Stonebarrow Hill to Golden Cap Walk

4.3 miles (7 km)

This circular walk takes you from Stonebarrow Hill to the Golden Cap Estate near Lyme Regis in West Dorset.
You can start the walk from the car park at Stonebarrow Hill and follow the South West Coast Path east to Golden Cap via Broom Cliff. The walk then returns through the countryside via the Upcot and Chardown Hill National Trust areas....
The journey begins at the Stonebarrow Hill car park, a site managed by the National Trust that offers sweeping views of Charmouth and Lyme Bay before you even start walking. Following the South West Coast Path eastward, the trail leads you across Broom Cliff, where the dramatic, crumbling edges of the Jurassic Coast reveal millions of years of geological history. As you approach Golden Cap, the highest point on the south coast of England at 191 metres, the ascent becomes steep but rewarding, culminating in a summit that provides an unobstructed panorama reaching from Isle of Portland in the east to Dartmoor in the west. After descending the eastern flank of the cap, the return leg turns inland near the ruins of St Gabriel’s Chapel, a medieval waystation once used by pilgrims. The path then winds through the quiet, pastoral landscapes of the Upcot estate, passing through ancient sunken lanes and rolling meadows that feel worlds away from the rugged cliffs. As you climb toward the ridge of Chardown Hill, the terrain transitions into a mosaic of gorse and heathland, offering a final elevated perspective over the Marshwood Vale before the trail levels out to lead you back to the Stonebarrow trailhead.
To continue your walking in the area head north to visit Morcombelake and Hardown Hill.