Man O' War Cove
Local highlightA sheltered sand-and-shingle cove just east of Durdle Door, held back from the open sea by a line of limestone rocks
Man O’ War Cove is the small bay immediately east of Durdle Door, tucked under the same tall pale cliffs of the Dorset Jurassic Coast. A band of Portland and Purbeck limestone runs across the mouth of the bay and breaks the surface as Man O’ War Rocks, with a line of eroded islets — The Bull, The Blind Cow, The Cow and The Calf — trailing off westward towards the arch. That reef takes the force out of the waves, so the water inside is calmer than the open sea around the headland, and the bay holds an official bathing water rating of excellent.
The shelter and the clear water make it a favourite for swimming and snorkelling in summer, though the sea still shelves away quickly and the shingle steepens underfoot, so take care and keep an eye on children.
Getting down is the same steep pull as its neighbour: the path drops from the clifftop above Durdle Door, with steps in places, and turns east at the foot rather than west to the arch. The cove sits on the privately owned Lulworth Estate, with public access along the coast path well established. Lulworth Cove, with its cafés and shops, is an easy walk east along the South West Coast Path.
