England part IV: Durdle Door

Durdle Door is a natural arch on the Dorset coast, just west of Lulworth Cove. I took the car and was there in three minutes, while my esteemed fellow traveler insisted on walking, just because she's so sickeningly fit. Hrmph. Anyways, having parked the car I actually walked all the way down to the lowest plateau over the Door and then back up again. T'was a climb that nearly killed me.

Dear reader, I coughed, hacked and spluttered. I heaved for breath. My head and heart were pounding like a heavy metal drummer on speed. Several times on the way up I had to stop simply because my legs could not physically take another step due to trembling too much. Finally, fucking finally, I made it up and collapsed in a sweaty, panting heap onto a bench right in front of the car.

I sat there for several minutes while my life passed before my inner eye, until my companion's voice led me away from the light and the sweet, merciful release of death. Needless to say, she'd gone straight up the same way without breaking a sweat.

All Durdle Door pics here.

Surely you've seen this landmark before?


This was the landslide the board in the previous post warned about. Normally you can walk the beach between the two spots, but nowadays you have to climb much further up the hillside, above the slide area.


Imagine, if you will, a rotund Norwegian moving across this field (which is much steeper than it looks), coming towards you with the speed and looks of a zombie.


The view to the west of Durdle Door. It is actually possible to walk the Jurassic Coast in its appx. 100 miles length. If you have a strong constitution/death wish, that is.


The bay just before Durdle Door. The road I walked down can be seen in the top right of the picture. I took an even steeper, shorter route when I walked back up. I think it was the incline that nearly killed me.