Van Life Travel Diaries: Laura takes the Dorset Coast

You may recall, towards the end of last year we caught up with new campervan owner, Laura, to find out more about her first year experiencing van life and all that comes with it. Laura gave us an insight into her and her partners van conversion project and the important lessons they learnt along the way, hopefully helping others set to begin their own van life adventure.

Now well accustomed to the wonderful world of campervanning, we decided to have another catch up with Laura - this time to find out all about her recent campervan travels to the beautiful Dorset Coast. It’s quickly stolen a spot on her list of top destinations to visit in her camper and here’s why:

After spending a long weekend on the Dorset Coast, I can confidently say that it’s now one of my favourite UK destinations and I haven’t stopped singing its praises to my friends and family since my return home. When you’re from up North and travel down to the South Coast, you generally think to head towards Cornwall, however, Dorset is just as beautiful and somehow feels more off the beaten track which we absolutely love!

We first headed towards Lulworth Cove; if you haven’t been, we really recommend you visit. We parked our campervan just outside of the cove at Durdle Door Holiday Park. They have two pitch options on offer for campervans or caravans, and tent pitches are also available. The holiday park has one of the most breath-taking views as it sits right on the cliff edge overlooking the ocean. It was certainly a ‘pinch me moment’ as we watched the sunset from the back of our camper with a cold beer in hand. We seemed to hit the jackpot with the glorious weather too which made the trip even more special.

The holiday park takes its name from Durdle Door, a beautiful natural limestone arch located on the picturesque Jurassic Coast. We were blown away by the crystal-clear waters surrounding the landmark, something you’d expect to find on an exotic island overseas. If van life has taught us one thing, it’s that travelling abroad isn’t always necessary when there are so many stunning beauty spots right here in the UK. It is worth noting that this part of the coast is pebble which may pose an issue if you’re on the lookout for a sunbathing spot. This didn’t bother us as such, and instead we took the opportunity to walk along the water’s edge while the dogs splashed around in the sea.

On our first day we decided to walk East along the coastline across to Lulworth Cove. It is a quaint little cove made up of tiny fisherman cottages and a mixture of independent inns and restaurants. We stopped for a drink at Lulworth Cove Inn which has a lovely outdoor seating area where we sat and enjoyed the last of the afternoon sun. We also tried out the local ice cream shop (it would have been rude not to!) which didn’t disappoint. Even the dogs were impressed as they had dog-friendly ice-cream on the menu.

Day two of our Dorset adventure saw us book on to a tour of the local brewery, Hall & Woodhouse, which took us around 15/20 minutes to get to from the campsite. The tour was brilliant, especially for those who love a beer or two like us. We got to sample lots of their in-house beers and we returned to the campsite fully stocked up with beers to take back home.

To round off our trip, we headed to Corfe Castle, a village in Dorset where the skyline is dominated by the remains of Corfe Castle. The dramatic ruins of the Castle stand on a natural hill guarding the main route through the Purbeck Hills and the rest of Dorset. The village is very idyllic, and the steam train and station have been restored for you to explore. It’s certainly a spot to add to your list if you’re visiting Dorset with your children.

The Dorset Coast is most definitely one of those places we will continue to visit time and time again in our campervan. It’s certainly worth the 5 (ish) hour drive from our hometown to enjoy the beautiful coastline and warmer climate. If you haven’t been yet, make sure to add it to your bucket list for this summer, you won’t be disappointed!