History of the Jurassic Coast - part two

Pulford Publicity's cause of the year: Clean Jurassic Coast

By Roy Beal

The Cretaceous period ended around 66 million years ago and a lot has happened since then. Mass-extinction events occurred, the planet changed as land masses moved and, as things started to settle and the climate changed, the rise of the mammals began.

After almost 64 million years, the earliest humans evolved and, approximately 200,000 years ago, our lineage, Homo sapien – Wise man, first appeared in Africa. They started migrating at least 100,000 years ago.

We are now into the Quaternary period, which started 2.5 million years ago. We’ve survived ice ages and it’s from the last one, the English Channel and the Jurassic Coast as we know it formed.

The geology of the Jurassic Coast is perhaps the finest in the world – hence it’s World Heritage Site status. There are many fabulous rock formations and features along the Jurassic Coast. One of the most famous is Lulworth Cove, a natural harbour that is almost a perfect circle. Its formation started about 10,000 years ago when meltwater from the end of the last ice age, along with rising sea levels, eroded the cliffs. Then, thanks to wave diffraction, the cove formed as the softer clays were worn away. Nearby is Stair Hole, a naturally forming cove that possibly shows what Lulworth Cove may have looked like as it was being born.

Sitting on the 350-mile long English Channel, the southern coast of England is subject to strong tidal flows and the Atlantic weather. Formed roughly 9,000 years ago, the English Channel has a history that is vast and exciting. Once connected to mainland Europe via a land bridge, we are now an island nation and the English Channel is our protector. From Roman invasion to Viking pillaging, the story of the Channel could take up a whole magazine on its own.

Chesil Beach started to form around the same time. The vast 18-mile long shingle bank was created thanks to longshore drift. Wave action pushes pebbles and stones along the coast and, with Chesil Bank, the smaller pebbles have remained at the western end, increasing in size to the rocks found at Chesil Cove to the east. Rising up to 50 feet high (15 metres) and 660 feet wide (200 metres), it is a marvel of nature.

Old Harry has been a resident of the Jurassic Coast for many years. Sitting on the Purbeck Coast, this chalk stack, formed over many years, once had a partner that suffered at the mercy of the sea and collapsed in 1896. Known as Old Harry’s Wife, this smaller stack continues to be eroded.

The stacks formed through erosion and wave action. Air and water would have been forced through cracks in the cliffs, eventually forming caves and then arches. Over time the arches collapsed, leaving the stacks we see today. Old Harry is believed to have been named after the Devil who, legend has it, used to sleep on the rocks.

There is oil on the Jurassic Coast. A ‘nodding donkey’ oil pump can be seen working at Kimmeridge if you visit. The famous Burning Cliff near Ringstead is named after a naturally occurring phenomenon – a landslip in 1826 caused trapped oil and gas to ignite, which burned for three years. There have also been cliff fires caused by landslips and the shale igniting in the last 25 years.

Other notable landslips include the Hooken Slip between Beer and Branscombe in 1790. Overnight, 15 million tons of chalk and greensand cliffs collapsed. Evidence is still visible today and is best seen from the sea.

The Jurassic Coast gets the brunt of the prevailing south westerly weather. Erosion is forever unveiling new fossils and features and, over time, the sea is gradually reclaiming the land. The coastline is an evolving and living thing.

The present day Jurassic Coast is a popular tourist destination, great for the local economy but, perhaps, not so great for the environment. Along with the natural erosion caused by the sea and the weather, the beaches and cliff paths are prone to damage from footfall and littering. We need to be mindful of this and take great care when out and about. If you happen to be exploring the coast path, the beaches or even just a side street in one of the many gateway towns, please pick up a few pieces of litter and help us make a difference.

The CJC team would like thank Dorset View for its wonderful support and making us its Cause of the Year 2022. We’d also like to thank you, the readers, for donating, supporting and giving up your time to read our prose throughout the year.

The team has collected over 4,000kg of plastic from the coast in 2022. Our 2023 plans include a push on education, mainly with local schools but also on our corporate team building days. Please get in touch if you’d like to know more.

Merry Christmas and best wishes for 2023. Take care and don’t forget to reduce, reuse and recycle!