Purbeck, Dorset, England
Studland Bay has four miles of sandy beach, the chalk stacks of Old Harry Rocks and some of Britain's rarest heathland all in one place. CoastMetric combines weather, tides and beach quality data so you can plan the perfect visit.
About Studland Bay
CoastMetric is a real-time conditions app for Studland Bay — a National Trust beach, Jurassic Coast chalk headland and rare Purbeck heathland on the Dorset coast. Old Harry Rocks are the eastern end of the Jurassic Coast UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Poole Harbour entrance at Shell Bay has very strong tidal currents — swimming near the chain ferry crossing is dangerous at any state of tide. Old Harry Rocks and the chalk headland have unstable cliff edges that fall without warning. The naturist beach area is signposted.
Walking Routes
Check the live Visit Score before you set out — conditions here change fast.
National Trust car park at Knoll Beach, clifftop walk to Old Harry Rocks at the Jurassic Coast boundary, return across Studland Heath NNR. Stay back from the crumbling chalk edges — cliff falls are frequent.
Plan Your Visit
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Key Features
Three iconic chalk sea stacks at the eastern end of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site — 'Harry' is the tall stack, 'Old Harry's Wife' is the stump. The chalk cliffs here are actively eroding.
One of Britain's finest lowland heaths — home to all six UK reptile species including smooth snake and sand lizard. National Nature Reserve managed by the National Trust.
Britain's busiest cable ferry — carries cars and foot passengers across the narrow Poole Harbour entrance. Queues can be very long in summer (consider cycling or walking as alternatives).
Live Data
All data is fetched from authoritative UK sources and recalculated every few minutes.
Safety Information
Swimming is safe on the main Studland Beach between the lifeguard flags in summer. Avoid swimming near the chain ferry slipway — Poole Harbour entrance currents are lethal. Old Harry Rocks clifftop path has crumbling chalk edges — stay on the marked path and 2m+ from the edge. The chalk cliffs at Old Harry actively erode — pieces fall regularly. Studland Heath is a National Nature Reserve — stay on paths to avoid damaging rare Dartford warbler habitat.
All data, scores and recommendations are for informational purposes only. The Visit Score is an algorithmic estimate — not a substitute for your own judgement, local signage or official guidance.
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