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Here’s everything you need to know about hiking Stonebarrow Hill in Dorset! From directions to parking, I cover it all in this walking guide.
Let me tell you this now – walks don’t come any better than this. I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed this one. It’s one of the best walks I’ve done in forever. If I lived in Dorset, I would probably do this walk every week. From the number of ramblers and dog walkers I saw, I’m not the only one!
Let me give you 3 reasons why the Stonebarrow walk is soooo good:
- The views of Golden Cap and the sea are absolutely stunning
- It has rolling hills, secluded farmhouses, and even an ancient ruined church
- It’s actually relatively quick at around 2 hours, so you can easily squeeze it into a day without tiring out your legs
The thing I loved about this walk is the views of the coastline are instant. Just minutes after you start the walk it’s bang: “hello! Here’s one of the best views of England you’ll ever see. You can look at me for the next hour or so.”
As I mentioned, the walk is relatively quick at 2 hours and 15 minutes. There are a couple of steep sections, though I’ll get onto that later. I saw a number of older walkers, so is definitely one for all ages.
In this guide I’ll tell you all about the highlights of this walk, including directions on where to go and the best place to park too. We nearly took the wrong turn a couple of times, so if you use this guide then you’ll be good to go. You don’t want to go walking up Golden Cap by accident now, do you!
Contents:
Parking for the Stonebarrow Hill circular walk
Located on the South West Coast of England, Stonebarrow Hill is in an area of outstanding natural beauty. Just a 15-minute drive from Lyme Regis (this is where we were staying) and next to Charmouth, it’s really easy getting here.
If you follow the A35 east, you turn off at Berne Lane and drive past Newlands Holiday Park. You then turn left along Stonebarrow Lane and drive all the way along to the National Trust car park. This is a fairly steep uphill road with a few passing places. It’s kinda one of those where you don’t want to meet anyone, but there are a few places you can tuck in if you do.
As the car park is maintained by National Trust, it’s paid parking. The rates are:
1 hour – £1.60
2 hour – £3.20
3 hour – £5.00
All day – £6.60
There’s also a café here if you need to stock up on snacks before the walk, but I will mention it later too.
How long is the Stonebarrow Hill walk?
This is a bit of a “how long is a piece of string” type question, as it really depends on your pace, fitness level, and how often you stop to take in the views. Generally, the circular walk around Stonebarrow Hill takes around 2 to 3 hours to complete, including a few breaks along the way.
The total distance is 6.5km (4 miles), so it’s not far, but it is very hilly! I’d class this as a moderate walk. There are some steady climbs, particularly as you make your way up onto the hill, but nothing too technical or difficult. As I mentioned earlier, I saw a few older walkers, and they managed it fine.
When I did the walk, it took me 2h:15m, but I was moving fairly steadily with a couple of short stops for photos and to take in the scenery. If you’re planning on lingering a bit more (which you absolutely should), or stopping for a picnic, then you could easily stretch it out to 3 or more.
Also, if you were looking for a bit more of a challenge, then you could actually summit Golden Cap. At 191 metres (627 feet), this is the highest point on the south coast of England. It’s quite cool to tick off, but it does add at least 45 minutes to an hour, and it is an absolute leg burner. As you’ll see from the photos, this is a pretty big hill so it takes it out of you!
Stonebarrow Hill Directions
The start point: Head out the car park
Okay, so now we’re onto the directions. I’m going to assume you’ve parked your car facing the sea (I’m pretty sure it’s the only way you can park). There is a slightly confusing sign with 4 different directions at the top-right corner of the car park. You want to follow ‘Westhay Farm’. This is the start of the walk.
You’ll go through a gate and start following the path downhill. If you’re heading downhill, then you’re on the right path. From here, head straight across the small bridleway crossroads for horses and continue downhill through the shrubs. This is where the views open up quickly and you can see Golden Cap in the distance. Honestly, this view is everything. This was my favourite photo spot too.
Once you follow the path through the shrubs, follow the signpost for the coast path, which takes you right. The track initially feels a bit like a farm lane. Continue along the path as it bends left, passing the farmhouse and going through a gate at the end.
There is a warning sign here about cattle and calves in the field, although when I visited there were none around. Keep following the path and you’ll soon reach a stunning viewpoint where you can look back across the landscape – with Lyme Regis visible off to the right and Golden Cap standing out to the left. From here, you continue along the South West Coast Path, descending gently.
Section 2: Walk towards Golden Cap
The path eventually leads to a small bridge, which you cross before beginning a short uphill section. This is the first proper climb of the walk and it’s fairly steep. It doesn’t take long though, so keep on pumping those legs. Once you get to the top, the view of Golden Cap is spectacular, rising dramatically above the surrounding countryside.
After this, turn right through a turnstile and begin heading downhill again towards Golden Cap. For this section of the walk, you’re walking along the coast path towards Golden Cap, so you can’t really go wrong.
Go through another gate and cross a small wooden bridge over a stream, then continue along the trail. The next section includes a few steeper uphill stretches, which are more strenuous but manageable. Keep following the South West Coast Path as it takes you through a series of gates and across open fields.
Okay, now this one is important. Just as you’re approaching the base of Golden Cap, you’ll come to a field. The South West Coast Path continues straight towards Golden Cap. Here, you want to go diagonal left and cut across the field to the gate in the corner. This is where we initially went wrong, and it was only when we started climbing Golden Cap we realised we had to turn back.
Section 3: Visit St. Gabriel’s Ruins
Once you hop over the gate, you’ll walk through a little woodland section, so you’re on the right path. Walk past St Gabriel’s House on your left. The ground becomes more uneven and rocky as you continue. You’ll pass St Gabriel’s Cottage and then Ash Cottage, a National Trust holiday home with an information plaque.
From here, take the diagonal path up to the left towards St Gabriel’s Chapel ruins, which is roughly a 500-metre walk uphill. St Gabriel’s Chapel ruins are the remains of a tiny medieval chapel sitting quietly above the surrounding fields.
Today, only the stone foundations are left, but it’s an atmospheric spot with far-reaching views over the coastline, making it one of the most peaceful points on the walk. This is where we had a little rest in the ruins of the church.
Section 4: Return across the fields back
When you leave the chapel, follow the path back down and turn right past the cottages. You’ll rejoin the main footpath, which continues uphill. There is a small optional detour here – if you turn right and walk for a few minutes, you’ll reach a patch of wild garlic, which is especially nice in spring.
If not, continue up the road for around 400 metres until you reach a footpath sign pointing left towards Stonebarrow (about 1¼ miles). Follow this, walking around the edge of the field and uphill to a stile. Cross over and continue onto a muddy track at Muddyford Lane.
You then pass through Upcot Farm, walking directly through the farmyard itself before turning right towards Stonebarrow Hill. At the next gate, go through and continue ahead. You’ll see a sign pointing straight on towards Stonebarrow Hill – ignore this and instead turn left, following the footpath downhill. This is an important turn to make.
The trail then opens out again into fields with sweeping coastal views. Again, I couldn’t get enough of these views. Just continue straight across the landscape and soak it up.
Eventually, you’ll reach the road again near the farmhouse from the start of the walk. I’m sure you’ll recognise it. Continue up the road until you spot a small footpath sign on the left. There are two paths here – one loops right, but you want the diagonal left-hand path. This final section is a gentle uphill climb through bramble-lined paths with beautiful yellow flowers in spring back towards the car park.
Once you get back to the car park, I’d really recommend visiting the café Crazy Cow. This seems like such a strange place for a café at first, but they’ve nailed it. Everything from here is delicious, particular after a long walk! I had some Baboo ice cream, walked back to the viewpoint and tucked in while enjoying the view of Golden Cap one last time. One of the best ice cream spots in the country I reckon! Oh, and one more thing – get the hazelnut ice cream. You can thank me later.
Where to stay nearby
Cobb Cottage
We stayed in a lovely holiday home called Cobb Cottage (we booked on Classic Cottages) and it was just perfect. This was a four-bed fisherman’s cottage overlooking the water and it was just moments from the beach. It’s down by the Cobb and the harbour, so at the other end of the town. We actually really liked being tucked away down here. It felt like we could enjoy all Lyme Regis had to offer before retreating back to our holiday home to enjoy the views in the evening.
The house came fully equipped with everything you could need for a family. The kitchen had everything you could need (even stuff for baking which was a nice touch). There was plenty of space for everyone to spread out too, with a main living room and an extra cosy sung to unwind with a cuppa after a long day exploring Dorset.
What made it really special for me was waking up to those sea views and being able to walk straight out to the harbour in just a couple of minutes. It felt like proper coastal living – I really didn’t want to leave! If you’re looking for one of the best holiday cottages in Dorset, then I really can’t recommend this one enough!
All in all, I really enjoyed this walk. It’s a great mix of coastal views, quiet countryside paths and a bit of history along the way, without ever feeling too difficult or overly busy. I really can’t recommend this walk enough!
This post was in association with Classic Cottages showcasing some of their top properties in the UK. As always, all views are entirely my own and without bias.
If you have any questions about hiking Stonebarrow Hill and St Gabriel’s ruins, let me know in the comments below and I’ll get back to you!
