. Starting near Lulworth Stream and the Hall & Woodhouse, the path climbs steeply onto Hambury Tout, offering sweeping views back over Lulworth Cove before descending towards the sea.
From here the route traces the clifftops past Red Hole and the twin sea stacks of Man O' War Cove, then rises again over Swyre Head. A steep drop into Middle Bottom is followed by another climb past a Bronze Age tumulus, with the chalk giving way to darker shales as you approach the Burning Cliff. The walk finishes near the tiny clifftop chapel of St Catherine by the Sea.
Along the way, keep an eye out for wider views towards Chaldon Down, Pepler's Point Monument Stone, St Oswald's Bay and Dungy Head. It is a linear route, so plan onward transport, and expect steep, sustained gradients throughout.
Route map
Route line drawn from OpenStreetMap footpath data. Numbered markers are waypoints on the route; amber star markers are points of interest a short detour away.
Waypoints along the route
10 waypoints along the way
- 1
Lulworth Stream
- 2
Hall & Woodhouse
- 3
Hambury Tout
- 4
Red Hole
- 5
Man O' War Cove
- 6
Swyre Head
- 7
Middle Bottom
- 8
Tumulus
- 9
Burning Cliff
- 10
St Catherine by the Sea
Worth a short detour
Points of interest just off the route, look for the amber markers on the map.
Chaldon Down
~358 m off the route
Pepler's Point Monument Stone
~443 m off the route
Lulworth Cove
~252 m off the route
St Oswald's Bay
~259 m off the route
Dungy Head
~269 m off the route
Route & waypoint data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).