The Wonderful Jurassic Coast

[THOaken]

Hello, people! Just been away for about 8 hours to the Jurassic Coast. I hadn't really got a chance to explore Dorset, having only been to two local heathland sites in weeks, but that doesn't matter because I just spent hours gawking at the beautiful Jurassic Coast. Truthfully, I wasn't that impressed with what I'd seen of England so far, having not been to the really well known locations such as the Peak/Lake districts, but this has proved me wrong. The Dorset Coast is otherworldly stunning. We only saw three or four landmarks, but as we had the whole day we done a couple of walks. We only really covered a small part of it, mostly in the east, seeing Old Harry Rocks, walking around and up to a part of Lulworth Cove (sadly the flags were flying so couldn't see the Fossil Forest), and walked the long way to the awesome Durdle Door. And I have to say the heritage centre near Lulworth Cove was brilliant. That's how you do a visitor centre.

This day has left an impression on me of Southern England. It's silly to say, but I didn't really know all that was there just an hour away. Living in Scotland sort of desensitizes you to certain sights I think, at least in the UK. That's not to say that Scotland has all the best and most impressive sights, of course not, it's just that I love my country and its wildness. But boy have I been proved wrong about England. This was a different type of beauty. It helped that the weather was perfect. Every landmark was heaving with people, but the atmosphere was great. It's just a shame that my photos don't convey the scale of the structures.

Here are some of the better photos (shrunk them down to fit on the board)
Old Harry Rocks and surrounding area

Lulworth Cove

On the way to the Door

Man of War Cove

Durdle Door from above

Door from the beach

Will definitely be going back to explore some of the west and the Triassic rocks.

 

[Jack Bounder]

I find all places have their charms

 

[lou1661]

It is a great bit of coastline, that's for sure. One of my nicest memories was looking at glow worms above Durdle Door, then watching the traser zipping over the nearby range.
Cheers
Louis

 

[THOaken]

That's for sure, Jack. I didn't mean to offend any Englishmen by my comments by the way!

Glow worms above Durdle Door, Lou1661, really?

Thanks for looking.

 

[crosslandkelly]

Beautiful coastline there, glad you enjoyed the day Taylor. Nice pics and report, thanks for sharing.

 

[lou1661]

Glow worms above Durdle Door, Lou1661, really?

Yes really. It was a few years ago now, but a great sight.

 

[Goatboy]

Great pictures Taylor,

What always fills me with awe when looking at cliffs like that is trying to imagine the vastness of time that they're slicing through. Chalk is great for it though some of the more heavily stratified cliffs really lay it out for you.

Is that a real butterfly in the third picture down? Seems oddly perfect.

Glad you're having fun and seeing new sights, sometimes think that the landscape has a definite effect on the local residents psyche.

 

[rik_uk3]

Now you've seen that, you need to come and see the Gower Peninsula.

 

[santaman2000]

......Living in Scotland sort of desensitizes you to certain sights I think, at least in the UK. That's not to say that Scotland has all the best and most impressive sights, of course not, it's just that I love my country and its wildness. But boy have I been proved wrong about England. This was a different type of beauty.......

I find all places have their charms

Myself, Huon, and Eric Methven (both from this forum; one a native Scotsman, the other a New Zealander and me an American) were discussing the concept of "home" vs the desire to explore and see new places on Facebook a week or three ago.

It's hard to describe how you can have both a strong love of home and a wanderlust at the same time but it's definitely true.

 

[THOaken]

Great pictures Taylor,

What always fills me with awe when looking at cliffs like that is trying to imagine the vastness of time that they're slicing through. Chalk is great for it though some of the more heavily stratified cliffs really lay it out for you.

Is that a real butterfly in the third picture down? Seems oddly perfect.

Glad you're having fun and seeing new sights, sometimes think that the landscape has a definite effect on the local residents psyche.

Indeed. Aside from the aesthetic beauty of the chalk cliffs, they are just as impressive for their geological significance. I'm a fan of country/national parks which are focused on presenting information to give the traveler a deeper insight and a sense of place. The Jurassic Coast certainly does this. Good interpretation boards and good visitor centers. It's one thing to go and see the sights, but to learn of their history is much more fulfilling. It was a nice experience to reaffirm some of my knowledge on the subject too.

Oh, and that butterfly wasn't real. Someone put it there and I thought it'd make a nice photo.

Now you've seen that, you need to come and see the Gower Peninsula.

Looks braw, Rik! I will one day.

Myself, Huon, and Eric Methven (both from this forum; one a native Scotsman, the other a New Zealander and me an American) were discussing the concept of "home" vs the desire to explore and see new places on Facebook a week or three ago.

It's hard to describe how you can have both a strong love of home and a wanderlust at the same time but it's definitely true.

It most certainly is. It's hardly a big move in comparison to those who leave home for vastly different places, but moving from Scotland to England has made me think of Scotland differently. It's reaffirmed my love for the place, but it's very interesting experiencing a new country. Nothing new, of course, just my take on it. I'm really interested in the aesthetics of landscapes and I do wish I could go to Lake/Peak district some day so that I can experience a bit more of the rugged landscape of England. Its all very flat down here. Flat, but lovely.