Lulworth Ranges are shut 14 to 15 November 2026, open the following weekends, then daily from 19 December to 3 January. Gate times and the red flag rule.
Are the Lulworth Ranges open? On most weekends, yes. The Ministry of Defence opens the Lulworth range walks and Tyneham village every weekend of the year except six, and every day over the Christmas, Easter and summer holidays. For the rest of 2026, the ranges are closed on the weekend of 14 to 15 November, open on the weekends of 21 to 22 and 28 to 29 November and in early December, and then open every day from Saturday 19 December 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027.
On an open weekend, the gates open as close as possible to 4.30pm on Friday and stay open until 8am on Monday. Midweek, outside the holiday periods, the army is usually firing and the ranges are shut.
Every date on this page comes from the MoD’s Lulworth range walks and Tyneham village access times for 2026 and its November 2026 firing times, both read on 8 November 2026. Plans can change at short notice, so ring the range office on 01929 404714 before a long drive.
Lulworth Ranges open dates for the rest of 2026
| Dates | Range walks and Tyneham |
|---|---|
| Sun 8 November | Open until 8am Monday 9 November |
| Mon 9 to Sun 15 November | Closed all week, including the weekend; the army is firing on Saturday 14 and the morning of Sunday 15 |
| Fri 20 to Sun 22 November | Open from 4.30pm Friday to 8am Monday |
| Fri 27 to Sun 29 November | Open from 4.30pm Friday to 8am Monday |
| Weekends of 5 to 6 and 12 to 13 December | Open (none of the year’s closed weekends falls in December; times confirmed in the December firing notice) |
| Sat 19 December 2026 to Sun 3 January 2027 | Open every day |
The six closed weekends of 2026 were 17 to 18 January, 14 to 15 March, 13 to 14 June, 12 to 13 September, 10 to 11 October and 14 to 15 November. The daily opening periods were Christmas 2025 into New Year, Easter (28 March to 12 April), the early May bank holiday (2 to 4 May), the late May half term (23 to 31 May), the summer holidays (25 July to 31 August), and Christmas 2026 (19 December to 3 January).
When will the 2027 dates be published?
Not yet. When we checked on 8 November 2026, the MoD’s access times page still listed only 2025 and 2026. The 2026 calendar went up in June 2025, so the 2027 one is late. Expect the same pattern: open most weekends, about six closed weekends spread through the year, and every day over Easter, the May bank holiday and half term, the summer holidays and Christmas. We will add the 2027 dates here when the MoD publishes them.
How the opening works
The ranges are a working army training area. The weekly rhythm is:
- Monday to Friday: firing, usually from 9.30am; in November 2026 there is also evening firing until midnight on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The range walks are closed.
- Friday afternoon: once firing ends and the ranges have been cleared, the gates open, as near as possible to 4.30pm. The MoD says this depends on range clearance and the weather, so a Friday opening can run late.
- Saturday and Sunday: open, unless it is one of the closed weekends.
- Monday 8am: the gates close again.
Tyneham village follows the same days, with its own hours: the village gate opens at 9am on non-firing days and closes at dusk, and the exhibitions in the school and church are open from 10am to 4pm. Our Tyneham village guide covers parking and the walk to Worbarrow Bay.
Red flags, red lamps and the boundary poles
The MoD’s safety rules are short and absolute:
- Red flags by day and red lamps by night mean live firing is taking place. If you see either, do not cross the range boundary, whatever time the notice says the firing ends.
- The range boundary is marked by red and white poles.
- Inside the ranges, stay on the paths marked by yellow-topped posts. Only these paths are cleared and checked. The ground either side can hold unexploded shells, and the danger is real.
- Do not touch military debris. Note where it is and tell a Training Safety Officer on 07970 228400 or 07971 708553, or the police.
- No cycling on the range walks, as the signs at each entrance say.
The MoD also warns visitors to keep clear of the northern half of the beach at Mupe Bay, because of the risk of rockfall.
The range walks
When the ranges are open, a network of marked paths opens between Lulworth Cove in the west and Kimmeridge in the east, including the South West Coast Path from Lulworth Cove to Kimmeridge, about seven miles. Walkers can usually reach them from:
- Lulworth Cove, up the steep path onto Bindon Hill, the range entrance in the photograph above. From the east end of the cove, a gate also opens onto the Fossil Forest ledge when the ranges are open. See our Lulworth Cove page for parking.
- Tyneham car park, down the valley to Worbarrow Bay, then west to Flower’s Barrow hill fort or east along Gad Cliff.
- Kimmeridge, west from the bay onto the coast path towards Tyneham Cap and Gad Cliff. Our Kimmeridge Bay page has the toll road and parking.
This is not an easy stretch. Between Lulworth and Kimmeridge the coast path climbs and drops steeply several times, there are no shops, no drinking water and little phone signal once you are in the ranges, and inside the ranges the only toilets are at Tyneham. Carry water and allow most of a day for the full stretch.
When the ranges are closed
When the gates are shut, the coast path between Lulworth and Kimmeridge is closed, and walkers must take the inland diversion, which is a long way round. The road from East Lulworth to Steeple, the C113 Whiteways Road over Grange Hill, also closes during firing; the November notice lists closures from 9am on firing days. Sat navs often route drivers across the ranges this way, so check before relying on it, especially if you are heading from Lulworth to Kimmeridge or Tyneham.
If the ranges are shut on your day, the rest of the Purbeck coast is open: Old Harry Rocks and Studland to the east, or the cove and Durdle Door at Lulworth itself, which sit outside the ranges. Our walks in Dorset page has more.
Frequently asked questions
Are the Lulworth Ranges open this weekend? The ranges are closed on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 November 2026. They are open on the weekends of 21 to 22 and 28 to 29 November, from about 4.30pm on Friday until 8am on Monday, and then every day from 19 December to 3 January. Ring 01929 404714 to confirm.
Are the Lulworth Ranges open over Christmas 2026? Yes. The MoD opens the range walks and Tyneham every day from Saturday 19 December 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027 inclusive.
Can you walk the coast path from Lulworth to Kimmeridge? Only when the ranges are open, which is most weekends and every day in the school holiday periods the MoD lists. When they are closed, the coast path through the ranges is shut and there is a long inland diversion.
What do the red flags at Lulworth mean? That live firing is taking place. Red flags are flown by day and red lamps shown at night. If either is showing, do not cross the range boundary, which is marked by red and white poles.
Why must you stay between the yellow posts? Because only the paths marked by yellow-topped posts are cleared and checked. The rest of the range can hold unexploded military debris. If you find any, leave it alone and report it to a Training Safety Officer or the police.
How long is the walk from Lulworth Cove to Kimmeridge? About seven miles along the coast path, with several steep climbs, including Bindon Hill, Flower’s Barrow and Gad Cliff. Allow most of a day, carry water, and remember the path is only open when the ranges are.
Have your say