Dorset's most spectacular landmark became even more dramatic last night as it was lit up as part of an art project.

Thousands descended on Durdle Door to see the iconic Jurassic Coast landmark lit up for one night only.

 


 

More than 3,000 people packed in and around the Purbeck beauty spot to witness the illumination.

Durdle Door was one of ten UNESCO World Heritage sites across the UK and Ireland being illuminated on the Night of Heritage Light.

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Bournemouth-based designers from Michael Grubb Studio used a man rowing in a boat under the Jurassic Coast landmark, accompanied with the use of various lighting tricks, in a bid to create a scene reminiscent of an impressionist art painting.

Photographers were scattered around the attraction, eagerly trying to find the perfect shot.
And after the sun had set, a red beam was projected onto the rocks from a nearby boat before a canoeist paddled beneath the arch.

Starting with William the Conqueror’s Tower of London, the Night of Heritage Light worked its way around the British Isles as attraction after attraction underwent the light-based makeovers.

Dorset Echo:

Rick Squibb, who travelled from Christchurch to the Durdle Door event, said: “It’s certainly different and it looks nice.

“I’ve never seen so many people here.”
Samantha Bowden travelled from Somerset especially.

“I do think it looks beautiful,” she said.

“But it’s always beautiful here and it’s perhaps not been quite as spectacular as I thought it was going to be. I’m more impressed by the size of the crowds to be honest.”

While many people took pictures of the stunning landmark being lit up, others turned their cameras to the sky. Sheldon Hill took this photo of the Milky Way

Dorset Echo:

  • A man collapsed at the event and was taken in the coastguard helicopter to hospital. His condition is described as life threatening. More here