Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site
Key tourism facts
Resources to help you
- Recognised by UNESCO, World Heritage Sites are places of significance and value to the whole of humanity. This puts the Jurassic Coast on a par with international treasures such as the Great Barrier Reef and the Grand Canyon.
- The Jurassic Coast is England’s only natural World Heritage Site. It stretches 95 miles from Orcombe Rocks near Exmouth in Devon to Old Harry Rocks, near Swanage in Dorset. Within these 95 miles, 185 million years of the Earth’s history are revealed in the rocks, fossils and landforms.
- Erosion is a natural process and is what makes the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site such a special place. Without erosion, the Site would not look like it does and would not regularly reveal fascinating new fossil finds. However, because the Site is constantly eroding, this means it is unpredictable and people need to be aware that rock falls, landslides and mud flows are very common. It is important to pay attention to safety signage and coast path diversion signs – they are there for your safety.
- The brightly branded X53 Jurassic Coaster bus service runs from Exeter to Poole every two hours and stops at many of the towns which act as gateways to the Jurassic Coast. Other linking buses such as service 31 help form a good network of public transport and it is well worth encouraging visitors to use these services rather than wasting valuable holiday time in traffic jams, and having to pay for parking.
- Fossil collecting along the Jurassic Coast is a popular activity. The best areas are Charmouth and Lyme Regis. Fossil hunters should pay attention to the tides and stay away from the cliffs which are constantly eroding and could fall at any time. The best place to find fossils is on the beach and you don’t need a hammer – the best tools are your eyes.
- There are plenty of other fascinating things to see and do along the whole length of the Jurassic Coast. Visitor Centres and museums are always a good starting point and most of them have fantastic fossil collections and even dinosaur footprints on display.
Resources to help you
- Main website www.jurassiccoast.org
- Like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/jurassicCoast
- Follow us on Twitter www.twitter.com/jurassicnews
- Download the ‘jurassic’ iphone app at itunes