Page 118 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - England's South Coast

116  ENGLAND ’ S SOUTH C O AST REGION B Y REGION

beach and towering sandstone
cliffs, which formed the iconic
backdrop to the popular British
TV series Broadchurch.

q Charmouth
Dorset. Map E5. * 1,300.
( Jun–Sep: Mon.
A handsome village set on
a pretty hillside next to the
coast, Charmouth is famed
for its landslips: its dramatic
coastal cliffs frequently fall
into the sea, revealing fossils
Sheer cliffs along the rugged Jurassic Coast in West Bay by the bucket-load. In 2000,
a fossilized scelidosaurus was
0 Bridport houses to be twisted. Today found here, the only known
it has something of a foodie example of this herbivorous
Dorset. Map E5. * 14,600. @
n Town Hall, Bucky Doo Sq, South St; reputation thanks to a plethora dinosaur, while tiny fossils of
01308 424901. ( Wed & Sat. of fine restaurants and a twice- belomnites (an extinct, squid-
weekly market. The town was a like creature) lie loose on
The market town of Bridport was major port until the river silted Charmouth’s attractive beach.
famed for its rope-making until up, but visitors can still walk Organized fossil tours take
the late 1700s, and its unusually alongside the River Brit to the place from the Heritage Coast
wide streets date from the time nearest coast, West Bay, a fishing Centre next to the main car
when rope was hung between village with a broad shingle park. Visitors can also walk along
e Jurassic Coast Tour

The 153-km- (95-mile-) long Jurassic Coast is the only
natural site in England with UNESCO World Heritage
status. The area was given this accolade because of its
extraordinary geology; incredibly rich in fossils, it reveals
to scientists a landscape that has varied from swamp to 3 Charmouth
arid desert over a period of 185 million years. A favoured haunt of Austen, this
town is great for fossil hunting,
with new specimens exposed
Key beneath one of Europe’s largest
coastal landslip areas.
Tour route
Other road
Colyton
Musbury Bridport
Sidbury Seaton
Newton
1 Orcombe Point Poppleford Branscombe
The reddish sandstone at Sidmouth Lyme Bay
Orcombe Point dates back 250
million years. The Geoneedle is Lympstone
an impressive landmark here.
Budleigh
Salterton
Tips for Drivers Dawlish
Tour length: 146 km (91 miles).
Stopping-off points: Lulworth
Cove Visitor Centre (call 01929
400352) details the geology and 2 Lyme Regis
history of the coastline. Sample Dorset’s prettiest coastal
the seafood at The Hive Beach harbour town is known for
Café in Burton Bradstock. its fossils, coastal walks and
the 13th-century Cobb.
For hotels and restaurants in this region see p177 and pp188–9

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