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United Kingdom
England
South West England
Dorset
Purbeck
Swanage

Durlston Castle

Durlston Castle

Recommended by 78 hikers out of 79

This Highlight is in a protected area

Please check local regulations for: Dorset National Landscape

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    Best Hikes to Durlston Castle

    4.9

    (11)

    64

    hikers

    1. Peveril Point, Anvil Point & Durlston Castle loop from Swanage — Isle of Purbeck

    7.16km

    02:01

    150m

    150m

    Intermediate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

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    Intermediate

    Intermediate hike. Great for any fitness level. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required.

    Intermediate

    Intermediate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels.

    Intermediate

    Tips

    March 1, 2020

    Near Durlston Castle there is a hiking trail high above the sea. There are wonderful views of the rocky cliffs.

    Translated by Google •

      June 13, 2023

      Durlston Head Castle (located at the beginning of this part of the Jurassic coastline which is UNESCO World Heritage since 2001, first in England) offers stunning views from its Belvedere over Swanage bay, It also has a nice cafe with a sun terrace, and a visitor centre with lots of information about the place. A perfect place to rest and chill out 😎🤩

        June 3, 2024

        Get here early and on a clear day.... you'll be hard pushed to find a better place to catch a beautiful sunrise.
        John Mowlem, a Swanage-born man, was a stonemason and builder. He was the founder of the quarrying and construction company Mowlem. He and his nephew and business partner George Burt wanted to give something back to their home town, which was the source of their Portland and Purbeck limestone, popular for building at the time. John Mowlem built the Mowlem Institute, a reading room and public library, in 1862. George Burt purchased an undulating tract of land covering Durlston Head during the same year. This estate, the Durlston Estate, included quarries that supplied their firm with limestone. Burt developed this estate as a tourist attraction.
        Burt established the Durlston Estate upon the crest of the hill and here he built his folly Durlston Castle. The castle was designed by the Weymouth architect G.R. Crickmay (1830-1907) and built by W.M. Hardy in 1886-87 entirely of local stone. The 'castle' was never a real castle: it was purpose-built by Burt as a restaurant for the visitors to his estate.
        The castle played a part in the evolution of radio and telecommunications. A team of Marconi's engineers used the roof of the castle in the 1890s for some of their early wireless experiments to transmit to the Isle of Wight.
        The castle passed through the hands of many owners until in 1973 it was bought by Dorset County Council. It was designated as a listed building at Grade II in 1983.

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          Elevation 30 m

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          Location: Swanage, Purbeck, Dorset, South West England, England, United Kingdom

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