Jurrassic past is easier on foot
THIS week I have been exploring the so-called Jurassic Coast, one of 27 sites in the United Kingdom that has World Heritage Site status as conferred on it by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
The title Jurassic Coast is a bit of a misnomer because this section of coast between Exmouth in Devon and Poole in Dorset is formed from a complete sequence of rock ages from the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous eras of geological history, a combined period of approximately 185 million years.
If you head from west to east along this stretch of coast, the rocks give us clues as to how Britain's previous environments must have once looked like.
When standing on the cliffs at Exmouth, the redness of the sandstone is immediately striking and in contrast to the white chalky cliffs that we are used to here in Sussex.
These were formed when Britain was a lot further south than its present location and the land was then part of a large desert.
The sandstone was formed in one of the temporary rivers that would have flowed through the desert on the rare occasions that it rained.
Heading east, rock formations associated with shallow sea conditions are later found, indicating that the land was submerged during this time.
Clays, limestones and eventually chalk are all found in the sequence and it is this variety of geology and what it can tell us about our past that justified its inclusion on the World Heritage list (and not its beauty, although that would surely be justified, too).
It is one of only three natural sites that are included from these shores; the others are the Giant's Causeway and St Kilda.
I have discovered that the best way of exploring this coast is on foot, for much of it is inaccessible by car.
It is not a particularly easy walk, though, since the numerous cliffs make it something of a rollercoaster and a rather tougher proposition than our dear old Seven Sisters.
Visit www.jurassiccoast.com to find out more.
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Weather for Worthing
Sunday 27 May 2012
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