Wareham / Lulworth Loop In The Purbecks

Starting in the small Dorset town of Wareham this route will take you over some spectacular scenery on its way to the pretty seaside village of Lulworth where you detour to the cove, after which the route heads north and then west skirting around the edge of Bovington before a long gentle downhill run back towards the start at Wareham. This route has a couple of testing climbs, one out of Lulworth, and another into Bovington however the views from the top of these climbs makes it well worth the effort.

Route description

From the starting point at Wareham train station the route runs south through the town along the B3075 to Stoborough. From Stoborough there is a switchback to cross the A351 and after a short stretch on Grange Road the route turns right on Holmes Lane. Following Holme Lane for about three miles the route passes East Holme, before emerging in West Holme where it turns south along the B3070. From here the route starts a long and steady climb for about four miles as it passes through East Lulworth before a great descent in to West Lulworth.

Once in West Lulworth there is plenty of opportunity to visit the famous Cove and take in some of the scenery before the long climb out of Lulworth. Upon reaching the summit of the climb at Durdle Door the route now travels north and generally downhill to the village of Winfrith Newburgh. From here continue to travel north along Water Lane and Gatemore Road heading towards Moreton and then Hurst Moreton.

Once through Hurst Moreton there’s a short northward stretch on the B3390 before turning right at Waddock Cross and the last of the significant uphill climbs through Cloud Hill and the outskirts of Bovington where you can detour to the famous tank museum if you wish. After cresting cloud hill the route is now a continuous downhill run along the gloriously named Puddletown Road straight back to the start in Wareham.

Start Point – Wareham Railway Station

Distance – 26.5 miles /42.6 km

Elevation Gain – 1280 ft / 390 m

Places Of Interest:

• Lulworth Castle – at the 7 mile point.
• Lulworth Cove – just off route at 9.5 miles.
• Durdle Door – just off route at 10.5 miles
• Winfrith Nature Reserve – at the 14.0 mile point.
• Bovington Tank Museum – about 0.5 miles off route at 19.2 miles.
• Monkey World Ape Rescue – about 0.5 miles off route at 20.6 miles

Refreshment Stops:

• A large array of shops, cafes, pubs etc in Wareham & Lulworth
• The Castle Inn Lulworth – at the 9.5 mile point.
• The Red Lion Winfrith – at the 13.4 mile point.

Local Bicycle Shops:

• Wareham Cycle Works – Wareham Railway Station. Telephone: 01929 556601  www.cyclex.co.uk

Closest Railway Station(s)

• Wareham – at the start / finish point.
• Wool – in the centre of the loop approx 2.4 miles from the 15 mile point of the route.
• Moreton – approx 1 mile from the 17 mile point of the route.

Ride with GPS Link – https://ridewithgps.com/routes/33386475

GPX file direct download – Click Here

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