Climbing Forecast › Dorset — Swanage › Durlston Head / Blackers Hole

DORSET — SWANAGE · LIMESTONE · tidal bird ban

Durlston Head / Blackers Hole climbing conditions

Good — dry and climbable

Right now

Temp17°C
Wind22 km/h
Gusts32 km/h
Humidity70%
Rain 48hdry
Last rainNone recent

Assessment

No recent rain
Tidal access: Base ledges are cut off at high tide — climb 2h either side of low water
Breezy — good for drying
Unstable rock on non-climbing tiers — helmets recommended

7-day forecast

Scroll through each day — hourly detail is shown inline.

Today Monday 28 September
Good
Temp0°C
Raindry
Wind22 km/h
Gusts32 km/h
Humidity70%
No recent rain
  • Limestone should be fine if dry
Time °C Rain Wind (km/h) Gust Hum
10:00 — dry — — null%
18:00 17° dry 22 — 70%
19:00 17° dry 23 — 70.8%
20:00 17° dry 24 — 70.6%
21:00 17° dry 25 — 70.7%
Tue Tuesday 29 September
Good
Temp21°C
Rain0.1mm
Wind29 km/h
Gusts—
Humidity91%
No recent rain
  • Limestone should be fine if dry
  • Breezy — helps drying
Time °C Rain Wind (km/h) Gust Hum
06:00 18° dry 31 — 91.8%
07:00 18° dry 31 — 93.7%
08:00 18° dry 31 — 92.9%
09:00 19° dry 32 — 92.2%
10:00 20° dry 29 — 93%
11:00 20° dry 29 — 93.5%
12:00 21° dry 27 — 92.3%
13:00 21° dry 24 — 91.2%
14:00 22° dry 26 — 90.1%
15:00 22° dry 32 — 88.7%
16:00 22° dry 33 — 87.4%
17:00 21° dry 37 — 85.6%
18:00 21° dry 37 — 84.9%
19:00 21° dry 37 — 84.8%
20:00 21° dry 37 — 84.5%
21:00 21° dry 36 — 84.6%
Wed Wednesday 30 September
Poor
Temp20°C
Rain9mm
Wind27 km/h
Gusts—
Humidity83%
9mm rain forecast
  • Wet limestone is dangerously slippery
  • Breezy — helps drying
Time °C Rain Wind (km/h) Gust Hum
06:00 19° dry 28 — 92.1%
07:00 19° dry 31 — 89.9%
08:00 19° dry 31 — 87.9%
09:00 19° dry 28 — 86.2%
10:00 20° dry 29 — 85.5%
11:00 20° dry 31 — 80.2%
12:00 20° dry 30 — 83.6%
13:00 20° dry 28 — 84.1%
14:00 20° 0.1mm 26 — 83.7%
15:00 19° dry 25 — 82.7%
16:00 19° dry 23 — 84%
17:00 19° dry 22 — 84.8%
18:00 19° dry 23 — 83.4%
19:00 18° dry 24 — 78.1%
20:00 19° dry 23 — 74.1%
21:00 18° 0.2mm 28 — 75.8%
Thu Thursday 1 October
Poor
Temp18°C
Rain2mm
Wind26 km/h
Gusts—
Humidity68%
1.6mm rain forecast
  • Wet limestone is dangerously slippery
  • Breezy — helps drying
Time °C Rain Wind (km/h) Gust Hum
06:00 15° dry 30 — 84.9%
12:00 18° dry 26 — 68.4%
18:00 17° dry 25 — 67.9%
Fri Friday 2 October
Good
Temp19°C
Raindry
Wind20 km/h
Gusts—
Humidity72%
Should be dry
  • Limestone should be fine if dry
Time °C Rain Wind (km/h) Gust Hum
06:00 17° dry 18 — 74%
12:00 19° dry 20 — 72.1%
18:00 17° dry 9 — 69.8%
Sat Saturday 3 October
Good
Temp20°C
Raindry
Wind11 km/h
Gusts—
Humidity85%
Should be dry
  • Limestone should be fine if dry
Time °C Rain Wind (km/h) Gust Hum
06:00 15° dry 8 — 89.8%
12:00 20° dry 11 — 85.4%
18:00 17° dry 13 — 91.7%
Sun Sunday 4 October
Good
Temp19°C
Raindry
Wind9 km/h
Gusts—
Humidity78%
Should be dry
  • Limestone should be fine if dry
Time °C Rain Wind (km/h) Gust Hum
06:00 13° dry 13 — 91.1%
12:00 19° dry 9 — 77.8%
18:00 17° dry 5 — 82.4%
Mon Monday 5 October
Good
Temp18°C
Raindry
Wind3 km/h
Gusts—
Humidity92%
Should be dry
  • Limestone should be fine if dry
Time °C Rain Wind (km/h) Gust Hum
06:00 12° dry 7 — 99.8%
12:00 18° dry 3 — 92.3%
18:00 16° dry 5 — 91.4%
Tidal access
Base ledges are cut off at high tide — climb 2h either side of low water
Bird ban (03-01 to 07-31)
Seasonal bird bans affect Blackers Hole and surrounding ledges; check local signs

About Durlston Head / Blackers Hole

Durlston Head / Blackers Hole offers wild and steep limestone cliff climbing near Swanage on the Isle of Purbeck. The rock character features layered, fossiliferous limestone with sharp crimps, roof breaks, and pumpy horizontal hand-traverses. Facing due south into the English Channel, the cliff catches full sunshine throughout the day and dries quickly in coastal breezes, though lower caves collect sea mist. The climbing caters primarily to competent traditional teams, dominated by physical E-grade wall routes and adventurously exposed lower-tier testpieces like Blacker's Boys. The approach involves a fifteen-minute walk along the coastal path from Durlston Country Park followed by an abseil down to low-level ledges. Severe tidal cut-offs, sea swell hazards, and seasonal bird nesting bans require careful advanced planning before descending.

Region
Dorset — Swanage
Rock type
Limestone
Aspect
south-facing
Altitude
25m
Exposure
low
Seepage
medium

Other crags in this region

Anvil PointBlacker's HoleBoulder RuckleCattle TroughsDancing LedgeGuillemot LedgeGuillemot LedgesSeacombe & HedburySeacombe QuarrySubliminalTilly Whim CavesWinspit Quarry