Lulworth Cove was formed by glacial melt waters eroding their way out to sea. Once the river had carved a channel through the hard Portland Limestone the sea broke through, carving out the softer sediments behind.
Movie
Clip Information of Requested Area
Lulworth Boat Trip
Take a boat trip along the coastline around Lulworth
Chalk, Upper Greensand, Gault, Wealden Beds, Purbeck Beds, Portland Stone
Beach
Type
Rock and Shingle
Access
to Beach
Fossil
Hotspots: -
Geological
Coastal Features: The Great Unconformity and The Cretaceous Blanket
The Great Unconformity and The Cretaceous Blanket
The sediments which make up the Jurassic Coastline were deposited in the following order, Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous, with the oldest rock, the Triassic sitting at the at the bottom of the pile.
Part way through the Early Cretaceous Period the sea levels dropped and the layers of rock were tilted to the East by earth movements. Overtime the exposed rocks were eroded before sea levels rose again, depositing more Cretaceous sediments.
The combined tilting and erosion explains why the Jurassic Period is completely missing in East Devon and why areas of cliff all along the coastline are capped with Cretaceous rocks which are millions of years younger than the sediments laying directly beneath them.
General
Information
Nearest
Coastal Visitor Centre
Lulworth Heritage Coast Centre
Nearest
Town/Village or Area:
Lulworth
Nearest
Tourist Info Centres
Wareham
Wildlife
in this Area: Bindon Hill
Bindon Hill
The wildlife living on the chalky soil of Bindon Hill is exceptionally rich. It is home to a host of plants and animals, a great place to see butterflies and moths.
General
Interest: Bindon Hill Fort
Bindon Hill Fort
The earthworks of an Iron Age hill fort follow the summit of Bindon Hill for 1 ¼ miles.
