Let’s get one thing clear: Dorset does have sandy beaches. Some of them, such as Bournemouth, Swanage and Weymouth, are proper, full-on seaside resorts of the bucket-and-spade sort, and they’re great for traditional coastal outings where a Mr Whippy and fish and chips are always close at hand. (If you have small children, I totally get why this option may be a whole lot easier than most of the places I mention on this blog.)

But if you love sea swimming, there are so many more interesting places to visit, particularly on the Isle of Purbeck, even if their appeal may not be immediately apparent. Disused quarry anyone?

The demand for Purbeck stone goes back for centuries: the stone was highly prized and used in the construction of many of the country’s cathedrals. Quarrying on the ‘Isle’ was big business in the 18th and 19th centuries:  the larger quarries were located on the coast, where the stone could be lowered into waiting ships, and these have left an indelible mark on the coastline between Swanage and Kimmeridge. The quarry at Winspit closed in 1953 and, like many of the other disused works, the hewn platforms and ledges have left a fabulous spot for sunbathing and swimming, once you’ve got your head around the fact that this is not your traditional beach.

Given the lack of sand and the modicum of effort that’s required to get there, Winspit is never as crowded as the more obvious honeypots along the coast. That said, those who know know and it can get surprisingly busy on a warm and sunny day.

Our preferred time to visit is first thing in the morning, usually after a night’s camping at nearby Langton Matravers. To get there, head for Worth Matravers (one of the most ridiculously picturesque villages you’ll ever see, and home to one of the best pubs you’ll ever visit in your lifetime, I guarantee). Park in the village car park (please put your £2 in the honesty box – I can’t imagine the strain the village’s popularity must put on the parish council) and head down the hill towards the village centre. Go past the duck pond (too cute, too cute) and continue past the terrace of former workers’ cottages, many of them now holiday lets, known as London Row.

After the last cottage, go through the gate and follow the path through the fields and down to the sea. On arriving at Winspit, look out for the narrow, scrambly gully down to the cove, rather than continuing left or right along the coast path. If you’ve timed it early enough, arriving at, say, 9am or so, or you’re lucky enough to visit on a week day, you should have the cove to yourself, for a little while at least. There are several easy places to enter the water. If you’re a wuss like me, you’ll prefer to hop down off the broad step-like ledges until you’re deep enough to launch off and swim. There are other places where you can dive straight in … but you should only do this once you’ve worked out the varying depths, for obvious reasons.

The water is as fresh and as clear as you can imagine, inky yet welcoming, although sometimes quite choppy so best for the more confident swimmer. (Even if you do nothing more than paddle tentatively along the ledges, it’s still an invigorating  experience.) Swim out a little further and the view back towards the dramatic cliff faces and old quarrying caves is quite something.

Once the swimming is done, we head back up to one of the higher ledges to dry off in the sun while we brew up a coffee and snaffle a pastry or two, bought earlier from the bakery in Corfe Castle, and by now beginning to sweat butter in their brown paper bag. Heaven.

Need to know

OS Map: OL15 Explorer map of Purbeck and South Dorset
Parking: Parish Council car park close to the Square and Compass. (Don’t forget to put £2 in the slot!) There are public toilets here too.
Refreshments: You can’t come here without visiting the Square and Compass for a pasty and a pint of their (very potent) home-brewed cider. If you’re driving, however, the tea rooms in the village may be a more sensible option.
Public transport: As far as I’m aware, there is no longer a bus service from Swanage to Worth (council cutbacks) but the no. 40 Purbeck Breezer stops at Langton, from where you can walk to Worth in just over 20 minutes.