Hengistbury Head, Christchurch

Hengistbury Head is a headland that juts out into the English Channel, and is the site of Bronze and Iron Age settlements, the remains of which can be seen today.

Mudeford Spit stretches out from the end of the mainland, formed by the process of longshore drift as sediment gradually moves along the coastline, guarding the entrance to Christchurch Harbour and the Site of Special Scientific Interest there. The spit is also home to some of the UK’s most expensive beach huts.

Old Harry Rocks, Studland

Old Harry Rocks marks the most Eastern point of the Jurassic Coast and consists of a series of chalk stacks, stumps and small arches and headlands that jut out from the mainland. The chalk here was part of a long stretch that went from the Purbecks to the Isle of Wight, so the famous Needles there were once joined to the formations at Studland.

Stacks like these are formed when arches, like the famous one at Durdle Door, are eroded so much that their roof collapses. When the stacks begin eroding down below the height of the mainland, they become known as stumps. The large stack furthest out to sea here is known as Old Harry, and the stump next to it is known as Old Harry’s Wife.

Technically she’s his second wife, as the original stack collapsed in 1509. The rocks are a great landmark to visit from nearby Studland, either by walking along the South West Coast Path, or by paddling on a kayak or stand up paddle board.

Chapman’s Pool, Purbeck

Often mistaken for its larger and more famous counterpart, Lulworth Cove, Chapman’s Pool is a small cove that boasts sparkling blue waters and a sheltered place for small boats to moor up.

Because it is harder to get to, you’ll find this cove much quieter than Lulworth, which can get busy during the Summer. The rocks that form the cove are also rich in fossils.

Gad Cliff, Tyneham

Gad Cliff, also known as Tyneham Cap, is a cliff face near to the abandoned village of Tyneham, that can only be accessed when the Lulworth Ranges are open to the public.

The cliff is visually very interesting, and clearly shows different layers and ages of rocks that have been affected by sedimentary folding, a process caused by tectonic plate movements. The layers, which would have formed flat, were distorted and warped by plate movements around 30 million years ago.

Stair Hole, Lulworth

Just next door to Lulworth Cove is Stair Hole, a small cove that suggests what Lulworth may have looked like early in its formation a few hundred thousand years ago. In a few more thousand years, it may erode into a cove similar to Lulworth, however as the two are so close it’s likely that they will eventually merge together.

The folded layers of limestone rock that make up the coastline are particularly visible here, and are an excellent example of tectonic folding. You can see the S shaped curve where the rocks have been crushed and warped together by plate movements.

Durdle Door

Durdle Door is another of the more iconic coastal landforms in Dorset, and in fact is one of the most famous in the UK, if not the world. The archway is located just the other side of the headland from Man O’ War Bay and is formed of the same Portland Limestone that is particularly resistant to erosion. There are a couple of smaller rocky outcrops just along from the archway, similar to those at Man O’ War Bay. In 2021, a similarly famous arch, Darwin’s Arch in the Galapagos Islands, collapsed due to natural erosion, leaving two stacks where the arch once stood. This is sadly the fate that one day awaits Durdle Door, though thankfully we’re unlikely to see this in our lifetime. Durdle Door draws tourists from around the world, and on a warm Summer’s day the beach and surrounding paths can be incredibly busy.

The Isle of Portland

Portland is often referred to as an island, and whilst this will have been the case at one stage hundreds of thousands of years ago, it is now technically a “tied island”. This means that it has since been joined to the mainland by a tombolo, a type of spit that has grown to connect land at both ends. As you might expect, the rocks that make up Portland are incredibly erosion-resistant, and Portland stone has been used to make some of the most famous buildings in the country including St Paul’s Cathedral, The Tower of London and parts of Buckingham Palace. The start of The Isle of Portland marks the end of Chesil Beach. Portland Harbour is one of the largest man-made harbours in the world, having played a vital part during World Wars 1 and 2, and hosting the sailing events of the 2012 Olympics.

East Cliff, West Bay

The iconic golden cliffs at West Bay played a starring role in ITV’s murder mystery drama Broadchurch, leading to an increase in tourist interest in the area. The cliffs provide a stunning backdrop for people taking photos on the piers at the entrance to the fishing harbour. Erosion has lead to bands of harder rock in the cliffs becoming more pronounced, while the softer rock layers are eaten away, resulting in a striped appearance on the cliff face.

After rock falls, which happen incredibly frequently along this part of the coast, these bands are noticeably smoother until the sea air has chance to erode the softer layers again. Because of the frequency of rock falls in the area, we do not recommend walking or sitting under the cliffs here, or close to the edge along the top.

The Spittles and Black Ven

Situated between two of the best fossil hunting beaches in the country, Charmouth and Lyme Regis, these cliffs are filled with history! The clay cliffs here suffer from some of the largest mudslides in Europe, which constantly brings new fossils to the base of the cliff to be discovered, though larger fossils are often damaged in the process.

Mary Anning famously found an Icthyosaurus here and James Harrison found the first fossilised remains of a Scelidosaurus.