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Jurassic Coast
Orcombe Point - The beginning of the story
Location: Orcombe Point, near Exmouth
Rock type: Red Sandstone and Mudstone
Age: Triassic, 250 – 245 million years old
Look out for: Diagonal patterns in the cliffs formed by ancient sand dunes.
The geology in detail
The rocks seen on the cliffs between Orcombe point and Budleigh Salterton are known as the Aylesbeare Mudstone and formed between 250 and 245 million years ago. The cliffs are mostly made of layers of mud but there are also layers of sandstone at Orcombe Point. Both sediments are a striking red colour that indicates they formed in a desert. This is a good place to see the general eastward dip in the rock beds along the Jurassic Coast. However the layers in the cliff face east of Orcombe point are disrupted by small faults that make it difficult to follow a single layer continuously.
The ancient environmentThe Aylesbeare mudstone was formed by an inland lake that periodically dried up. In the older part of the sequence layers of sand were formed by sand dunes migrating across the dried up lake bed. The structures of these dunes can still be seen in the cliffs as a diagonal pattern in the layers of sandstone. It is known as cross-bedding.
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Orcombe Point - The beginning of the story
The western end of the World Heritage Site and the oldest rocks on the Jurassic Coast. Striking Red sandstones and mudstones can be seen in the cliff and the ‘geoneedle' on top of Orcombe point marks the start of the ‘walk through time'.
Budleigh Pebble Beds - Mountains and rivers
An incredible river deposit of pebbles from
across the channel and sandstones with ancient plant roots.
Ladram Bay - Sea stacks and the E.Devon AONB
Ladram Bay is a picturesque beach characterised by several
high sea stacks. It is one of the highlights of the East Devon Area of
Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB)
Sidmouth - Desert dweller in the Otter Sandstone
Sidmouth is a traditional British seaside town bounded
within a wedge of red sandstone.
Beer - A story of stone Part 1
Beer is a picturesque fishing village and a source for
the famous Beer Stone.
Lyme Regis - World famous fossil site
Lyme Regis is famous worldwide for the abundant and
well preserved fossils that are found there eroded from the local cliffs.
Charmouth - World famous fossil site
Charmouth is famous worldwide for the abundant and
well preserved fossils that are found there eroded from the local cliffs.
Golden Cap - The highest view on the south coast
Golden Cap is the highest point on the south
coast and gives a fantastic viewpoint of this western part of the World
Heritage Site.
Chesil Beach - Finest barrier beach in Europe
Chesil Bank is one of the finest examples of a barrier
beach in Europe. Its formation is a direct
result of impact of the Ice ages on the geology and coastal processes of West Dorset.
Osmington Mills - Traces of life
Fantastic trace fossils can be seen on the beach at
Osmington Mills. Some of the best along the whole of the Jurassic Coast.
Durdle Door - The natural arch
Durdle Door, a huge natural rock arc, is an internationally
famous landmark and one of the most characteristic and spectacular features
along the Jurassic
Coast.
Lulworth Cove & Crumple - a geography pilgrimage
Lulworth Cove is a quintessential location for
the study of different rates of erosion in the formation of bays and headlands.
It is also a beautiful and popular tourist destination.
Old Harry Rocks - The end of the story
This is the eastern end of the Jurassic Coast
and where the youngest rocks on the world Heritage Site are exposed. Brilliant
white chalk has been eroded into steep cliffs and the famous collection of sea
stacks known as ‘Old Harry Rocks'.
Copyright 2011 Jurassic Coast
Copyright 2011 Jurassic Coast