Is the Jurassic Coast Really Worth Visiting? I Took a Train and Found Out
I hadn’t planned to leave the city that weekend. But something about the grey routine — too many screens, too much sameness — made me book a train ticket to Dorset almost without thinking.
Two hours later, I was on the Jurassic Coast.
From Waterloo, it’s a straight train to Wool. Just over two hours if you catch the right connection. I packed light — just a jumper, water bottle, camera, and snacks — all tucked easily into my lightweight expandable backpack. Enough to stay flexible, light enough not to overthink.
Once off the train, a local bus (X50 or 31) took me directly to the entrance of Durdle Door — a natural stone arch carved into the coastline like something from a fantasy film. No entrance fee, no barriers. Just a sloping trail and the slow crunch of gravel underfoot as I followed others toward the sea.
I walked in silence most of the way. Not out of mood — just because everything around me asked for quiet.
The wind, the drop of the cliffs, that moment when the arch came into full view and you realised how impossibly balanced it looked. Natural but theatrical. Still, but full of motion.
I stayed longer than planned.
From Durdle Door, I followed the coast path to Lulworth Cove — a perfect round bay with crystal-clear water and a pebbled shore. It’s calmer here. A place where people sip takeaway coffee, skim stones, or swim if they’ve packed braver clothes than I did.
There’s a small village nearby with cafés and public toilets. A few people came down with full beach setups. I was grateful, again, to have packed light — my expandable backpack still had space for wet socks, a local postcard, and a sandwich I bought without speaking.
If you have more time:
· Old Harry Rocks lies at the eastern edge — chalky white cliffs with strange edges
· Chesil Beach is a 29km stretch of rounded stones, famous for fossils and long slow walks
Was it worth the trip? Yes.
Not because I crossed something off a list — but because I didn’t plan much and the coast made space for me anyway.
Sometimes it just takes a train, a few steps, and a light bag to feel grounded again.
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