Jurassic world
SIDMOUTH TO STUDLAND 101 MILES (162KM)
Here the World Heritage site showcases Jurassic rocks laid out in sequence from the orange cliffs of Sidmouth to the sparkling white sea stacks clustered around Old Harry. At Beer, where the Romans had extensive underground limestone quarries, white chalk buttresses soar through grassy slopes, with views to the far end of the world. The village is built of knobbly flint, which also outlines the grassy banks of prehistoric earthworks in an area rich in the archaeological remains of ancient travellers and settlers.
Inland, high ridges and wedge-shaped hills are clad in startlingly green pastureland, with hilltop woodland plantations and clusters of golden thatched villages, while on the coast thinner soil supports wildflower-rich maritime grasslands. Rollercoaster hills sea-battered into sheer cliffs stretch into the hazy distance, peaking on the lofty heights of Golden Cap, interspersed with low ledges from centuries of quarrying. Beach boulders at Osmington are crammed with fossils, while
White Nothe earned the epithet Burning Cliff following spontaneous combustions of its oil shale. Undercliffs formed by the slump of wet chalk and clay form a national nature reserve whose dangerous instability has protected precious wildlife from human interference. The 18-mile Chesil Beach shingle bar shields the Fleet Lagoon, another important reserve, where the only sounds are the haunting calls of waterbirds, the lap of water on small boats moored in the rushes and the hooves of racehorses exercising on the gallops.
TRY THIS WALK: Mix-and-match walks around
Portland Island give spectacular sea views all around the compass for walkers of all abilities. Highlights include vertiginous quarried cliffs to the west, riotous wildflowers on the east, Tout Quarry sculpture park, observatories charting the first landfall of migrant birds, and the churning currents at Portland Bill. Piles of shattered limestone lend an air of rocky wilderness, and the old whims and hoists used to load the rock onto barges add a touch of romance. Buses, parking and all facilities are available on the island.