Beautiful photographs of Durdle Door under the stars

These stunning photos show the night the Durdle Door became a perfect portal to the stars.

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The night sky behind the Dorset landmark was illuminated first by the moon and planets, then the Milky Way, and finally a succession of shooting stars.

The perfectly clear night and the thin haze cutting out light pollution from the Isle of Portland allowed nature's stars to shine in all their glory.

The pictures were taken by Welsh mechanical engineer Alyn Wallace.

Durdle Door is a well known landmark found on the Lulworth Estate and Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site.

The rock archway juts out into the sea between Swanage and Weymouth and is just along the coast from Lulworth Cove, another famous local landmark.