Set within England's only natural World Heritage Site, Golden Cap is the highest point on the south coast of England at a towering 626ft (191m). It gets its colour (and name) from minerals in the rock that glisten a rusty gold in the sunlight. If you're planning a visit to the Golden Cap, there are plenty of exciting things to see and do. At its base, it is exceptionally good for fossil hunting, especially for ammonites and belemnites. You can also explore the area with some fantastic hikes, taking in the stunning scenery and enjoying the fresh air. Here are some of our favourite things to do and see around the Golden Cap.
Golden Cap Walks
There are several hiking trails to Golden Cap, over Stonebarrow Hill and Golden Cap, to Seatown or further to West Bay depending on how energetic you feel. Here are our favourites, easy to moderate walks for you to enjoy during your holiday park stay at Newlands.
Stonebarrow to Golden Cap
This Stonebarow to Golden Cap trail is favourable to many families and walkers. From Newlands, you can either walk or drive up Stonebarrow Lane. This is accessed via the small Stonebarrow lane which runs up the side of part of Newlands Holiday Park and can be accessed via a gate onsite. Here you are on top of a neighbouring hill with fantastic sea views. To reach Golden Cap you head downhill then up to the summit.
Distance: 7 miles
Difficulty: Medium
Langdon Woods to The Anchor in Seatown
Langdon Wood and Golden Cap are both managed by the National Trust. Langdon Wood is easily accessed from the A35 between the villages of Chideock and Morcombelake. The wood is well signposted from the main road.
From the Car park, you basically follow the eastern and southern edges of the wood until you see the footpath sign for the golden cap. You then need to follow the path out of the wood and walk in a southwesterly direction through a couple of fields before reaching the bottom of a golden cap. The well-maintained path to the top of Golden cap zig-zags its way up and may be slippery when wet. The top of the Golden cap is marked by a triangulation point. From the summit, you can follow the path into Seatown where there is a fantastic pub and of course a beautiful beach.
For a shorter walk, you could just walk around the perimeter track that runs around Langdon wood.
Distance: 7 miles
Difficulty: Medium
Langdon Woods
Distance: 2 miles
Difficulty: Easy
A circular woodland walks through Scots pine and larch with spectacular views and year-round wildlife highlights. In spring and summer, Langdon Hill is awash with flowers including bluebells and foxgloves. In autumn, take a look at the weird and wonderful fungi that pop up around the woods. Langdon Wood is easily accessed from the A35 between the villages of Chideock and Morcombelake. The wood is well signposted from the main road. From the car park, you can follow this circular walk in either direction catching a glimpse of Golden Cap and the sea on your way round. Although it is tracked some buggies can cope well as can toddlers exploring.
Julia Bradbury visits Golden Cap
If you are a fan of Julia Bradbury you will have watched her TV series on her favourite walks with a view. One of her first outings was Golden Cap. Take a look at her Dorset overview and get excited about your visit.