Durlston Country Park and Nature Reserve is located on the outskirts of Swanage and covers a whopping 320 acres of beautiful countryside.  The parkland which is part of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site offers a variety of habitats and features, including woodlands, clifftops, meadows and an abundance of wildlife.

The coastal walks offer stunning sea views and we met friends there to walk from Durlston to Swanage town and back.  You can walk straight from the Castle which would be much shorter route but we went from the car park in the opposite direction so we could take the path which led us around Anvil Point Lighthouse, Tilly Whim Caves, and the steps to the caves which are closed to the public due to safety reasons.

As we came back up towards Durlston Castle, we briefly stopped for the toilet and to refill our water bottles.  Before continuing on we stopped at the Great Globe which is one of the largest stone spheres in the world.  It's constructed of Portland stone, weighs about 40 tonnes and is 3 metres in diameter – so pretty big!

Following the path to the right of the Castle we started our route to Swanage.  The wide path is set in the trees and on the left you will find a fab wooden play trail for the children to enjoy.  Being as it was a hot day, I enjoyed walking through the shaded woodland and further down we found a big rope swing for the children to enjoy.

We then followed the path up the hill and before too long we were on a grassy area with incredible views both out to sea and to Swanage itself.

We dropped down into town for a late lunch and ice cream before heading back via the road and alternative access into the woodland path.

Our total circular route was about 7K and walking time was around 2.5 hours because we stopped lots of times for things like toilet, snacks, rope swinging ect.  We even sat and watched a cute little lizard scurrying along a stone wall.

Dulston Country Park is free to enter and the car park prices are very reasonable.  Don’t miss going inside Durlston Castle which is a unique Victorian building, featuring a Visitor Centre with colourful interactive displays, live wildlife cameras, and family friendly exhibitions, along with a small gift shop, art gallery, toilets, baby changing facilities, Café and rooftop access with spectacular views of the coastline.

There are multiple events running through the year for both adults and children including workshops, exhibitions, crafts and themed trails.

For more information on walking routes, events and much more, please visit Durlston Country Park.

Good to know:

• The Castle has lift access to all 4 levels and accessible toilets on all levels.

• Well behaved dogs are welcome in the Castle, Visitor Centre, and Cafe, whilst on a lead.

• Cycling and BBQ’s are not permitted at Durlston Country Park.

• 5 waymarked trails start and finish at the Castle and more information can be found in the Visitor Centre or online.

Top tips:

• Don’t try and do everything in one day, there’s lots of trails to explore and you’ll have great fun discovering somewhere new each time you visit.

• Take plenty of water, snacks for the kids, plasters for blisters (we needed those), suncream if relevant and hand wipes.

Have fun!