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Isle of Purbeck Coast, Dorset: Nortent Skjul Bivvi Setup
Mid March 2026
Good to be out for the first time in a while with the Nortent Skjul bivvi on the Isle of Purbeck coast in Dorset. The weather was supposed to be dry and fine, but it was windy and rainy with lots of sea fog.
Full write-up here: Wild Camping on the Isle of Purbeck Coast, Dorset – Dancing Ledge to Winspit Quarry
I had hoped to follow the South West Coast Path from Dancing Ledge to near St Aldhelm’s Head, where I could bag the trig point TP6120 – St Alban’s Head. I searched all the nooks and caves along the way for places to camp. The caves and rocky coast offer plenty of places to pitch up, but I chose not to for a few reasons.
Here is the YouTube link to the kit video of everything I took, including a quick look at my Nortent Skjul setup: Quarry, Cave or Coast? Wild Camping Kit in 8.5kg
There’s no internet signal along the coastal path and in the caves. You are at the base of a couple of drops in elevation and the signal doesn’t reach. Secondly, the caves look great, but they show signs of being well used.
There’s toilet paper and faeces in places, beer cans and the remains of campfires. They are not too far from houses and parking areas, and the routes that lead to them are well trodden, making them very accessible. My final concern was that I didn’t fancy being trapped in one of these areas if a group of visitors descended on the spot where I was camped. Later that night, after I had set up camp, I heard music and saw lights coming from one of these areas. I felt fully justified in trusting my instincts.
I almost reached St Aldhelm’s Head when the weather started to turn, and I decided to head back up to higher ground to find a quieter spot to set up camp. I walked back towards Seacombe Cliff, and from there it was a steep climb up to the other coastal path which is on the high ground, and runs perpendicular to the South West Coast Path I had come in on.
The higher path has many great spots and seems a little less used than the South West Coast Path. Unfortunately, the wind was picking up and the sea fog was rolling in, so I needed to find a place that offered some protection.
I found a nice sheltered spot on higher ground near Dancing Ledge, which was flat, grassy and behind some gorse. This is where I set up the Nortent Skjul bivvi for the night. It was great to be out, I saw a lot of the coastline, got in some solid cardio, and I was undisturbed all night.
Getting there:
I parked in the village of Langton Matravers, which is one of a number of settlements where it’s easy to access the South West Coast Path. I parked along Durnford Road, which has free on-street parking and is a short walk down a lane to the Spyway car park.
Spyway is a National Trust car park and the main route that leads to Priest’s Way, Dancing Ledge, Spyway Barn and of course the coast and the South West Coast Path.
I think the National Trust Spyway car park must have a charge but is free to members. Most National Trust car parks operate that way. I think there’s also a no overnight parking policy, and when I walked through in the morning, it was empty. From the car park, it’s only about 1 km (0.6 miles) to the cliff tops and around half a kilometre (0.3 miles) to where I camped.
Heads up:
I have already mentioned my concerns about camping in one of the many caves and rocky quarry areas along the coast. There are the main well-known spots, but also smaller and lesser-known rocky areas too.
Some of the smaller accessible places are used for rock climbing, and there are signs warning about the dangers and the need for ropes when accessing these areas.
I’ve seen plenty of YouTube videos of people camping along this section of the coast and in the caves, but not for me. During the late evening, I did hear music and took a look around. I saw lights around the Seacombe Cliff area. And as I couldn’t see Dancing Ledge from where I was, there may have been some sounds coming from there too.
#wildcamp #bivvicamp #nortentskjul southwestcoastpath #dorset #dorsetcoast #isleofpurbeck #trigpoint #swcoastpath #bivi #TP6120 #dancingledge
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Wild Camping on the Isle of Purbeck Coast, Dorset – Dancing Ledge to Winspit Quarry
Wild camping on the Isle of Purbeck coast in Dorset, exploring Dancing Ledge, Seacombe Cliff and Winspit Quarry with a stealth approach.
