on your doorstep the jurassic coast

Winter 2010/11 tlm ! the travel & leisure magazine www.tlm-magazine.co.uk 53

Rock of agesThe rocky coastline of Dorset and East Devon is England’sfirst natural World Heritage Site. Peter Ellegard takes awalk back through time to explore the Jurassic Coast

on your doorstep ! the jurassic coast

Essex born and bred I may be, but my heartis firmly rooted in Dorset. Some of myearliest memories are of family holidaysaround Swanage, Lulworth Cove and theamazing coastal rock formations such asDurdle Door, with their twisted and tor-

mented strata layers.I vividly recall stays on my grandfather’s house-

boat in Poole Harbour, watching crabs scuttle about inthe shallows below our windows when the tide wasin, and scrambling over the Purbeck hills around thechocolate-box village of Corfe Castle, where he lived.

His grave, and that of one of my uncles, lies in thevillage cemetery just below the evocative conical hilland ruins of the castle. Surely there is no prettier ormore peaceful resting place, and whenever I returnthere it lifts my soul rather than filling me with sadness.

Yet what draws me back to this beguiling areaagain and again is more than just the rose-tinted recol-lections of my childhood andfamily ties. Sure, the sum-mers were endless, theskies bluer and the sea

! Lyme Regis cliffs

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warmer in my mind’s eye. But I have explored farbeyond that Eastern corner of Dorset into neighbouringDevon over the years, and the sense of wonderment andthrill of discovering new delights is just as strong as ever.

When I took up diving in my twenties, I went back todelve under the waves, off the rocky ledges at KimmeridgeBay, beyond the wave-churned pebbles of Chesil Beachand in the clear waters off Devon’s crumbling cliffs. Belowand above the water, both are every bit as extraordinaryalong this fascinating part of Britain’s coast.

It seems that I am not the only one who thinks it isspecial, either. The 95-mile stretch of stunning Devonand Dorset coastline from Exmouth in the west toStudland in the east has been designated England’s firstnatural World Heritage Site by UNESCO – ranking it asimportant in global terms as the Grand Canyon,Galapagos Island and Great Barrier Reef. Welcome tothe Jurassic Coast.

Its importance is because of those rocks, which rep-

resent a geological walk through time spanning theTriassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. Or, in simpleterms, 185 million years of the Earth’s history.

fossilsFor fossil hunters, and the general public, the sedimen-tary rocks hide a wealth of fossilised remains. Walkalong the beaches at Lyme Regis, Charmouth and otherplaces and you will be amazed at the ancient treasuresyou can find among the rocks brought down from thefragile cliffs by erosion or washed up by the sea.

Of course, what brings most visitors to the region areits beauty, the sandy beaches and the charming townsand villages. There are so many places to see and thingsto do, quite apart from fossicking for fossils, that youwould need to explore it over several visits.

There are a number of gateway towns along the coast,identified by special road signs, where you can stay anduse as a base or make time to visit. On the western end,Exeter is the major town. It bristles with history which,although somewhat newer than that encased in the near-by rocks, includes a glorious gothic cathedral and his-toric quayside as well as its Guildhall, which dates backto 1330, and medieval underground passages.

One of England’s oldest seaside resorts with twomiles of sandy beach, Exmouth lies at the western edgeof the Jurassic Coast, with National Trust-ownedOrcombe Point at the western boundary, marked by theGeoneedle sculpture unveiled by Prince Charles in 2002to inaugurate the World Heritage Site. The cliffs in this

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step through timeAs you walk along the Jurassic Coast, every step you take is a step through time –literally. Because the coast is made up of sedimentary rocks – sandstones,limestones, mudstones and chalk – which are tilted from west to east, so theexposed rocks at the western end are much older than those at the eastern end ofthe World Heritage Site.

They span 185 million years. So each step from west to east is the equivalent oftravelling back 1,000 years through the earth’s history.

NationalTrust

www.visit-dorset.com

! Lazy day at Corfe Castle! Seatown beach and cliffs, Dorset

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area are made of dramatic red Triassic rocks.To the east, the town of Budleigh Salterton is famed

for its associations with literary greats including NoelCoward and PG Wodehouse, while Sidmouth is acharming town with lovely gardens, beaches and aRegency history.

Branscombe is reputed to be the longest village inthe UK and is one of East Devon’s prettiest. Manybuildings are owned by the National Trust. Ottery StMary’s 14th Church of St Mary is a remodelled minia-ture copy of Exeter Cathedral, while Honiton is famousfor its lace making.

landslidesThe cliffs around the pretty fishing village of Beer areunusual because they are of chalk. The high-qualityBeer Stone has been quarried since Roman times, cre-ating Beer Quarry Caves. The Axmouth to Lyme RegisUndercliffs National Nature Reserve is an importantwilderness area. Formed by landslides, which stilloccur, the reserve is a diverse habitat for many speciesof plants and animals.

Lyme Regis itself is a delightful resort of narrowstreets winding down to the harbour, where the Cobb –the ancient causeway – is best known for its starring rolein the movie, The French Lieutenant’s Woman. Life does-n’t get much better than eating an ice cream while sittingon a bench overlooking the harbour on a summer’s day.But watch out for seagulls dive-bombing and stealingyour treat. The safe, sandy beach is great for kids.



fossil huntingSome of the most important fossils in Britain have been discovered along theJurassic Coast, including the first ichthyosaur skeleton correctly identified, the firsttwo plesiosaur skeletons ever found, and the first pterosaur discovery outsideGermany. All were in the Jurassic rocks at Lyme Regis by celebrated 19th centurylocal fossil collector and palaeontologist Mary Anning.

The beaches and rock-strewn shore from Lyme Regis to Charmouth are the bestplaces to fossil hunt, especially in the winter when waves churn up the rocks. Fossilsformed 200 million years ago in the Jurassic period are constantly being exposed. Join aguided fossil-hunting tour from the Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre(www.charmouth.org/chcc) or Lyme Regis Museum(www.lymeregismuseum.co.uk). There are regular Fossil Walks throughout the year.

Anyone can collect fossils, provided they do not use hammers on cliffs or ledges.But hunters should follow safety advice: stay away from the cliffs, watch out forrock falls and mudslides, hunt on beaches on falling tides, and beware large waves inrough weather.

“LulworthCove is thepicture-perfect bayand a magnetfor touristsin summer”

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! The cobbled street of Gold Hill, in Shaftesbury

! Windsurfing off Chesil Beach

! Fossil hunting

! Shaftesbury’s town crier

! Beer Head, Devon

Between Lyme Regis and Charmouth is where mostfossils are found. Visit the Charmouth Heritage CoastCentre or Lyme Regis Museum to find out more.

The beautiful cliffs around the harbour village ofWest Bay include Golden Gap, at over 625ft the high-est on the South Coast. Take the South West CoastPath across the cliffs for views stretching fromPortland to Brixham.

Chesil Beach is one of the world’s finest barrierbeaches and stretches for 17 miles, with the pebblesincreasing in size towards the east, as does the beachheight. The Fleet Lagoon, a brackish natural lagoonbehind it, is rich in wildlife and is home to the world’soldest managed swan population, AbbotsburySwannery. Sub-tropical gardens, a tithe barn and chil-dren’s farm can also be visited nearby.

Just inland is Hardy’s Monument, celebrating thefamous author. This is Wessex – Thomas Hardy country– and you can follow a trail linking places where helived, such as Hardy’s Cottage in Higher Bockhampton,and wrote about, as well as the world’s largest Hardycollection at the Dorset County Museum in Dorchester.

The Dinosaur Museum, Maiden Castle and theRoman Town House are among other attractions inDorchester.

rock archAlso away from the coast are the must-see towns ofSherborne, with its medieval buildings, abbey and twocastles, and pretty Shaftesbury – where steep, cobbledstreet Gold Hill was used as the location for the cele-brated Hovis bread TV adverts.

Back on the coast, the Isle of Portland lies at the endof Chesil Beach, with its fortress, Portland Castle, worthvisiting. At Weymouth, you can make your own sandcastles or see the amazing sand sculptures created byMark Anderson and his late grandfather, FredDarrington, at Sculptures in Sand on the seafront.

The area surrounding Lulworth has long been usedby the Army for exercises and firing ranges, and youcan trace the history of tanks at the Tank Museum, nearWool. Lulworth Cove is the picture-perfect bay and amagnet for tourists in summer. Half a mile west is thestunning rock arch of Durdle Door, one of the mostphotographed sights on the Jurassic Coast.

Kimmeridge Bay is another famous fossil area, andits rock ledges create shallows where snorkelling anddiving are popular. Rich in marine wildlife, it is part ofthe Purbeck Marine Wildlife Reserve.

Swanage is the archetypal British resort and greatfun for the family with its Victorian pier and Punch &Judy Show.

The chalk stacks of Old Harry Rocks mark the east-ern end of the Jurassic Coast. Beyond it is the broadsandy sweep of Studland Bay and the chain ferry acrossthe Poole Harbour entrance to Sandbanks.

As a child I remember walking across the white-sanddunes from the houseboat to paddle on Studland Beachand collect razor clam shells from Shell Bay – as sharp-edged as their name suggests. Part of the beach is ahaven for naturists. I wonder if they know.

56 tlm ! the travel & leisure magazine www.tlm-magazine.co.uk Winter 2010/11


jurassic coast facts

where is it?The Jurassic Coast covers 95 miles of theDorset and East Devon coast, from Studlandto Exmouth.

getting thereGateway towns giving access to the coastby road include Exeter, Lyme Regis,Dorchester and Poole. The Sandbanks Ferry(www.sandbanksferry.co.uk) is a chain ferryconnecting Poole with Studland. South West Trains(www.southwesttrains.co.uk) operates services from London’sWaterloo to Weymouth via Dorchester and as well as services toExeter via Axminster.

getting aroundFor those who want to leave their cars behind, the CoastlinX53 JurassicCoast Bus Service operated by First (www.firstgroup.com/ukbus)runs daily, year-round between Poole (peak times to/fromBournemouth) and Exeter via Weymouth, Bridport, Lyme Regis andSeaton. Several operators run local bus services.Swanage Railway (www.swanagerailway.co.uk) operates steam trainson six miles of track through the heart of the Isle of Purbeck to CorfeCastle and Norden.

south west coast pathThe South West Coast Path National Trail spans the entire length of theJurassic Coast. A network of local footpaths link to it, making circularwalks possible. There are free downloadable walking routes atwww.southwestcoastpath.com.

eventsAmong the many events along the coastand inland is the Lyme Regis Fossil Festival(www.fossilfestival.com), from April 29-May 1, 2011.

informationFor information on the Jurassic Coast includingplaces to see and what to do, visit www.jurassiccoast.com. For moredetails on Dorset and Devon, including accommodation, go to thewebsites of Destination Dorset (www.visit-dorset.com), Visit Devon(www.visitdevon.co.uk) and West Dorset(www.westdorset.com).One-third of the Jurassic Coast is protectedby the National Trust, which has a dedicated Jurassic Coast section onits website (www.nationaltrust.org.uk).

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! Durdle Door rock arch, Dorset

! South WestCoast Path

! StudlandBeach sands


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on your doorstep the jurassic coast

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