Welcome to the 2nd Swanage Walking Festival!!

The beautiful Isle of Purbeck is a walker's paradise. From coast to country, the variety is unsurpassed.

The coastal walking is spectacular. From a stroll along the beach in beautiful Victorian Swanage to a serious hike along the South West Coast Path, the Jurassic Coast, a UNESCO World Heritage site, the coast is truly special. But the hinterland is extraordinary too - wonderful heathland, walking through designated Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Sites of Special Scientific Interest, with the added attraction of sea glimpses wherever you turn. This tranquil area of Dorset is home to many rare species of birds, wildflowers, butterflies and reptiles. Walks take in the wildlife paradise of Durlston Country Park, heathland at Studland, limestone cliffs along the coast and the RSPB reserve at Arne.

Purbeck offers something for everyone and our walks have been designed to show as much of the area as possible. Some include a pub lunch in a typical Dorset village, others a ride home on the steam train and one even offers a coastal cruise with lunch. The area is steeped in history, the Civil War ruin of Corfe Castle, the evacuated village at Tyneham and, of course, the unique geology of the area.

Purbeck Stone has been quarried for generations and evidence of the industry can be seen all around you. Blasted caves on the coast, machinery on the cliffs and the architectural gems of Swanage attest to the area's quarrying legacy, which still continues today.
Accommodation is plentiful and varied. Choose from a wide selection of hotels, guest houses, B&B's, pubs, rural farmhouses, caravan and camping sites. After your walk, whether you fancy a cream tea, fish and chips, a bar meal or fine dining, you will find what suits you.

On the Thursday of the Festival, 5th May, when hopefully you will have enjoyed a variety of rambles and met some of your fellow walkers, there will be a barn dance where everyone can come together to celebrate the inauguration of Dorset's newest Festival.

We look forward to welcoming you to this unspoilt and often overlooked part of the country. Enjoy all it has to offer.