Durdle Door

Durdle Door is a notable limestone arch situated on the Jurassic Coast in Dorset, England. 

It boasts a rich geological history, an ancient name, and has inspired various cultural works.

Visit Date June 2025

Durdle Door

The formation of Durdle Door is a result of complex geological processes spanning millions of years.

The story of initial sedimentation began approximately 140 to 150 million years ago during the late Jurassic period when the area was covered by a warm, shallow sea. Over time, layers of sediment and debris, primarily composed of clay, silt, sand, and limestone (known as Portland Stone), were gradually deposited.

Coastline west of Durdle door indicating a small arch formation in the distance.

Around 70 million years ago, tectonic forces caused the Earth's crust to experience folding and uplifting, forming a dome-like structure known as the Lulworth anticline. This process resulted in the rock layers being tilted, almost standing on end.

Durdle Door was formed on a concordant coastline, where layers of rock run parallel to the shoreline. The arch itself is made of resistant Portland Limestone, which is harder than the surrounding rock layers. Over time, the relentless pounding of waves against the coastline gradually eroded the softer rocks behind this harder limestone. This process of differential erosion initially created a notch at the base of the cliff, which then developed into a cave. Eventually, as the cave eroded completely through the hard stone, it transformed into the distinctive arch we see today.

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Durdle Door is a "process halfway finished." The coastline is dynamic and prone to erosion, leading to occasional rockfalls and landslides. The arch is expected to eventually collapse, creating a sea stack, it is likely to occur during a strong storm, as ongoing erosion weakens the structure.

Coastline east of Durdle door showing 'sea stacks'

The name "Durdle Door" is believed to have ancient origins, possibly dating back over a thousand years, although early written records are limited.

The word "Durdle" is derived from the Old English word "thirl," meaning "to pierce," "bore," or "drill". This, in turn, comes from "thyrel," meaning "hole"

The term "Door" in the name likely refers to the arch's unique arched shape. In the late 19th century, it was also known as the "Barn Door" due to its design, which was tall enough for a sailing boat to pass through.

In the late 18th century, it was referred to as the "magnificent arch of Durdle Rock Door." Early 19th-century maps featured variations of the name, such as "Duddledoor," "Durdle," and "Dudde Door." The first Ordnance Survey map, published in 1811, officially named it "Dirdale Door."

Durdle Door appears in Folklore, Myths, and Popular Culture

Arthur Moule, a Dorset-born missionary and friend of Thomas Hardy, wrote about Durdle Door in his 1879 book of poetry, Songs of Heaven and Home, written in a foreign Land.

Coastal walk marker at Durdle Door.

Durdle Door has been featured in several films, including *Wilde* (1997) with Stephen Fry, *Nanny McPhee* with Emma Thompson, the 1967 *Far From The Madding Crowd*, and the Bollywood film *Housefull*. Most recently, it appeared in the 2022 *Doctor Who* episode "The Power of the Doctor," where the Thirteenth Doctor regenerated.

Parts of music videos for Tears for Fears' "Shout," Billy Ocean's "Loverboy," Cliff Richard's "Saviour's Day," and Bruce Dickinson's "Tears of the Dragon" were filmed at Durdle Door.

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50.62127062504596, -2.2762703993436575

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///crabmeat.inversely.chat

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Grid Ref: SY 80524 80195 Elevation: 74 ft 

Additional information.

Visiting is easy and there is a public car park at the site (50.62416344362244, -2.269425401934578).

Access is well signposted off the B3070 near Burngate and onto Church Road. On this road it feels like you are entering a holiday park but continue to follow the signs and you will eventually come to the car park. Access then is along the coastal path down to the site and beach. There is a steep climb down to the viewing area and if you wish to get to the beach it is a further climb down many steps. This is difficult if you have poor mobility.

At the car park there is refreshments and toilet services. This place gets very busy, especially in the summer months.

The car park is not free and there is a number plate recognition system in use and payment is made by card on leaving.

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Another Place

Another Place is a modern sculpture by British artist Antony Gormley

It is located on Crosby Beach near Liverpool in the UK.

The sculpture consists of 100 cast iron figures.

Each figure is 6ft 2in tall (189 centimetres) and weighs 650 kilograms.

Visit Date: April 2024

This sculpture was first exhibited on the beach of Cuxhaven, Germany, in 1997 followed by Stavanger in Norway and De Panne in Belgium before being placed on Crosby Beach on July 1st 2005

The figures were cast at Hargreaves Foundry in Halifax, West Yorkshire and the Joseph and Jesse Siddons Foundry in West Bromwich.

Each of the sculptures has been modeled on the artist's own naked body and because of the nakedness of the sculptures they first aroused some controversy.

Another Place

In 2006, the local council refused permission for the statues to remain at the beach in Merseyside however this decision led to the establishment of The company Another Place Ltd which campaigned for the figures' permanent installation.

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In March 2007, permission was granted for Another Place to remain at Crosby Beach permanently.

There is little doubt that these once-controversial figures have led to an increase in tourism to the beach. 

Describing the work Antony Gormley stated 

"I always wanted this to be an open work. The sculptures that comprise ANOTHER PLACE are not statues of ideal or heroic figures from history, they are simply copies of my own body that I used to indicate a human space in space at large."

"Another Place harnesses the ebb and flow of the tide to explore man's relationship with nature. He explains: The seaside is a good place to do this. Here time is tested by tide, architecture by the elements and the prevalence of the sky seems to question the earth's substance. In this work, human life is tested against planetary time. This sculpture exposes to light and time the nakedness of a particular and peculiar body. It is no hero, no ideal, just the industrially reproduced body of a middle-aged man trying to remain standing and trying to breathe, facing a horizon busy with ships moving materials and manufactured things around the planet".

"I can remember the day after we finished the installation in Liverpool, every single work, through its wristband, had a rose in it with a tag on it saying Make Poverty History".

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The statues have been subjected to corrosion and colonization of marine animals as well as trash from the sea over the years. 

In 2012, biologists from the University of Liverpool studied the colonisation of the statues by sessile intertidal organisms, such as invasive species of barnacles.

Sir Antony Gormley (born 1950) is renowned for his sculptures and installations including Angel of the North 1998 and Event Horizon 2007 – 2015.

There is also a similar sculpture by the artist called Horizon Field.

Horizon Field was erected in 2010. The installation features 100 life-sized cast iron statues of the human body left at exactly 2,039 m (6,690 ft) above sea level in the Austrian Alps. It is the first art project of its kind erected in the Alps and the largest landscape intervention in Austria to date. The work covers an area of 150 square kilometres (58 square miles) in the Land Vorarlberg.

Although I have tried to capture the feeling of this work of art being there gives a whole new feeling of belonging. The huge area that is covered by this work. The work covers a distance of almost 3km, with the pieces placed 250m apart along the tide line, and up to 1km out towards the horizon. 

All the statues face out to sea.

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53.49540914869752, -3.059778636907985

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///buns.rapid.petty

OS Details: -
SD 29743 00476

Additional information.

Visiting is very easy with a large car park. (53.496091062048464, -3.0581922009735023) 

There are public toilets in the car park.







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