Man O'War Beach

Located near the village of West Lulworth, Man O’War Beach - also known as Man O’War Cove and Man O’War Bay - is a beautiful and popular sand-and-pebble beach. This beach is situated below oceanfront blufftop rocky headlands. Man O’ War Beach is also surrounded by towering cliffs on both sides. There is a partially submerged rocky reef in the water near this beach. This beach is part of the Jurassic Coast, which is a 95-miles long portion of the Southern English coastline that has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 

Man O’War Beach does not have lifeguards or any other amenities. However, from March through October restrooms can be found in a nearby holiday park named Durdle Door Holiday Park, which is a 15-minute up-hill walk from Man O’ War Beach. 

Man O’ War Beach offers many fun activities including hiking, beachcombing, sunbathing, wildlife watching, snorkeling, kayaking, rafting, canoeing, boating, and scuba diving. While the water near this beach has milder currents than other nearby beaches, it is generally unsafe for recreational activities including swimming and paddleboarding due to cold temperature and considerable depth. However, despite the risky water conditions, scuba divers and snorkelers often access the water near this beach (via boat) to explore the interesting rocky reefs and underwater biodiversity in the water here. The blufftop area above the beach also offers amazing Instagram-worthy views of the English Channel and the Southern English shoreline. The rocky headlands present above the beach have a beautiful landscape and offer a memorable hiking experience. However, if you are planning to hike in the blufftop area above Man O’ War Beach, we recommend being extremely careful as the blufftop areas along this part of the Dorset County shoreline are known to be unstable and prone to collapse.

An interesting landmark present adjacent to the beach is a 60-feet tall natural limestone archway named Durdle Door, which is an immensely popular rock formation formed due to erosion by water. The rock formation and the area around it have featured in many music videos and movies including Cliff Richard’s song "Saviour’s Day," Billy Ocean’s song "Loverboy," the 1997 Stephen Fry movie Wilde, and the Emma Thompson movie Nanny McPhee.

In order to access Man O’ War Beach, you need to reach the paid parking lot for another nearby famous natural landmark named Durdle Door. You can get to this parking lot by turning towards the B3070 road from the A352 road (which goes from Wareham to Dorchester) near the community of Holmebridge. From the B3070 road, you can easily access the paid parking lot for Durdle Door. Once you park at this paid parking lot, you need to walk along a steep downhill trail to finally reach the access stairs for Man O’ War Beach. If you are planning to travel by bus, bus services to West Lulworth are available from the nearby Wool Railway Station (present in the nearby village of Wool). You can take bus numbers 15, 30, and X55 that lead to West Lulworth from the railway station. However, once you get to West Lulworth, you need to undertake a grueling 30-minute downhill walk leading to the access stairs to Man O’ War Beach. We recommend being careful while going down the stairway towards Man O’ War Beach as it can be steep and slippery. In addition, people have also recently died from accidentally falling onto the beach from the blufftop area above. The access stairs to the beach are currently temporarily closed, and you can only view this beach from the blufftop area above. 

There are many attractions near Man O’ War Beach. Lulworth Castle was initially built in the early 17-century as a hunting lodge. This castle has interesting Elizabethan-Jacobean architecture and offers an interesting insight into the rich history of Dorset County. This castle is also surrounded by an extensive open space that offers interesting activities including picnicking and hiking. In addition, the castle premises also include a tea-room which offers refreshments and souvenirs. The Fossil Forest is the interesting remnant of a 150-million-year-old forest that later got flooded near the end of the Jurassic era. You can explore the unique fossilized trees found here, along with the remains of an ancient seafloor. If you are looking for another attraction near Man O’ War Beach, the Stair Hole and Lulworth Crumple are interesting geological formations present along the Jurassic Coast. These unique geological formations offer an interesting insight into how this beautiful part of the southwestern English coastline has formed and taken shape over the years. There is also an interpretive panel present near these two geological formations that offer additional intriguing information about them.

If you get hungry, there are many great restaurants near Man O’ War Beach. Limestone Hotel & Restaurant is an upscale restaurant that offers amazing gourmet dishes made from locally sourced and fresh ingredients. Lulworth Cove Inn & Restaurant offers fantastic sandwiches, classic British dishes, steaks, burgers, desserts, and seafood. In addition, the restaurant is also famous for its delicious fish-and-chips, H&W burger, Sunday roasts, and steak & tanglefoot pie. If you are looking for another good and affordable restaurant near Man O’ War Beach, the modestly priced The Boat Shed Café offers amazing breakfast dishes, seafood, and sandwiches. 

If you are looking for a hotel near Man O’ War Beach, there are many great nearby options. The 4-Star Lulworth Cove Inn offers many amenities including a pub and complimentary breakfast. A more affordable hotel is the 3-Star Limestone Hotel & Restaurant which offers many amenities including a restaurant and complimentary breakfast. In addition, this hotel also offers packed lunches for a fee. If you are looking for another good and affordable hotel near Man O’War Beach, the 2-Star The Castle Inn offers many amenities including a garden, a restaurant, and complimentary breakfast.