This panorama shows flowering heather in the dunes behind Knoll Beach. The picture was taken in September 2009 towards the end of the flowering season for purple heather. Beyond the dunes you can see the beach and sea with Old Harry Rocks in the distance.

Knoll Beach Heather - Swanage visitor guide showing a virtual tour of 'Knoll Beach Heather' linked to an interactive map with local and travel information. 360° panoramas from Dorset.

Knoll Beach is part of the long, continuous stretch of sand that runs from the entrance to Poole Harbour to Studland. On the way it is divided into Shell Bay Beach, Knoll Beach, Middle Beach and South Beach. Each beach has a separate car park. The whole area is managed by the National Trust and members can park for free.

Behind Knoll Beach is Studland Nature Reserve, a rich and fragile environment full of wildlife. There are numerous walking trails within the reserve, visible in the satellite view of the Google map. In the autumn the purple heather flowers adding vibrant colour to the dunes. Part of Knoll beach is a nudist beach, the only one managed by the National Trust.

This picture, taken at the top of one of the dunes, also shows the view over the bay to Bournemouth in one direction and Old Harry Rocks in the other.

Car: The entrance to Knoll Beach comes off Ferry Road near to Knoll House Hotel. There is a car park at the end, which is free to National Trust members. Knoll beach is about 2.5 miles from the Sandbanks Ferry, 4.4 miles from Swanage and 6 miles from Corfe Castle.