Durlston National Nature Reserve

In the 19th and 20th centuries Purbeck was quarried for its high-quality limestone. There were few open-cast quarries, and none in Durlston, but there are many mine shafts across the landscape, notably Tilly Whim Caves in a dry glacial meltwater valley. In 1887 George Burt built a small Castle at Durlston Head, on the hill above Durlston Bay and the town of Swanage. The Durlston Castle was never a real castle, but was purpose-built to be used as a restaurant for his Durlston estate. Burt also commissioned a 40-ton limestone Great Globe, three metres in diameter, engraved with an 1880s world map. The footpaths around the Castle and Globe are lined with cast iron London bollards which were…

Durlston won Gold in VisitEngland's Awards for Excellence 2020 in the Accessible and Inclusive Tourism category. The park has put a lot of investment into improving its footpaths, making them easier to walk along or for use with off-road wheelchairs or mobility scooters that are available to hire at the Visitor Centre. The accessible 'Everyone Needs a Shed' facility welcomes people of all ages and abilities to socialise, learn new skills, and volunteer in support of the park.