Durley Chine is one of seven steep, narrow ravines -- the local word is chine -- that cut from the cliffs down to the Bournemouth beach. It is wooded, quiet, and accessible by a path that drops gently from the West Cliff to the promenade. The beach at the foot is calm and family-friendly, with lifeguards in summer.
The chines were a defining feature of the early Victorian resort: their seclusion let bathing huts and small hotels be tucked into the gullies away from the main road. Today they make excellent shaded walks in summer, with the smell of pine and gorse and the sound of the Bourne stream running underneath the bridges.