The Jurassic Coast, also called the Dorset and East Devon Coast, is a World Heritage Site located along the English Channel in southern England. It runs from Exmouth in East Devon to Studland Bay in Dorset, covering about 96 miles (154 km). It was added to the World Heritage List in mid-December 2001.

This area shows 185 million years of Earth’s history. Waves and weather have worn away rocks, revealing layers that formed during the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods. Over time, this region was a desert, a shallow tropical sea, and a marsh. Fossils of ancient animals and plants are preserved in the rocks.

Natural features along the coast include rock arches, tall pointed rocks called pinnacles, and isolated rock stacks. In some places, the sea has worn through strong rocks to create coves with narrow entrances. The Isle of Portland is connected to the mainland by a sandy strip of land. Landslides are common in some areas, exposing fossils. Different rock types contain unique fossils, showing how life changed over time.

Lulworth Cove has a fossil forest, and 71 layers of rock have been found at Lyme Regis, each with its own type of ammonite fossil. A famous fossil collector named Mary Anning lived in this area. She discovered many marine reptile fossils when the study of ancient life was just beginning. The Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre offers information about the area. Visitors can walk the entire length of the site along the South West Coast Path.

World Heritage Site

The Jurassic Coast goes from Orcombe Point near Exmouth in East Devon to Old Harry Rocks near Swanage in East Dorset, covering a distance of 96 miles (154 km). Added to the World Heritage List in 2001, the Jurassic Coast was the first natural World Heritage Site in the United Kingdom. At Orcombe Point, the "Geoneedle" (2002), a pointed pyramid shape, marks the western end of the heritage site. This structure is made from pieces of different rock types found along the coast.

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee nomination document includes eight sections of the coast:

• from Orcombe Rocks to Chit Rocks, Sidmouth
• from River Sid, Sidmouth to Seaton Hole
• the Axmouth to Lyme Regis Undercliff, from the mouth of the River Axe to The Cobb in Lyme Regis
• from Lyme Regis to West Bay
• Chesil Beach, the Fleet Lagoon, and the Isle of Portland Coast
• Portland Harbour Shore
• from Bowleaze Cove to Peveril Point
• from New Swanage to Studland Bay

The cliffs along this area are slowly wearing away as parts break off and landslides happen. These natural processes expose layers of sedimentary rock, showing the geological history of the area over 185 million years. These layers cover the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods. Fossils found here and the changing shapes of the coast have helped scientists study Earth’s history for over 200 years. The area protected by the designation includes the land between the low tide mark and the top of the cliffs or the back of the beach.

Fossils found along this coastline show how animals and plants changed over time. During the Triassic period, the area was a desert. In the Jurassic period, it was a tropical sea, and during the Cretaceous period, it was covered by swamps. The remains of animals and plants from these times are well preserved, offering details about their shapes, how they lived, and even what they ate before they died. Fossils found here include crustaceans, insects, mollusks, echinoderms, fish, amphibians, reptiles, and a few mammals. At Lulworth Cove, there is a fossil forest with remains of conifers, tree ferns, and cycads.

Geography

The Jurassic Coast includes cliffs formed during the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods, covering 185 million years of Earth's history. This area is best seen from the sea, where the way the rock layers slope becomes clear.

In East Devon, the steep cliffs are made of red sandstone from the Triassic period. At Budleigh Salterton, the cliffs are made of gravel containing red quartzite pebbles. These pebbles collect on the beach below and are called Budleigh pebbles, which are protected in the local area. Further east at Ladram Bay, sandstone cliffs create striking red sandstone stacks.

Near Lyme Regis and Charmouth, the cliffs are made of Jurassic clay and shale, and landslides often occur here. Chesil Beach is an example of a barrier beach that stretches 18 miles (29 km) from Burton Bradstock to the Isle of Portland. This beach forms a tidal lagoon that is an important site protected by the Ramsar Convention due to its rich variety of plant and animal life.

At Lulworth Cove, waves have eroded softer rock behind a strong layer of Portland stone, creating a horseshoe-shaped cove. Nearby, Durdle Door is a natural rock arch. Sea stacks and tall rock formations, like Old Harry Rocks at Handfast Point, form when chalk cliffs are worn away by the sea.

The highest point on the Jurassic Coast and along the entire south coast of Britain is Golden Cap, which reaches 627 feet (191 meters) between Bridport and Charmouth.

This coastline shows many natural landforms, such as the natural arch at Durdle Door, the cove and folded limestone at Lulworth Cove, and the Isle of Portland, which is a tied island. Chesil Beach is an example of both a tombolo (a landform where an island connects to the mainland through a narrow strip of land) and a storm beach (a beach shaped by strong waves). The area includes both concordant coastlines (where rock layers run parallel to the shore) and discordant coastlines (where rock layers cross the shore). Because of the variety and quality of its geology, the site is studied by scientists worldwide.

The many layers of sedimentary rock along this coast contain fossils, which are the preserved remains of ancient plants and animals. These fossils formed when the remains of living things were buried in mud that later hardened into rock. For example, in Lyme Regis, scientists have found 71 layers of rock, each with fossils of different types of ammonites.

History

At the end of the 18th century, Georges Cuvier showed that some fossil animals looked nothing like animals alive today, proving that animals could disappear over time. This discovery helped start the study of fossils, called paleontology. The coasts of eastern Devon and western Dorset had many fossil beds, but before this time, people mostly collected fossils as a hobby or sold them to visitors as curiosities.

Mary Anning, who lived in Lyme Regis from 1799 to 1847, helped her father collect fossils. She became very skilled at finding fossils in the Blue Lias near her home and discovered the first complete Ichthyosaur skeleton at The Spittles. Later, she found other important fossils, including ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs, a pterosaur, and invertebrates like cephalopods and their ink sacs.

During World War II, parts of the Jurassic Coast were owned by the Ministry of War. One of the Royal Navy’s largest bases was at Portland Harbour, but it is no longer used. A major army base at Bovington is still active today. Some areas, like the coast between Lulworth Cove and Kimmeridge, are only partly accessible. This includes Tyneham, a village that was emptied after the army took it over in 1943.

Other parts of the coast, such as near Exmouth, The Fleet Lagoon in Weymouth, and the beaches at Studland, were used for military training but are now used by civilians again.

Some areas of the coast, especially around Portland, are dangerous, and shipwrecks have often happened there. In January 2007, the worst environmental disaster on the coast occurred when the MSC Napoli, a large container ship, ran aground near Sidmouth. It spilled oil and cargo into the sea.

Management and access

The Jurassic Coast sometimes experiences strong weather. Storms happened in 1824 and 1974, and other smaller storms have also damaged the cliffs and caused flooding in nearby towns. The coast is slowly wearing away, and the management of the area allows natural erosion to happen while trying to protect people and buildings. Coastal defenses have been built in Charmouth and Weymouth, where homes are at risk. In other areas, where the coastline is untouched, no action is taken to stop erosion.

The Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre is a nonprofit educational organization near the beach in Charmouth. It shows information about the area’s geology and wildlife, including a large collection of fossils and a rockpool aquarium. The center also organizes family fossil-hunting trips and other events about the area’s geology and natural history.

The entire length of the Jurassic Coast can be walked on the South West Coast Path. Landslides and rockfalls are common as the coast changes over time. On May 6, 2008, a 1,300-foot (400-meter) section of the coast was completely reshaped after a landslip, which was called the worst in 100 years. A person died in 2012 when 400 tons (390 long tons) of rock fell onto the beach at Burton Bradstock. Another cliff fall happened in 2016 at West Bay, near Bridport. On August 29, 2020, a cliff collapsed at Hive Beach near Burton Bradstock after heavy rain. People were told to stay away from the unstable rocks. On April 15, 2021, another collapse occurred. This rockfall was described as the largest in the UK in 60 years.