Official Fudges Bicnic Site - Durlston
Fudges Bicnic sites
It is our mission to get everyone ‘bicnicing’, so to help, we will be installing limited edition Fudges bicnic benches at a number of sites throughout the UK. Here you can see installations already in place, learn about the amazing locations they’re in and also nominate your own favourite location to receive one.
1st Bicnic location
We are very proud to announce that our first bicnic bench is situated at Dorset’s very beautiful Durlston Country Park in Swanage. We’d love for you to visit it and send us your bicnicing pictures, which we will feature on the website.
Durlston is in the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, a nationally protected landscape for all to enjoy. Tom Munro, Dorset AONB’s Team Manager, is particularly excited about the partnership with Fudges. He comments, “Our job is to make sure we have fantastic scenery that people do enjoy. So any opportunity like the bicnic campaign – to share our ideas about special places to go and things to do – is great.”
Few places in Britain equal Durlston. Not only a gateway to the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site which runs from Exmouth in the west to Old Harry Rocks at Ballard Down, it is also designated as Heritage Coast, Special Area of Conservation, Site of Special Scientific Interest, Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and National Nature Reserve. Even the offshore waters are part of the Marine Research Area and sightings of bottlenose dolphins are not uncommon. Not to mention the 33 species of breeding butterfly, over 250 species of bird recorded, 500 wildflowers, 500 moths and thousands of other invertebrates. Much of this is due to Durlstons’s special combination of geography, geology and careful management which has created a mosaic of nationally important wildlife habitats; sea-cliffs, downs, ancient meadows, hedgerows, woodland, and dry-stone walls – each with their characteristic plants and animals.
This allows for some spectacular scenery and some interesting walks of historical interest. The eminent Victorian, George Burt, left a legacy of fascinating artefacts. These include the 'Great Globe' – 40 tons of Portland limestone, cast-iron bollards from the City, St Martin's and other parts of London, and not forgetting Durlston Castle itself – all linked by scenic cliff-top paths with Victorian panels quoting poetry and facts of interest.
The inland Purbeck Stone Quarry and the Portland limestone cliff quarry known as Tilly Whim Caves are also fantastic for exploring. Then high on the ridge remains the footings of a Napoleonic telegraph station and the hills above Anvil Point Lighthouse are a great place to bicnic during your visit.
For more information about Durlston, it’s trails, activities and events, ways to get involved in the Durlston Project or to adopt a dolphin, visit www.durlston.co.uk.
