Wild Swim Coastal Walk to Dancing Ledge: Dorset

This coastal walk, just a few miles west from Swanage, takes you to Dancing Ledge, which is a really cool rock shelf with a tidal Pool.

Located on the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset, you will walk past Durlston Castle and Anvil Point lighthouse, before reaching Dancing Ledge, where you can take a wild swim, before circling back around to return to Durlston Country Park.

Walking along this part of the Jurassic Coast, you will get a view of Old Harry Rocks in the Distance, and even the Isle of Wight.

A rock wall with 'rest and admire' written on one of the walks, overlooking the sea and along the coastline in Dorset.

What is Dancing Ledge?

Dancing Ledge is a flat rock surface at the base of a cliff. The dancing part comes from the way the water jumps about on it at certain tide levels.

The rock surface of Dancing Ledge with a tidal pool and a few people walking and swimming. There is a cliff on the left side and water spilling into the total pool.

There is a hole in the ledge making a sort of tidal pool, which is perfect for taking dips in, and a lot safer than swimming on the sea. The hole on Dancing Ledge is actually manmade. It was blasted out way back at the beginning of the 20th century for school kids.

What to expect on the walk to Dancing Ledge

Everything sounds to promising right? Well, for a while there, I wasn’t so sure. Let me explain.

At the start of the walk towards Dancing Ledge, you get a lovely view to Old Harry Rocks, then you walk around the castle and towards the Lighthouse. Then things got a bit…bland.

It is a very easy trail. So easy, your granny could do it. I mean that literally, because all the grannies were doing it.

The view ahead was average (average for the Jurassic coast that is). I’m going to be honest here, I was a little bored.

NB. This walk was following in the footsteps of the walk from Kimmeridge which we did yesterday. The views on that one are hard to beat. So it had a hard act to follow.

Then it got good…..

About 30min into the walk towards Dancing Ledge, things started to get interesting. More shrubbery, better rugged cliff views, more hilly. As we approached one steep bit, I screamed in delight. Finally a good hill.

A green hilly landscape as it leads into the blue sea. the rock platform of Dancing Ledge is visible on the side of the cliff. There is a trail running across the hills with a man walking on it.

Once we reached Dancing Ledge, we realised we could actually climb down to get into the water for a bit of swimming. I didn’t know this would be a wild swim walk until it actually happened.

The walk back from Dancing Ledge was a lot simpler, but incredibly peaceful. For most of it, we didn’t pass a single soul.

A big green hill with lots of bushes and Anvil Point Lighthouse half visible on the other side. The blue water of the English Channel is behind it.

Monster hill

Oh, and there is another hill I should mention. The one just after Dancing Ledge. It’s one of those hills that looks worse than it ends up being. But in this case it ended up being worse than it looked…..Maybe I was just tired from getting in the cold water and the rock climbing stuff.

Is is safe to swim at Dancing Ledge?

The tidal pool at Dancing Ledge is safe for taking a dip in, but the sea itself, you need to be more careful with. Dancing Ledge is a rock shelf, straight into deep water with strong currents. I have read that people have not survived them.

Tips for visiting Dancing Ledge

Dancing Ledge is not accessible during high tide, so if you want to climb down for a dip in the pool, then pay attention to this. We didn’t know this when we set off. We got lucky. Check the tide times here.
It’s not easy to get down. To get onto Dancing Ledge, you actually have to scramble down the rocks. So if you don’t think you will want to do this, then just have your expectations set. It’s lovely to view from afar anyway.
Due to the climbing/scrambling involved, good grippy shoes will be useful (I actually only had plimsoles and was fine. So it’s not a deal breaker)

If you want to go for a wild swim, then I guess all the usual things apply. Be a good swimmer etc. There are no lifeguards or anyone to help you if you run into trouble.
Following on from number 4, unless you know what you are doing, maybe best to do this in summer when the water isn’t so cold. Mind you, it’s still cold. I only lasted 1 minute before I had to get out. Also, if it’s summer, you can dry off in the sun without the need for a towel.
Take sea shoes. Dancing Ledge is not very comfy to walk on with bare feet. Getting in and out of the water is quite rocky and sharp.

Parking to walk to Dancing Ledge

This walk to Dancing Ledge starts from Durlston Country Park and Castle, which has a car park. Post code: BH19 2JL. At the time of writing, it costs £6.50 for the whole day, or you can pay hourly. Parking charges apply from 1st April-31st October. You can see the details and prices here.

Logistics for the wild swim walk to Dancing Ledge in Dorset

Start/Finish: Durlston Castle and Country Park in Purbeck, Dorset.
How to get there: It’s located super close to Swanage. If that’s where you are, then you could walk here. Just head to the coast and walk along the coastal path south/west.

Public Transport: Bus number D5 from Swanange, gets you to the start of the walk.
Distance: 6 miles circular.
Time: 2 hours.

Difficulty: Most of the walk to Dancing Ledge is easy, and you can keep it this way if you so wish. If you want to follow my exact route, then there are a couple more challenging parts, but not excessively challenging. I’m specifically referring to climbing down the rocks onto Dancing Ledge, and then one hill for the walk back. You can easily skip both of these though.
Terrain: Dirt trail, gravel trail, rocks.
Elevation: Your elevation will range from sea level and up to 120m.

Time of year: We did the walk to Dancing Ledge in early summer.
Amenities: Durlston Country Park Nature Reserve has a car park and cafe and public toilets. For the walk to Dancing Ledge itself, you are on your own.

Map for the walk to Dancing Ledge

Click on the top box to open in your Google Maps.

More ideas for walks near Dancing Ledge will be at the end

A Guide To The Wild Swim Walk To Dancing Ledge In Dorset

We started the walk to Dancing Ledge from Durlston car park and castle. If you are in the car park, just follow the castle signs.

If coming from Swanage, just walk along the coastal path and you will reach it. At the castle, the public footpath is to the left of it.

Durlston castle behind a brick wall, with a path leading around the left of it.

Following the public footpath, it takes you around the castle and past the Globe. From here you will get a view to the left of Old Harry Rocks.

A gravel trail winding downhill with green grass and bushes on wither side and the English Channel ahead.

Large steps leading up a grass hill to the globe in Durlston Country Park.

Anvil Point Lighthouse

You should soon see Anvil Point Lighthouse ahead. This bit of the path is interesting. It’s like it’s trying to be rugged but is actually well kept. Gravelly, but neat with a craggy brick wall and glass panels blocking the cliff edge.

A white gravel trail with a hill and trees on the right and rock wall on the left. There is a man walking on the trail.

A gravel trail leading downhill in Durlston Country park. There are some people walking on the trail. There are green bushes and trees lining the trail.

What was also interesting was the older crowd. We did this walk to Dancing Ledge on a Monday. We figured it wouldn’t be so busy as most people would be back at work. Well, it kind of was busy, and everyone was…of a certain age. This must be what the retired do when we are all working.

Anyway, as you approach the lighthouse, things do become a bit more rugged as you make your way down a steep hill, and then up again.

A gravel trail on the green hill too and Anvil Point Lighthouse ahead on the walk to Dancing Ledge. There is a man walking on the trail.

A hill with a trail running up it through the grass, with the sea on the left and Anvil Point Lighthouse on top of the hill.

Looking out to the sea behind the rocky dirt ground. There are patches of grass and flowers on the ground.

The rocky cliffside leading into the sea in Dorset.

Stone steps leading uphill on the walk towards Dancing Ledge in Dorset. There is a man on top of the steps.

The easy bit of the walk to Dancing Ledge

The next section of the walk towards Dancing Ledge, is pretty simple. A dirt trail along the clifftop, through a few gates. Very gentle and not a whole lot to look at.

A green grass hill landscape with a grassy trail running through it and the sea in the distance.

A stone signpost pointing which way to walk to Dancing Ledge along the coast path.

A dirt trail running through the long grass on the hill side. There are some cows on the hill in the distance.

A wooden gate on the trail surrounded by overgrown green grass and foliage with the sea on the left.

A dirt trail running along the side of a hill on there walk to dancing Ledge in Dorset. There is a man walking on the trail. The hill is covered in overgrown grass and bushes. The hill leads down to the sea.

I mean, you can see way into the distance along the coastline, but it’s not that exciting. Granted I have been a little spoilt with the amazing rugged cliffs I have seen in my time. It’s not that bad really, I just went into this walk expecting a bit more.

Then things get interesting

Before the walk, I wasn’t sure what Dancing Ledge looked like. So when we reached a cool bit of rugged cliff I figured that was it. I got all excited that we had reached it. Then I looked at my map and realised we still had a way to go.

A man walking on a dirt trail on the walk to Dancing ledge in Dorset. The trail is o n a hill which leads down to the cliff and sea. There are a few purple flowers next to the trail.

A green grass covered hill leading down to cliffs and into the blue sea.

Soon after this there was a section walking through a concentrated area of bushes and shrubbery. It was a nice contrast to the open area we had come from.

A very narrow walking trail snaking through the overgrown grass and shrubbery covered hill.

Overgrown grass across the land with a couple of trails and a man walking along one of them. The sea is visible in the distance.

Walk towards Dancing Ledge

After things open up again, there is a good steep but short hill taking you down then up, after which you will get a view ahead of dancing ledge.

A stripy trail running along the plain grass landscape with the sea to the left.

A dirt trail going downhill then uphill on the other side on the open land. The land meets the sea on the left.

A view across the grass and purple flowers down to Dancing ledge and the blue sea on the coastal walk in Dorset. — That is Dancing Ledge

Dancing Ledge is kind of obvious when you see it. Basically a ledge at the bottom of the cliff. We noticed a few people on it, and got really excited to get down there.

(It was a hot day and Ollie was badly sunburnt from the Kimmeridge walk. He couldn’t wait to get into the cold water).

Climb down the rocks onto Dancing Ledge

What we didn’t realise, was that Dancing Ledge not that easy to get onto. You can walk down pretty close, right to the cliff edge. Then you need to get adventurous.

We started to make our way down the rocks, but reached a point where we would have to jump to get the rest of the way. A little confused, I looked around, then a guy down there pointed to which route to take.

Following his direction a bit further along to the east, we found the way. Still not simple, but we were able to at least get a bit further down to allow a much smaller safer jump the rest of the way.

I don’t seem to have taken a photo of the bit you climb down to show you. Here is a video of part of it though:

Wild swimming at Dancing Ledge

Down on Dancing Ledge, things are pretty cool, with the tidal pool and waves crashing up into it.

On the side of the rock platform, there were some kids making giant leaps onto another ledge. We wondered how the hell they would get back.

But they looked like they knew what they were doing.

The rugged cliff face and slabs of rock leading to the ocean on the Dancing Ledge walk in Dorset.

There were quite a few people about, but it wasn’t too busy. People were sort of coming and going. Some were climbing down with their dogs. Most people were also challenged with finding the best route to get down, and I did my good deed and guided them the best way.

We decided to swim in the sea, as the tidal pool was quite popular and a bit too busy for our liking. I didn’t have swimwear with me, so for a moment considered going naked. Although, with all the people around, that might count as indecent exposure, so I settled for topless.

Rock climbing and bouldering

We (and most others) took the ‘easy’ route down. There were also people proper climbing up. Some with ropes, some without.

The walk back up from Dancing Ledge

After making our way back up from Dancing Ledge, we had a little think about which way to go next. Setting off on this walk, we didn’t have the full thing planned out. I said to Ollie we would walk to Dancing Ledge, and from there decide if we wanted to go further and on to Seacombe Cliff and Winspit Quarry.

Well, at this point we were pretty content with what we had seen, so decided to head back.

The big ass hill

So, this next bit is that hill I was telling you about earlier. You can skip it though and just walk back along the trail you came on.

Directly up from the entrance to Dancing Ledge, you should see an outline of grass trail on the hill. There are actually 2. We took the one on this side of the wall. It didn’t look like much, but on the way up it seemed to go on forever. As I said, maybe I was tired….or that’s what I like to think.

A green grass covered hill with a faint track leading up it.

One thing to note. Once we got to the top we ran into a mass of school kids with climbing gear, ready to head down to Dancing Ledge. So if you head here on a weekday, be carful as you may end up having to share the place with them. We were there around midday if that helps with timings. Maybe go early before they come.

The walk back to Durlston

Once at the top of the hill, there is a trail running along this side of a wall, or a trail going through it. We took the one on this side, which runs parallel to the sea.

A grass hill top with a brick wall to the left and sea to the right.

Up here, things felt very calm and peaceful. After the school kid fiasco we didn’t pass another soul. The trail itself is very simple along the top of the hill. The view ahead is just the land, but the view back was lovely. I have to say, I actually preferred the view from up here compared to down the bottom.

Undulating landscape covered in green grass and a few bushes.

Looking over the bushes and down to the Dorset coastline on the Dancing Ledge walk. The landscape is green and the sea is blue.

Trail split

At some point as you walk down a hill, the trail will fork. You can take either and they meet further along. I wanted to take upper trail, Ollie wanted to take the lower.

I let him win this time.

The gate

So, there are a few gates/walls you walk through along here. Most are obvious as they are straight ahead and the trail runs through them. Look out for one on the right though. See photo.

The green grass hill top with a brick fence and wooden gate on the other side and the English channel behind. There is a man walking on the other side of the wall.

A narrow trail running through the bushes next to a stone wall. There is a man walking on the trail

Go through it and continue walking with the wall to your left.

If it’s a clear day, it’s along here that you will get a view of the Isle of Wight.

Through another wall, there will be a serious of trails with this wooden stump (photo below). From here we went right and then left along the ridge.

A wooden stump signpost in a field. There are yellow arrows on the post.

A green grass field with the sea behind and a couple of people walking. — We turned left onto the ridge there.

The walk towards Anvil Point Lighthouse

Soon the lighthouse comes into view. Simply head towards it whichever way you please.

An undulating landscape leading to the sea on the Dancing Ledge walk. Anvil point Lighthouse is on the other side of the field.

A grass field divided by a stone wall with a wooden fence on the Dancing Ledge walk. The top of Anvil Point lighthouse is visible behind a hill on the other side.

At the road, take a right and from here, if you go straight you will get back onto the gravel type public footpath you were on earlier.

A road running along the green filed and white buildings on the other side. A man is walking on the road.

We mixed it up and took a left just before the lighthouse to walk around it that way.

Walk Back to Durlston Castle and car park

Once on the other side of the lighthouse and on the gravel path, you should recognise where you are so can just walk back the same way to get to the car park. We followed the same path for a short while, but then took a left at the car park sign (see photo below). This took us uphill on a trail surrounded by grass and a cute view of the top of Durlston Castle ahead.

A gravel trail leading uphill towards the bushes and trees.

A gravel trail leading up through the overgrown grass and bushes.

Final Thoughts of the walk to Dancing Ledge

For a good chunk of the walk, I was so sure that this was going to go to the bottom of the list of walks I recommend in Dorset. But it managed to turn it around, so much so, that Dancing Ledge now sits high up the top.

More walks near Dancing Ledge

Very near to Dancing Ledge, you could try out the walk from Swanage to Old Harry Rocks. It’s about 6.5 miles long and takes you right up close to the famous rocks. It’s mostly a coastal walk if you like that kind of thing.

Slightly further away, but still in Purbeck, I highly recommend the Kimmeridge Bay circular walk. It’s now one of may favourites in Dorset. 10 miles, some big hills, and the best views.

A bit further away, but showcasing another famous landmark, is the walk from Lulworth Cove to Durdle Door. At 1 mile one way, it’s one for the shorter ones on the list, which makes it perfect if you aren’t into big walks but still want big rewards.

Another way to see Durdle Door would be on the walk from Weymouth to Lulworth Cove. It’s the first hike I ever did in Dorset, and still one of my favourites in England. I did it way before I started this website so don’t have it covered, but it’s simple. Just walk along the coastline. It is a toughy though. It’s very hilly.

Another one I recommend from Lulworth Cove, is in the opposite direction to Durdle Door. It’s a 4 mile circular walk to Mupe Bay. Way less busy than the Door is, but just as beautiful.