What is the Jurassic Coast

The Dorset and East Devon Coast, known as ‘The Jurassic Coast’, lies on the South Coast of England in the United Kingdom. It is a hugely diverse and beautiful landscape underpinned by incredible geology of global importance.

In 2001 the Jurassic Coast was inscribed as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO for the Outstanding Universal Value of its rocks, fossils, and landforms. It remains England’s only natural World Heritage Site.

The World Heritage Site extends from Orcombe Point in Exmouth, Devon, and continues for 95 miles until Old Harry Rocks, near Swanage in Dorset. Between these two points, the World Heritage Site's boundaries are broadly defined as the average low tide mark to the top of the cliffs, or to the back of the beach where there are no cliffs. The boundaries do not include the built up sea-fronts at Exmouth, Sidmouth, Seaton, Lyme Regis, West Bay, Weymouth, Portland Port and Swanage; so the Site is comprised of a set of long, thin strips of undeveloped coastline.

The Jurassic Coast's 95-mile span includes the distinct geographic regions of East Devon, West Dorset, Weymouth & Portland and Purbeck – each containing their own iconic towns and villages, and natural landscapes.

Planning a Visit?

If you're planning a visit to the Jurassic Coast, you can start with our Explore section for an overview of the top places to visit, or browse our selection of Things to Do, What's On and Where to Stay.

Discover everything you need to know about Fossil Collecting, read our Travel Information for advice on how to get here and get around, and see answers to some of our frequently asked questions at Visitor Information.

To get out on the coast on two legs, visit our Walking section, and if you're bringing your four-legged companion, make sure you check out our guide to the coast's Dog Friendly Beaches.

What makes the geology here so special?

Imagine your favourite film trilogy. Now imagine that the first film is only ever shown in Scotland, the second only shown in France and the third only shown in Brazil. Annoying right? Now imagine that you stumble across a little cinema on the south coast of England that shows the entire trilogy, all three films back-to-back with extra scenes and everything. That’s what the Jurassic Coast is like for three geological time Periods called the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous.

Those three time periods of Earth’s history collectively make up the Mesozoic Era, running from approximately 250 to 65 million years ago. Rocks that offer an almost complete record of that entire time are spread out along the Jurassic Coast, a bit like the pages of a book.

Here’s the short version of their story… 252 million years ago: This area of the Earth’s crust was stretching and sinking. As it sank, layers of sediment piled one on top of the other to form rocks.

First, in baking deserts during the Triassic Period (252 – 201 million years ago)…and then in the Jurassic period (201 – 145 million years ago), sea levels rose and transformed the deserts into a tropical sea.

Finally, as the sea levels fell by the end of Jurassic Period, a forest grew and subsequently died, and were buried beneath the sediments of lagoons, swamps, and rivers. This marked the start of the Cretaceous Period (145 – 66 million years ago).

During this Period, earth movements tilted the rock layers to the east. The top layers of rock that were pushed upwards in the western end of the coast were eroded. Soon, the sea rose again and during the rest of the Cretaceous sandstone and Chalk were laid down across the region, burying the tilted layers of older rock. Since then, erosion has carved this remarkable rock record into the landscape we see today.

Through this coastline’s unique geology, visitors can understand the profound environmental changes that occur across millions of years of time. The fossils of strange and terrifying extinct creatures that tumble from its cliffs have the potential to change the way we see the world. And out of its rock falls, landslides, and storm-battered beaches we gain insights into the creation of the coastline itself.

In short, the Jurassic Coast is a truly outstanding place to explore Earth’s history, the evolution of life and the natural processes that shape our world.

Who owns the Jurassic Coast?

The land within the boundaries of the World Heritage Site is looked after by many different owners. The majority is owned by a combination of the National Trust (about a third), large private estates, the Ministry of Defence, the Crown Estate, and national and local authorities, but there are many small landowners along the way too. 

Over 90% of the land within the Site is protected by national conservation laws, and this is overseen primarily by Natural England and the Dorset and East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) teams.

What’s in it for me?

The different rocks crammed into this 95-mile stretch of Dorset and East Devon coastline create a wonderfully varied landscape. There are opportunities here for many different and unforgettable experiences, from lazy-summer beach days and family BBQs to soul-stirring walks in wind-swept winter.

Nestled in towns and villages are museums and visitor centres that help to bring the Jurassic Coast’s global heritage to life. These vital hubs showcase exceptional fossils and fascinating exhibitions, and many offer unique activities such as coasteering, fossil hunting and even musical geology walks.

The landscape of the Jurassic Coast is a feast for the senses. Its stories stimulate mind, body and soul. It captures our imagination and invites us to find a sense of belonging, to return again and again to experience all it has to offer.