Jurassic Coast

The counties of Dorset, Devon and Cornwall are perennially popular British holiday spots: the combination of relatively good summer weather, a relatively low population and dramatic coastlines scattered with good beaches have made this area popular with leisure travelers since the Georgian spa vogue.

The Jurassic coast, which runs from the red-rock cliffs of Exmouth to the lovely limestone of the Isle of Purbeck in the east, has a particularly powerful charisma: its rugged landscape could be said to be the birthplace of palaeontology. Though the first classified dinosaur bones were discovered on the edge of the Cotswolds, the sheer wealth of fossils pouring out of the crumbling rocks of these cliffs continue to provide exciting discoveries today. This is a great place for dino-mad children, though getting them to quit the fossil-strewn beaches and actually take a walk might be a problem.

The Jurassic coast is, ultimately, a living geology lesson; a history of the earth over hundreds of millions of years. Indeed, the Devonian Period is named after the county, where outcrops of its typical iron-rich red sandstone deposits, riddled with the fossils of the earliest land-walking fish, are common – especially in the area between Exmouth and Sidmouth, which, at the time, straddled the equator as part of the continent of Euramerica.

The Undercliff nature reserve, outside lovely Georgian Lyme Regis, is a picture-perfect landslide of sandstone over clay – a celebrated event in 1839 which brought flocks of visitors, including Queen Victoria. Because of the instability of the land, Lyme’s beaches have surrendered remains of ichthyosaurs, dimorphodons, plesiosaurs and many, many more.

28km-long Chesil beach’s collection of perfect round pebbles, which increase in size as you work your way eastwards, remains a geological mystery, while the Isle of Portland, rearing majestically from the sea, hosts petrified forests 135 million years old and ancient quarries.

Further east, beyond the dramatic rock arch of Durdle Door, Lulworth bay is a fine example of rock vulnerabilities: when a stream broke through the coastal limestone barrier, the sea eroded a perfect horseshoe of softer clay all the way to the impermeable chalk cliffs behind.

The Isle of Purbeck, a National Trust site covered in castles and home to a wondrous collection of wildlife, rises up over the inner marshland surrounding Poole harbor, passing the petrified footprints of gigantic dinosaurs and affording majestic vistas of chalk stacks such as the celebrated Old Harry, only a few thousand years ago a sturdy part of the mainland.

The breathtaking history of the earth represented by these features, however, cannot begin to communicate their effect on eye and heart. The whole stretch of the Jurassic coast is an admirable mix of rural and elegant, of mild and dramatic, overlaid with a powerful sense of Britain’s age-old relationship with the cradle of life itself, the ocean.

There’s not a dull stretch along this path, but Walkopedia recommends:

Seaton/The Lyme Regis Undercliff/Golden Cap: 11/22 km, Moderate-Strenuous. A wonderful walk of contrasts which leads through marshes, clifftops, the dense pseudo-tropical woodland of the Lyme Regis Undercliff, the elegant delight of Lyme Regis itself, the fossil-strewn beach at Charmouth and a good climb up to spectacular views on the Golden Cap, the south coast’s highest point. 7 miles Seaton-Lyme; 7 miles on past Golden Cap to Seatown. Note that the Undercliff, formed by a massive 19^th-century landslide, is unstable off the path, and the only way out is forward or back, with no habitations along the route; expect to spend 2-3 hours on this stretch and plan accordingly.

Between Weymouth and Kimmeridge: this is arguably the finest stretch of the Jurassic Coast, but is effectively 2 days' walking if you do it all.

If done in two days, the first day would be Weymouth to Lulworth Cove, a demanding 11-mile rollercoaster above the area's white chalk cliffs, with superb views back east to Portland Bill. Between the famous rock arch of Durdle Door and Lulworth, you will be far from alone – or at Lulworth Cove, although it is amazing in its own way.

The 7+ mile walk between Lulworth and Kimmeridge is also a stunner, spending time meandering over the hills of Lulworth military ranges. It is another demanding up and down, but a really memorable walk.

Portland: 21 km circuit, 9.5 km one-way with bus links; easy-moderate. Portland is essentially a limestone island jutting out into the west English Channel. With a coastline consisting almost entirely of spectacular cliffs, this – and particularly Portland Bill lighthouse, at its Southern tip – is a great place both for views over Chesil Beach and along the coast (you see more of it from here than from any other point) and off into the wild expanses of the ocean. Walk a circuit starting at Chesil Beach and finishing at Ferry Bridge, or walk one-way to Portland Bill and catch the x10 bus back; passing ancient quarries, ruined castles, sculptures, a tiny museum, a bird observatory, butterfly sanctuary and pirates’ graveyard on the way.

The Studland Peninsula: 12/24 km, moderate: the final leg of the south coast path and Jurassic coast leads from the lovely village of Worth Matravers, for a stretch of high but easy clifftop walking past St Adhelm’s and Durlston Heads, the remains mediaeval strip-farming, a quarry, a lighthouse, giant stone globe, castle and deepwater swimming at Dancing Ledge before dropping down to the former fishing village of Swanage (roughly 13km), now a popular holiday spot. Catch the bus to Poole/Bournemouth from here, or climb up onto Ballard Down for breathtaking views of the Old Harry chalk stacks before crossing from World Heritage Site to the National Trust reserve of Studland Heath. Backing on to three celebrated miles of sand beach (and – be warned – an equally celebrated naturist strip), the heath is a haven to much wildlife that is almost extinct elsewhere, including smooth snakes and sand lizards – and also, beware – adders. From near the steel sculpture at South Haven that marks the end of the trail, catch the chain ferry back to Poole. Keep an eye out for dinosaur footprints all along this coast, and also keep an eye trained on the sea for local, much-loved, dolphins.

We have a lot of helpful practical information and tips about this walk, covering everything from the best books and maps, to timing and weather, geting there, possible problems, whether you need a guide and where to find them, and useful websites. This section is only open to members.

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