Understanding the Site

World Heritage Status is all about protecting and conserving an exceptional place and presenting it to visitors. Each part of the Dorset and East Devon Coast has distinctive interests and issues. The Site sits within protected countryside and adjacent to towns and villages, which also from an essential part of its story. This section provides a simple introduction to the Site, and how it is managed.

What is the Dorset and East Devon Coast World Heritage Site?

The World Heritage Site is a coastal strip of land, around 95 miles (155 km) in length. It is a narrow Site, lying between the top of the cliffs and the low water mark. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO on 13^th December 2001, as: An outstanding example representing major stages of the Earth's history, including the record of life, significant ongoing geological processes in the development of landforms, and significant geomorphic or physiographic features.

What is the Jurassic Coast?

The Dorset and East Devon Coast World Heritage Site is popularly known as the ‘Jurassic Coast'. The name comes from the best known of the geological periods found within it, but in fact the Site includes rocks from the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous Periods. Together these periods make up the Mesozoic Era of geological time, between 250 and 65 million years ago.

What is the ‘World Heritage Coast'?

This is an informal term used to include both the World Heritage Site, and the immediate towns and countryside which provide the education, accommodation and transport facilities that enable people to visit and understand the Site. The towns that provide the immediate services to the Site have been termed ‘Gateway Towns'.

Who owns the Site?

The Site is owned by many landowners. The majority is held by the National Trust, large private estates, the Ministry of Defence, the Crown Estate and local authorities.

How is the World Heritage Site conserved?

All the land in the World Heritage Site has legal protection under UK Acts of Parliament. The site includes 13 geological and biological Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), which are regulated by English Nature, the government conservation agency. The SSSIs encompass 66 identified localities of national and international importance for the earth sciences. Most of the Site also lies within the East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and the Dorset AONB. These two designated areas recognise nationally important landscapes, conserving both the Site and the wider countryside that surrounds it.

How is the Site managed?

A Management Plan has been agreed for the World Heritage Site. This is the key document which establishes the policies for the Site, and the arrangements for co-ordinating effort between all the different interests who have responsibilities for it. The plan sets out proposals for conservation, access, education and science. It also identifies ways in which World Heritage status can help sustainable development in the wider area of Dorset and East Devon.

The future of the World Heritage Site is an exciting long-term commitment for the whole area, involving thousands of people helping to conserve and celebrate the coast. The aim is to pass the Site on to future generations to experience, learn from and enjoy in the same way we are able to do today.