The Jurassic Coast is England’s first natural World Heritage Site. World Heritage Sites are recognised by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) as being places of outstanding universal value and part of the heritage of all mankind that should be protected, conserved and passed on to future generations to enjoy and appreciate.
UNESCO awarded the Jurassic Coastline its status in December 2001 and this was officially opened by His Royal Highness Prince Charles on Thursday 3rd October 2002.

The Jurassic Coast covers a 95 mile stretch of the picturesque Dorset and East Devon Coastline which lies on the South Coast of England in Europe.

This World Heritage Coastline is called the ‘Jurassic Coast’ because it displays the best uninterrupted cross section through the Jurassic Period to be found anywhere in the world. It also displays superb cross sections through the Triassic Period and the Cretaceous Period, covering 185 million years of the Earth’s history - the entire Mesozoic Era!

Triassic (250-200 million years ago)
The oldest sediments found here are the Triassic. These range from 250 – 200 million years in age and were deposited in the form of desert sand dunes, rivers, shallow temporary lakes and lagoons. The characteristic red colour of Triassic sediments is caused by iron within the deposits.

Jurassic (200 – 140 million years ago)
The Jurassic Period marks a period in time when sea levels rose, flooding the deserts. The sediments from the Jurassic Period were formed at the bottom of a tropical ocean which fluctuated in sea level over time. Theses sediments are mainly grey in colour, an indication of the soft, stagnant seabed caused by fine silts that rained down continually from above. It is these sediments in which some of the best fossils are found, preserved by the stagnant silty seabed. At the end of the Jurassic Period the sea levels dropped allowing forests to grow and dinosaur footprints have been found from this time!

Cretaceous (140 – 65 million years ago)
The youngest sediments are from the Cretaceous Period. The early part of the Cretaceous Period saw the sea levels slowly rise, flooding the Jurassic forests. Over time the Cretaceous sea deepened and plankton thrived in its warm, clear waters. Over millions of years the plankton settled out of the water column and sank to the sea floor to form the characteristically white chalk cliffs we sea today.

The Great Unconformity
During the Mid-Cretaceous Period the rocks of East Devon and Dorset were uplifted and tilted to the east by earth movements. Erosion of the uplifted sediments took place allowing younger cretaceous sediments to be deposited upon far older sediments. This is known as the ‘Great Unconformity’ and can be seen spectacularly at Golden Cap in Dorset and in the cliffs around Sidmouth in East Devon

Learning

The Dorset and East Devon Jurassic coastline displays some of the best geomorphology and coastal erosion processes in England, making it an ideal destination for geology field trips. This is why the coastline here is so popular with schools, colleges, universities, earth scientists, palaeontologists and geologists.

Mupe Rocks

Geological features

There are many special natural geological features to be all found along the Jurassic Coast:

Barrier Beaches
Chesil Beach (also sometimes called the Chesil Bank)

Bays
Kimmeridge Bay, Ladram Bay, Lyme Bay, Mupe Bay, Ringstead Bay, Seaton Bay, St. Oswald’s Bay, Studland Bay, Swanage Bay, Weymouth Bay, Worbarrow Bay

Blow Holes
Portland Bill

Coves
Chapmans Pool, Church Ope Cove, Lulworth Cove

Faults
Abbotsbury, Ballard Fault, Burton Bradstock, Fault Corner (Eype), Lulworth, Seaton Hole, Seatown, Sidmouth,

Fossils
Ammonite Graveyard (Lyme Regis), Devil’s Toenails (Lyme Regis), Fossil Forest (Lulworth and Portland), Giant Ammonites (Lyme Regis and Portland)

Geological Anomalies
Radioactive Nodules (Littleham Cove), Sunstones (Lyme Regis), The Portland Jewel (Portland)

Lagoons
The Fleet Lagoon

Landslides
Black venn (Charmouth to Lyme Regis), Stonebarrow (Charmouth),The Bindon Landslide (Axmouth to Lyme Regis Undercliff), The Great Southwell Landslip (Portland), The Hooken Landslide (Beer Head), White Nothe (Ringstead)

Raised Beaches
Portland Bill has an eastern and western raised beach

Sea Arches
Bats Hole, Durdle Door, Handfast Point

Sea Caves
Ladram Bay, Portland Bill, Blackers Hole, Isle of Purbeck, Ballard Down

Sea Stacks
Butter Rock (Bat’s Head), Ladram Bay, Mupe Rocks, Old Harry Rocks, St. Oswald’s Bay

Man and Stone

The coastline has been quarried over centuries for its valuable minerals and stone, supporting industries and the growth of towns and villages. Sought after materials have included beach shingle, flint, gypsum, Beer Stone, Portland Stone, Purbeck Stone and Blackstone.

Wildlife

The geology in the landscape of the Jurassic Coast has created an assortment of rich wildlife habitats including chalk grasslands, sheltered undercliffs, forests, cliffs, rocky shores and reefs.

The wide collection of important biodiversities means the life here ranges from rare orchids, butterflies, glow worms and birds, to undersea corals and dolphins.

To find out more about the Jurassic Coast start exploring now