COASTAL EROSION

Erosion of the Jurassic Coast’s sandstone and limestone cliffs has created many of the region’s most iconic landscapes, such as the horseshoe bay of Lulworth Cove and the natural arch of Durdle Door, formed from a layer of hard limestone protruding from the sea. Undercliff areas also form as waves eat into the base of the cliffs. These spaces can provide havens for flora and fauna, including a number of rare beetles, bees and other invertebrates. Erosion also comes with dangers. Alternating layers of soft mudstone and more resistant sandstone, combined with wind, rain and waves, make the area prone to landslides. In 2008, 400 metres of cliff slipped and blocked a beach between Lyme Regis and Charmouth in an area known as Black Ven and the Spittles (‘vena’ is an Old English word for ‘bog’). In 2017, between 1,500 and 2,000 tonnes of rock collapsed onto the beach beneath the golden sandstone cliffs to the east of West Bay.