A Weekend in Dorset, England
I have recently been to England on a road trip with a friend of mine, Nathill. Many of my followers on Instagram asked exactly what itinerary we did and asked for some tips on where to stay and where to go. So I decided to write a little something on my website.
We left France from Ouistreham, taking the ferry to Portsmouth. I drove with my French car and it wasn't easy at first to get used to driving on the left side of the road, but once you manage, you get used to it! Because of the fog, we couldn't do (or at least, see!) all the places we wanted to explore.
But here are the main stops we did :
SHAFTESBURY
This small town in Dorset is in the North of Dorset, so a great stop if you're coming from Bath or Bristol. Or any major city for that matter. It has a quaint village vibe and you can find this famous spot if you walk up Gold Hill. These little houses are to die for. I bet everyone who goes in this street would play the game of "Which one would you like to live in?"
DURDLE DOOR
Of course, Durdle Door is the most famous place in Dorset and I can see why... Growing up in Normandy, I was used to go to the cliffs of Etretat and I noticed the similarity with Durdle Door. Except that I found the last one even more impressive. As I was there during wintertime, there was obviously no one around and it was the most peaceful place ever.
WEST LULWORTH & LULWORTH COVE
If you want to spend the whole day in Durdle Door or around, the best is for you to stay in West Lulworth for the night. We did and spent the night at the Lulworth Cove Inn, the cutest hotel around and perfect to get a drink, to eat well & have a good night of sleep in one of their pretty rooms with sea view. The village itself is incredibly beautiful, as lots of their houses have thatched roofs and colorful doors.
The next morning, you will be right next to one of the wonders of the British coast and it will take you 5min of walking to get there from the hotel : Lulworth Cove.
SHELL BAY & OLD HARRY ROCKS
Before going back to Portsmouth we spent a little while on the other side of the Dorset coast, and stopped in Shell Bay & Old Harry Rocks.
There's not much to see in Shell Bay to be honest, except for an "Instagrammable" shot of this red phone box on the beach. Despite complaints and people wanting it to be removed, it stayed there and it's quite magical to see it standing on the beach!
10 minutes away, you can explore Old Harry Rocks which are impressive chalk formations, on the Jurassic Coast. Park in Studland and walk for 20/25minutes following a path that goes directly to the edge of the cliffs, and you'll be amazed by the sights!
