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Walking the Jurassic Coast

Dorset and East Devon: The walks, the rocks, the fossils

By Ronald Turnbull

ISBN

9781852847418

Availability

Published

4 Jun 2015

Reprinted

17 Aug 2021

Edition

First

Pages

240

Size

17.20 x 11.60 x 1.40cm

Weight

260g

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This guidebook includes 30 walks on the Jurassic Coast of Devon and Dorset. Covering the coast between Exmouth and Bournemouth, these delightful routes range from 3 to 16 miles (5 to 24km), exploring and explaining the spectacular geology of this World Heritage area with clear, easily understood descriptions, cross-sections and timelines.

Seasons

Year-round. Late July and August can be busy on beaches and car parks. Winter (October to March) has more challenging weather and can be muddy underfoot.

Centres

Budleigh Salterton, Sidmouth, Beer/Seaton, Lyme Regis/Charmouth, Bridport, Dorchester, Portland, Cerne Abbas, Lulworth, Swanage

Difficulty

Most walks are on good, clear paths. Coast path ascents and descents can be steep but are short. The longer walks require physical fitness but many shorter ones allow time for studying the rockforms and fossils.

Must See

Nearly 100 miles of clifftops. Fossil-hunting at Lyme Regis. The quartzite pebbles of Budleigh Salterton. Tree trunks of 150 million years ago at Lulworth Cove. The Cretaceous sea that carved right across England. Chalk downland and a rude man at Cerne Abbas. The Purbeck crumple zone caused by Italy's impact with Europe.

ISBN

9781852847418

Availability

Published

4 Jun 2015

Reprinted

17 Aug 2021

Edition

First

Pages

240

Size

17.20 x 11.60 x 1.40cm

Weight

260g

Overview

This guidebook describes 30 walking routes along the Devon-Dorset coast. The majority of the routes hug the shoreline between Torbay and Swanage, while others venture inland on the Dorset Downs. The walks range in length from 3 to 16 miles (5 to 24km) and are suitable for most walkers, with shorter routes alongside plenty of more challenging, full-day hikes. As well as detailed descriptions for every walk, accompanied by OS maps, there are details on available parking, points of interest along the way and advice on the terrain covered.

The guide has been divided into areas: Devon's Red Beds, the Lias, Chesil Beach, Chalk walks (Lulworth and inland) and the Isle of Purbeck. The geological descriptions are accompanied by strata diagrams, geological timelines, explanations of the creation of the various sedimentary rocks along the coast, and discussion of how and why the various formations formed millennia ago. The incredible - yet readable - detail brings these walks and the landscape alive.

The Jurassic Coast of Devon and Dorset, stretching between Exeter and Bournemouth, is a geological wonderland. Natural wonders like Chesil Beach, Durdle Door and fossils so numerous you'll be tripping over them, combine with southern England's rolling Downs, tiny villages, beaches and sunny summers to provide a stunning and awe-inspiring landscape to explore.

Table of Contents

CONTENTS

Map key

Overview map

Strata diagram

Geological topic index

Introduction

The Jurassic Coast

When to walk

Getting there and around

Staying the night

Maps and GPS

Safety at the seaside

Using this guide

Geological introduction

The sea

The Great Unconformity

The Universal Formations

The fossils

The drift of the continents

Eastwards is also ‘up’

1 Devon’s Red Beds

Walk 1 Budleigh Salterton and Woodbury Castle

Walk 2 Budleigh Salterton

Walk 3 Otterton, Peak Hill and the Otter

Walk 4 Sidmouth to Weston

Walk 5 Branscombe Mouth to Weston Mouth

Walk 6 Beer and Hooken Undercliff

Walk 7 Hartridge and Dumpdon

Red Bed Roundabout

2 The Lias

Walk 8 Lyme Regis Undercliff

Walk 9 Lyme Regis to Charmouth

Golden Cap

Walk 10 Hardown Hill, Golden Cap and Seatown

Walk 11 Golden Cap and Seatown

Walk 12 Bridport to Seatown

Walk 13 West Bay and Burton Bradstock

Walk 14 Beaminster to Pilsdon Pen

3 Chesil Beach

Walk 15 Litton Cheney and Eggardon Hill

Walk 16 Abbotsbury Castle and Chesil Beach

Walk 17 Hardy Monument to Elwell

Walk 18 Isle of Portland circuit

Walk 19 Osmington shore and White Horse

4 Chalk Walks: Lulworth and inland

Walk 20 Cerne Abbas and the Giant

Walk 21 Dorsetshire Gap

Walk 22 Hambledon and Hod hills

Walk 23 Ringstead Smugglers’ Path

Lulworth Cove

Walk 24 Lulworth Cove and Coast

Walk 25 Lulworth Cove and the Fossil Forest

5 Isle of Purbeck

Walk 26 Kimmeridge, Tyneham and Flower’s Barrow

Walk 27 Swyre Head and Houns Tout

Walk 28 Chapman’s Pool and St Aldhelm’s Head

Walk 29 Swanage: Durlston to Dancing Ledge

Walk 30 Ballard Down and Agglestone

The Isle of Purbeck Circuit

Appendix A Route summary table

Appendix B Indoor Geology: Museums and visitor centres

Appendix C Rock reference

Appendix D Glossary of geological terms

Appendix E Timechart: Cambrian period to the present day

Appendix F Rocks of the Jurassic Coast

Appendix G Jurassic Coast cliff diagrams

Updates

August 2023

Walk 13

The cliff collapse on 9 Aug at West Bay affects Walk 13 between Burton Freshwater and West Bay. The beach is currently closed and the clifftop path (as seen on the book's cover) has an emergency temporary diversion inland across the golf course, along the 'public footpath' line. The situation may change as cliff conditions are assessed, so look out for signs locally.

July 2023

Walk 16

Page 131 - The Bull Inn at Swyre is no longer there

June 2023

Walk 11 parking

Under Parking in the Information box on p92, it should say See walk 10.

August 2022

Walk 28

On reaching the start of the tarmac lane above Chapman's Pool, the former footpath down to the Pool has now been closed due to the unstable Kimmeridge Clay surface, and its steps and stile removed (although it is still being used by the disobedient). The former bridleway having also been closed, the only access to the shore is by the former track to the boathouse.

Accordingly, at the bottom of Hill Bottom keep left on the rough track above the stream, along the foot of the steep slope. After a landslipped area, it winds down to the boat houses at the southern corner of the big bay.

The walk continues back up the same track.

December 2021

Walk 26

Walk 26 Kimmeridge

At Tynham Cap, a minor route alteration. On the outward part of the walk, where the green track along the ridgeline turns into a field on the north side of the ridge, instead take the grass path ahead. After 200 metres, a small gate leads back onto track again. Just before this gate note the path turning down sharp left, which will be used on the return route.

July 2021

2021 reprint updates

741 Reprint 2021 (1.982 MB)

May 2021

Walk 20

P160, descending towards Minterne Magna

The small gate on the left ('signposted for Minterne Magna') has dropped its arm and just has a bridleway marker. The mid-field signpost below has been lost, so slant gradually away from the track, working gently downhill for 300 metres. After passing above a small wood, look out for a small gate in the fence at the field foot.

(Thank you to Simon Stevens)

May 2021

Walk 19

P150 In Weymouth Bay the holiday park signposting and shop have changed, so just follow 'exit' signs to escape to the A353.

April 2021

Walk 12 Bridport to Seatown

Two cliff falls in April 2021 affect this route, though neither as yet has caused radical diversion of the Coast Path. One is east of Seatown, on the ascent to Thorcombe Beacon. The other east of Eype's Mouth, above Fault Corner (previously reported on the website), and has a small diversion inland into the holiday park here.

Look out for signs marking the path alterations, and be aware that they may develop further.

April 2021

Walk 7 Hartridge and Dumpdon

At Hillend Farm, exit to the corner of a lane.

Keep ahead along this lane. After 50 metres, there has sometimes been a cleared path up left through the bracken, and turning right along the slope top. Otherwise, in 300 metres along the lane turn up left on a right-of-way path. Either way, you reach a lane at the slope top.

Thanks to Mr Simon Stevens for this update!

August 2019

Route updates

Walk 10 Permissive path to St Gabriel's Beach

The path and steps down to St Gabriel's Beach, so handsomely restored in 2014, was undercut by cliff erosion in 2017 and is currently closed until further notice. Maintenance, repair and replacement of this path is a constant battle between the National Trust and the sea, with the NT in the role of the plucky underdog. A notice (or absence of one) at the top of the path will give its current status – see also the Golden Cap page at www.nationaltrust.org.uk.
This does not affect the main route continuing along the cliff top towards Golden Cap.

April 2016

Walk 8 Lyme Regis Undercliff

The route has reopened (Spring 2016) after being closed due to a landslip above Culverhole Point. The new, slightly diverted route takes in Goat Island (which isn't an island - see 'Insolated Strip' in the diagram with Walk 8). Thanks to Paddy Dillon for flagging this.

The cover of the guidebook refers to 'notes on the Jurassic Coast Path' which were not included in the final published book/ePub/Kindle.

We apologise for any confusion or disappointment but readers can now download Ronald's introduction to, outline description of and tips on the logistics of tackling the Jurassic Coast Path.

Notes on the Jurassic Coast Path (82.193 KB)

Reviews

June 2015

I really enjoyed this unusual walking book. We hear so much about the Jurassic Coast but not everyone is aware of the extraordinary geology behind the area. Here the formation of this bit of coastline through Devon and Dorset is described in interesting detail including simple to follow diagrams and photographs and a guide to collecting fossils. This would make an excellent read in itself. For each of 30 walks there is a small coloured chart and an explanation showing the way the area of the walk fits into geological history and the Jurassic Coast.

Not being able to find your way back to the route if you stray is a common problem when following a walk described in a book but fortunately here there are good Ordnance Survey maps included, far preferable to the sketch maps found in some walking books.

There is the usual problem of book based walk descriptions that with the pictures and maps plus extra information about the area, each walk covers several pages, difficult to manage when you are actually out. I usually manage this by photocopying the relevant pages. Having said that, putting the extra information about parts of the walks in a margin is a good idea as it is accessible but does not interfere with the text you need to follow.

Every one of the walks dotted along the coast looks attractive with its careful text, colourful pictures and map and I can't wait to get out and try them!

Margaret, East Dorset Walking Group.

The Jurassic Coast is one of only three natural World Heritage Sites in the UK. This is the perfect guide book for anyone wanting to explore the 160km of stunning coastline including its cliffs, beaches, rocks and fossils.

Outdoor Enthusiast

Downloads

Walking the Jurassic Coast - GPX File

Ronald Turnbull

Ronald Turnbull writes regularly for TGO, Lakeland Walker, Trail and Cumbria magazines. His previous books include Across Scotland on Foot, Long Days in Lakeland and Welsh 3000ft Challenges. He has written many other Cicerone guides, including Walking in the Lowther Hills, The Book of the Bivvy and Not the West Highland Way.

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