Studland Beach Second World War walk
Dorset
Explore the hidden features of Studland’s Second World War past that remind us of the importance of Studland as a training ground for troops in the months leading up to D-Day.
Near to
Studland BayStart point
Middle Beach car park, Studland, grid ref: SZ036829Trail information
Total stages: 6
Total stages: 6
Start point
Middle Beach car park, Studland, grid ref: SZ036829
Stage 1
Start at Middle Beach car park, the end furthest from the entrance. Descend the path by the coastguard hut and go left to a bridge over a small stream. Here you can view a line of ‘dragon's teeth’ (grid ref: SZ036830).
Dragon's teeth were designed to stop enemy tanks | © National Trust/Neil Davidson Stage 2
Retrace your steps towards the entrance of Middle Beach car park. Follow the steps at the top of the driveway adjacent to the entrance.
Stage 3
Follow the path and you will find Fort Henry (grid ref: SZ037828).
Winston Churchill watched D-Day rehearsals from Fort Henry | © National Trust/Neil Davidson Stage 4
Continue along the coast path, and look for the sound posts where you also get great views of Old Harry rocks. Head inland towards the Bankes Arms. During the Second World War, the Bankes Arms was a control base for a major experiment to test the effectiveness of burning oil in defence against a German seaborne invasion. This was known as Project Fougasse and involved piping oil to the sea and firing it by explosive charges.
Stage 5
Pass the Bankes Arms on the right and continue down the hill. Turn left onto a footpath signposted to South Beach. On reaching the beach turn left and look for a pill box at the north end of the beach (grid ref: SZ038828). Please respect all warning signs and admire the pill box from a safe distance as the cliff is unstable.
Pillboxes dotted the coast in the early days of the war | © National Trust/Will Wilkinson Stage 6
Retrace your steps to the Bankes Arms. Continue past the pub, follow the road to the right, passing the Pig on the Beach Hotel, and return to the start point.
End point
Middle Beach car park, Studland, grid ref: SZ036829
Trail map
Studland Beach WWII walk map | © Crown copyright and database rights 2013 Ordnance Survey
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