Isle of Purbeck
Encyclopedia
The Isle of Purbeck, not a true island but a peninsula
, is in the county of Dorset
, England
. It is bordered by the English Channel
to the south and east, where steep cliffs fall to the sea; and by the marshy lands of the River Frome
and Poole Harbour
to the north. Its western boundary is less well defined, with some medieval sources placing it at Flower's Barrow
above Worbarrow Bay
. The most southerly point is St Aldhelm's
or St Alban's Head
. It is suffering erosion problems along the coast.
The whole of the Isle of Purbeck lies within the local government district of Purbeck, which is named after it. However the district extends significantly further north and west than the traditional boundary of the Isle of Purbeck along the River Frome.
along the east and concordant coastline
along the south. The northern part is Eocene
clay
(Barton Beds), including significant deposits of Purbeck Ball Clay
. Where the land rises to the sea there are several parallel strata of Jurassic
rocks, including Portland limestone
and the Purbeck beds. The latter include Purbeck Marble
, a particularly hard limestone
that can be polished (though mineralogicaly, it is not marble
). A ridge of Cretaceous
chalk
runs along the peninsula creating the Purbeck Hills
, part of the southern England Chalk Formation
that includes Salisbury Plain
, the Dorset Downs
and the Isle of Wight
. The cliffs here are some of the most spectacular in England, and of great geological interest, both for the rock types and variety of landforms, notably Lulworth Cove
and Durdle Door
, and the coast is part of the Jurassic Coast
World Heritage Site
because of the unique geology.
In the past quarrying of limestone was particularly concentrated around the western side of Swanage
, the villages of Worth Matravers
and Langton Matravers
, and the cliffs along the coast between Swanage and St. Aldhelm's Head
. The "caves" at Tilly Whim are former quarries, and Dancing Ledge
, Seacombe and Winspit
are other cliff-edge quarries. Stone was removed from the cliff quarries either by sea, or using horse carts to transport large blocks to Swanage. Many of England's most famous cathedral
s are adorned with Purbeck marble, and much of London
was rebuilt in Portland and Purbeck stone after the Great Fire of London
.
By contrast, the principal ball clay workings were in the area between Corfe Castle and Wareham
. Originally the clay was taken by pack horse to wharves
on the River Frome
and the south side of Poole Harbour
. However in the first half of the 19th century the pack horses were replaced by horse drawn tramways. With the coming of the railway from Wareham to Swanage, most ball clay was dispatched by rail, often to the Potteries district of Staffordshire
.
Quarrying still takes place in Purbeck, with both Purbeck Ball Clay
and limestone
s being transported from the area by road. There are now no functioning quarries of Purbeck Marble
.
were counted in 2009. Late April is the best time, and the largest population is usually in the field to the west of Dancing Ledge
. Smaller numbers can be seen on a shorter walk in Durlston Country Park
. This orchid is the logo of the Dorset Wildlife Trust
. Cowslip meadows (Primula veris
and Primula deorum
) are at their best shortly afterwards and Durlston Country Park has several large ones.
In early May several woods have carpets of Wild Garlic
(Ramsons). King's Wood and Studland Wood, both owned by The National Trust
, are good examples. At around the same time and later some Downs have carpets of yellow Horseshoe Vetch
and blue Chalk Milkwort
. In late May the field near Old Harry Rocks
has a carpet of yellow Kidney Vetch.
Sheep's bit (blue) and Sea Bindweed (pink and white) lend colour to Studland
dunes in June. Both Heath Spotted
and Southern Marsh Orchids are frequent on Corfe Common that month, and Harebells and Betony (purple) flowers add colour to the Common in July.
Dorset Heath, the county flower, can be found in July and August in large numbers, especially on and around Hartland Moor, in damper parts of the heathland. Bog Asphodel
gives displays of yellow flowers there in early July. Marsh Gentian
is found less frequently in similar areas from mid August to mid September.
near Corfe Castle, excavated between 1976 and 1991. The Kimmeridge shale
of the Isle was worked extensively during the Roman period, into jewellery, decorative panels and furniture.
and the ghost village
of Tyneham
is still, after nearly 60 years, in the possession of the Ministry of Defence
who use it as a training area. Lulworth Military Range
is part of the Armoured Fighting Vehicles Gunnery School. Tanks and other Armoured vehicle
s are used in this area and shells
are fired. Due to safety reasons, right of entry is only given when the army ranges are not in operation. Large red flags are flown and flashing warning lamps on Bindon Hill
and St Alban's Head
are lit when the range is in Military use. At such times the entrance gates are locked and wardens patrol the area.
Other places of note are:
Peninsula
A peninsula is a piece of land that is bordered by water on three sides but connected to mainland. In many Germanic and Celtic languages and also in Baltic, Slavic and Hungarian, peninsulas are called "half-islands"....
, is in the county of Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is bordered by the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
to the south and east, where steep cliffs fall to the sea; and by the marshy lands of the River Frome
River Frome, Dorset
The River Frome is a river in Dorset in the south of England. At 30 miles long it is the major chalkstream in southwest England. It is navigable upstream from Poole Harbour as far as the town of Wareham.-Geography:...
and Poole Harbour
Poole Harbour
Poole Harbour is a large natural harbour in Dorset, southern England, with the town of Poole on its shores. The harbour is a drowned valley formed at the end of the last ice age and is the estuary of several rivers, the largest being the Frome. The harbour has a long history of human settlement...
to the north. Its western boundary is less well defined, with some medieval sources placing it at Flower's Barrow
Flower's Barrow
Flower’s Barrow is an Iron Age hillfort, built over 2500 years ago, above Worbarrow Bay in Dorset on the south coast of England.- Location :Flower’s Barrow is located about 16 kilometres from Swanage and about six kilometres south of Wareham....
above Worbarrow Bay
Worbarrow Bay
Worbarrow Bay is a large broad and shallow bay just to the east of Lulworth Cove on the Isle of Purbeck, Dorset, England.- Location :Worbarrow Bay is located about six kilometres south of Wareham and about 16 kilometres west of Swanage. At the eastern end of the Bay is a promontory known as...
. The most southerly point is St Aldhelm's
St Alban's Head
St Alban's Head is located five kilometres southwest of Swanage, on the coast of Dorset, England.-Geology:The headland is an outcrop of Portland Stone from the overlying Lower Purbeck Stone...
or St Alban's Head
St Alban's Head
St Alban's Head is located five kilometres southwest of Swanage, on the coast of Dorset, England.-Geology:The headland is an outcrop of Portland Stone from the overlying Lower Purbeck Stone...
. It is suffering erosion problems along the coast.
The whole of the Isle of Purbeck lies within the local government district of Purbeck, which is named after it. However the district extends significantly further north and west than the traditional boundary of the Isle of Purbeck along the River Frome.
Geology
The geology of the Isle is complex. It has a discordant coastlineDiscordant coastline
A discordant coastline occurs where bands of differing rock type run perpendicular to the coast.The differing resistance to erosion leads to the formation of headlands and bays...
along the east and concordant coastline
Concordant coastline
A concordant, longitudinal, or Pacific type coastline occurs where beds, or layers, of differing rock types are folded into ridges that run parallel to the coast. The outer hard rock provides a protective barrier to erosion of the softer rocks further inland...
along the south. The northern part is Eocene
Eocene
The Eocene Epoch, lasting from about 56 to 34 million years ago , is a major division of the geologic timescale and the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the Cenozoic Era. The Eocene spans the time from the end of the Palaeocene Epoch to the beginning of the Oligocene Epoch. The start of the...
clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
(Barton Beds), including significant deposits of Purbeck Ball Clay
Purbeck Ball Clay
Purbeck Ball Clay is a concentration of ball clay found on the Isle of Purbeck in the English county of Dorset.-Geology:The main concentration of ball clay in Dorset is to the north of the Purbeck Hills centred around Norden. Ball clays are sedimentary in origin...
. Where the land rises to the sea there are several parallel strata of Jurassic
Jurassic
The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Mya to Mya, that is, from the end of the Triassic to the beginning of the Cretaceous. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic era, also known as the age of reptiles. The start of the period is marked by...
rocks, including Portland limestone
Portland stone
Portland stone is a limestone from the Tithonian stage of the Jurassic period quarried on the Isle of Portland, Dorset. The quarries consist of beds of white-grey limestone separated by chert beds. It has been used extensively as a building stone throughout the British Isles, notably in major...
and the Purbeck beds. The latter include Purbeck Marble
Purbeck Marble
Purbeck Marble is a fossiliferous limestone quarried in the Isle of Purbeck, a peninsula in south-east Dorset, England.It is one of many kinds of Purbeck Limestone, deposited in the late Jurassic or early Cretaceous periods....
, a particularly hard limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
that can be polished (though mineralogicaly, it is not marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
). A ridge of Cretaceous
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...
chalk
Chalk
Chalk is a soft, white, porous sedimentary rock, a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite. Calcite is calcium carbonate or CaCO3. It forms under reasonably deep marine conditions from the gradual accumulation of minute calcite plates shed from micro-organisms called coccolithophores....
runs along the peninsula creating the Purbeck Hills
Purbeck Hills
The Purbeck Hills and South Dorset Downs are a ridge of chalk downs in Dorset, England. The hills extend from the Dorset Downs west of Dorchester, where the River Frome begins to form a valley dividing them from the larger area of downland to the north. The ridge then runs east through the Isle...
, part of the southern England Chalk Formation
Chalk Formation
The Chalk Group is a lithostratigraphic unit in the northwestern part of Europe. It is characterised by thick deposits of chalk, a soft porous white limestone, deposited in a marine environment during the Upper Cretaceous period.Chalk is a limestone that consists of coccolith biomicrite...
that includes Salisbury Plain
Salisbury Plain
Salisbury Plain is a chalk plateau in central southern England covering . It is part of the Southern England Chalk Formation and largely lies within the county of Wiltshire, with a little in Hampshire. The plain is famous for its rich archaeology, including Stonehenge, one of England's best known...
, the Dorset Downs
Dorset Downs
The Dorset Downs are an area of Chalk downland in the centre of the county Dorset in south west England. The downs are the most western part of a larger Chalk Formation which also includes Cranborne Chase, Salisbury Plain, Hampshire Downs, Chiltern Hills, North Downs and South Downs.The Dorset...
and the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
. The cliffs here are some of the most spectacular in England, and of great geological interest, both for the rock types and variety of landforms, notably Lulworth Cove
Lulworth Cove
Lulworth Cove is a cove near the village of West Lulworth, on the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site in Dorset, southern England. The cove is one of the world's finest examples of such a landform, and is a tourist location with over 1 million visitors a year...
and Durdle Door
Durdle Door
Durdle Door is a natural limestone arch on the Jurassic Coast near Lulworth in Dorset, England. It is privately owned by the Welds, a family who own in Dorset in the name of the Lulworth Estate. It is open to the public...
, and the coast is part of the Jurassic Coast
Jurassic Coast
The Jurassic Coast is a World Heritage Site on the English Channel coast of southern England. The site stretches from Orcombe Point near Exmouth in East Devon to Old Harry Rocks near Swanage in East Dorset, a distance of ....
World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
because of the unique geology.
In the past quarrying of limestone was particularly concentrated around the western side of Swanage
Swanage
Swanage is a coastal town and civil parish in the south east of Dorset, England. It is situated at the eastern end of the Isle of Purbeck, approximately 10 km south of Poole and 40 km east of Dorchester. The parish has a population of 10,124 . Nearby are Ballard Down and Old Harry Rocks,...
, the villages of Worth Matravers
Worth Matravers
Worth Matravers is a village and civil parish in the English county of Dorset. The village is situated on the cliffs west of Swanage. It comprises limestone cottages and farm houses and is built around a pond, which is a regular feature on postcards of the Isle of Purbeck.The civil parish stretches...
and Langton Matravers
Langton Matravers
Langton Matravers is a small village on the Isle of Purbeck, in the county of Dorset in the south of England.Langton Matravers is part of the Purbeck local government district and is within the South Dorset constituency of the House of Commons and the South West England constituency of the European...
, and the cliffs along the coast between Swanage and St. Aldhelm's Head
St Alban's Head
St Alban's Head is located five kilometres southwest of Swanage, on the coast of Dorset, England.-Geology:The headland is an outcrop of Portland Stone from the overlying Lower Purbeck Stone...
. The "caves" at Tilly Whim are former quarries, and Dancing Ledge
Dancing Ledge
Dancing Ledge is part of the Jurassic Coast near Langton Matravers in the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset, England.-Geology:Dancing Ledge is a flat area of rock at the base of a small cliff . It is signposted on the South West Coast Path a few kilometres west of Swanage...
, Seacombe and Winspit
Winspit
Winspit is an old quarry on the cliffs near Worth Matravers in the Isle of Purbeck, Dorset, England that is no longer in use. More recently it has been used as a set for Doctor Who and Blake's 7....
are other cliff-edge quarries. Stone was removed from the cliff quarries either by sea, or using horse carts to transport large blocks to Swanage. Many of England's most famous cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
s are adorned with Purbeck marble, and much of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
was rebuilt in Portland and Purbeck stone after the Great Fire of London
Great Fire of London
The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through the central parts of the English city of London, from Sunday, 2 September to Wednesday, 5 September 1666. The fire gutted the medieval City of London inside the old Roman City Wall...
.
By contrast, the principal ball clay workings were in the area between Corfe Castle and Wareham
Wareham, Dorset
Wareham is an historic market town and, under the name Wareham Town, a civil parish, in the English county of Dorset. The town is situated on the River Frome eight miles southwest of Poole.-Situation and geography:...
. Originally the clay was taken by pack horse to wharves
Wharf
A wharf or quay is a structure on the shore of a harbor where ships may dock to load and unload cargo or passengers.Such a structure includes one or more berths , and may also include piers, warehouses, or other facilities necessary for handling the ships.A wharf commonly comprises a fixed...
on the River Frome
River Frome, Dorset
The River Frome is a river in Dorset in the south of England. At 30 miles long it is the major chalkstream in southwest England. It is navigable upstream from Poole Harbour as far as the town of Wareham.-Geography:...
and the south side of Poole Harbour
Poole Harbour
Poole Harbour is a large natural harbour in Dorset, southern England, with the town of Poole on its shores. The harbour is a drowned valley formed at the end of the last ice age and is the estuary of several rivers, the largest being the Frome. The harbour has a long history of human settlement...
. However in the first half of the 19th century the pack horses were replaced by horse drawn tramways. With the coming of the railway from Wareham to Swanage, most ball clay was dispatched by rail, often to the Potteries district of Staffordshire
Staffordshire
Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...
.
Quarrying still takes place in Purbeck, with both Purbeck Ball Clay
Purbeck Ball Clay
Purbeck Ball Clay is a concentration of ball clay found on the Isle of Purbeck in the English county of Dorset.-Geology:The main concentration of ball clay in Dorset is to the north of the Purbeck Hills centred around Norden. Ball clays are sedimentary in origin...
and limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
s being transported from the area by road. There are now no functioning quarries of Purbeck Marble
Purbeck Marble
Purbeck Marble is a fossiliferous limestone quarried in the Isle of Purbeck, a peninsula in south-east Dorset, England.It is one of many kinds of Purbeck Limestone, deposited in the late Jurassic or early Cretaceous periods....
.
Wild flowers
The Isle has the highest number of species of native and anciently introduced wild flowers of any area of comparable size in Britain. This is largely due to the varied geology. The species most frequently sought is Early Spider Orchid, which in Britain, is most common in Purbeck. Nearly 50,000 flowering spikesRaceme
A raceme is a type of inflorescence that is unbranched and indeterminate and bears pedicellate flowers — flowers having short floral stalks called pedicels — along the axis. In botany, axis means a shoot, in this case one bearing the flowers. In a raceme, the oldest flowers are borne...
were counted in 2009. Late April is the best time, and the largest population is usually in the field to the west of Dancing Ledge
Dancing Ledge
Dancing Ledge is part of the Jurassic Coast near Langton Matravers in the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset, England.-Geology:Dancing Ledge is a flat area of rock at the base of a small cliff . It is signposted on the South West Coast Path a few kilometres west of Swanage...
. Smaller numbers can be seen on a shorter walk in Durlston Country Park
Durlston Country Park
Durlston Country Park is a 1.13 square kilometre country park and nature reserve stretching along the coast of the Isle of Purbeck near Swanage in Dorset, England...
. This orchid is the logo of the Dorset Wildlife Trust
Dorset Wildlife Trust
The Dorset Wildlife Trust is a wildlife trust covering the county of Dorset, United Kingdom. The Trust was originally founded in 1961 to protect and conserve the wildlife and natural habitats of the county. The Trust is headquartered at Brooklands Farm, just north of Dorchester...
. Cowslip meadows (Primula veris
Primula veris
Primula veris is a flowering plant in the genus Primula. The species is found throughout most of temperate Europe and Asia, and although absent from more northerly areas including much of northwest Scotland, it reappears in northernmost Sutherland and Orkney.-Names:The common name cowslip derives...
and Primula deorum
Primula deorum
Primula deorum is a flowering dicot plant of the genus Primula in the primulaceae family. This alpine plant is endemic to roughly 63 km2 above the tree-line in the Rila mountains in Bulgaria, where it grows in small groups in acid, boggy soil near streams and pools and in boggy soil...
) are at their best shortly afterwards and Durlston Country Park has several large ones.
In early May several woods have carpets of Wild Garlic
Ramsons
Ramsons — also known as buckrams, wild garlic, broad-leaved garlic, wood garlic, bear leek, and bear's garlic — is a wild relative of chives native to Europe and Asia...
(Ramsons). King's Wood and Studland Wood, both owned by The National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
, are good examples. At around the same time and later some Downs have carpets of yellow Horseshoe Vetch
Horseshoe Vetch
Hippocrepis comosa, known as Horseshoe Vetch, is a flowering plant. It is the sole food of the butterfly species Polyommatus coridon, or the Chalkhill Blue....
and blue Chalk Milkwort
Polygala
Polygala is a genus of about 500 species of flowering plants belonging to the family Polygalaceae, commonly known as milkwort or snakeroot...
. In late May the field near Old Harry Rocks
Old Harry Rocks
The Old Harry Rocks are two chalk sea stacks located at Handfast Point, on the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset, southern England.- Location :Old Harry Rocks lie directly east of Studland, about 4 kilometres northeast of Swanage, and about 10 kilometres south of the large towns of Poole and...
has a carpet of yellow Kidney Vetch.
Sheep's bit (blue) and Sea Bindweed (pink and white) lend colour to Studland
Studland
Studland is a small village on the Isle of Purbeck in the English county of Dorset. It is famous for its beaches and nature reserve. In 2001 Studland had a population of 480, the lowest in 50 years...
dunes in June. Both Heath Spotted
Dactylorhiza maculata
The Heath Spotted Orchid or Moorland Spotted Orchid , is an herbaceous perennial plant belonging to the family Orchidaceae.-Etymology:...
and Southern Marsh Orchids are frequent on Corfe Common that month, and Harebells and Betony (purple) flowers add colour to the Common in July.
Dorset Heath, the county flower, can be found in July and August in large numbers, especially on and around Hartland Moor, in damper parts of the heathland. Bog Asphodel
Bog Asphodel
Narthecium ossifragum, commonly known as bog-, Lancashire- or bastard asphodel, is a plant of Western Europe, found on wet, boggy moorlands up to about 1000 m. It produces spikes of bright yellow flowers in summer. The bright orange fruits have been used as a colourant to replace saffron by...
gives displays of yellow flowers there in early July. Marsh Gentian
Marsh Gentian
Gentiana pneumonanthe is a species of the genus Gentiana. It was the first wildflower announced as flower of the year in Germany in 1980.The species can be found in Marshes and Moorlands. It is the host-plant of the Alcon Blue ....
is found less frequently in similar areas from mid August to mid September.
Roman period
A number of Romano-British sites have been discovered and studied on the Isle of Purbeck, including a villa at Bucknowle FarmBucknowle Farm
Bucknowle Farm is the site of Romano-British findings. Bucknowle Farm is located one kilometre southeast of Church Knowle, one kilometre southwest of Corfe Castle village...
near Corfe Castle, excavated between 1976 and 1991. The Kimmeridge shale
Shale
Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock composed of mud that is a mix of flakes of clay minerals and tiny fragments of other minerals, especially quartz and calcite. The ratio of clay to other minerals is variable. Shale is characterized by breaks along thin laminae or parallel layering...
of the Isle was worked extensively during the Roman period, into jewellery, decorative panels and furniture.
The isle
A large part of the district is now designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), but a portion of the coast around Worbarrow BayWorbarrow Bay
Worbarrow Bay is a large broad and shallow bay just to the east of Lulworth Cove on the Isle of Purbeck, Dorset, England.- Location :Worbarrow Bay is located about six kilometres south of Wareham and about 16 kilometres west of Swanage. At the eastern end of the Bay is a promontory known as...
and the ghost village
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
of Tyneham
Tyneham
Tyneham is a ghost village in south Dorset, England, near Lulworth on the Isle of Purbeck. It remains a civil parish.-Location:The village is situated northeast of Worbarrow Bay on the Jurassic Coast, about south of Wareham and about west of Swanage. It is part of the Lulworth Estate. Tyneham is...
is still, after nearly 60 years, in the possession of the Ministry of Defence
Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom)
The Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
who use it as a training area. Lulworth Military Range
Lulworth Military Range
Lulworth Military Range is a military firing range located between Wareham and Lulworth in Dorset, England. It is owned by the Ministry of Defence and is part of the Armoured Fighting Vehicles Gunnery School....
is part of the Armoured Fighting Vehicles Gunnery School. Tanks and other Armoured vehicle
Armoured fighting vehicle
An armoured fighting vehicle is a combat vehicle, protected by strong armour and armed with weapons. AFVs can be wheeled or tracked....
s are used in this area and shells
Shell (projectile)
A shell is a payload-carrying projectile, which, as opposed to shot, contains an explosive or other filling, though modern usage sometimes includes large solid projectiles properly termed shot . Solid shot may contain a pyrotechnic compound if a tracer or spotting charge is used...
are fired. Due to safety reasons, right of entry is only given when the army ranges are not in operation. Large red flags are flown and flashing warning lamps on Bindon Hill
Bindon Hill
Bindon Hill is an extensive Iron Age earthwork enclosing a coastal hill area near Lulworth Cove in Dorset, England.- Location :The Hill is located about 19 kilometres west of Swanage, about six kilometres south west of Wareham and about 17 kilometres south east of Dorchester.Bindon Hill is only...
and St Alban's Head
St Alban's Head
St Alban's Head is located five kilometres southwest of Swanage, on the coast of Dorset, England.-Geology:The headland is an outcrop of Portland Stone from the overlying Lower Purbeck Stone...
are lit when the range is in Military use. At such times the entrance gates are locked and wardens patrol the area.
Other places of note are:
- SwanageSwanageSwanage is a coastal town and civil parish in the south east of Dorset, England. It is situated at the eastern end of the Isle of Purbeck, approximately 10 km south of Poole and 40 km east of Dorchester. The parish has a population of 10,124 . Nearby are Ballard Down and Old Harry Rocks,...
, at the eastern end of the peninsula, is a seaside resortSeaside resortA seaside resort is a resort, or resort town, located on the coast. Where a beach is the primary focus for tourists, it may be called a beach resort.- Overview :...
. At one time it was linked by a branch railway line from WarehamWareham, DorsetWareham is an historic market town and, under the name Wareham Town, a civil parish, in the English county of Dorset. The town is situated on the River Frome eight miles southwest of Poole.-Situation and geography:...
; this was closed in 1972, but has now reopened as the Swanage RailwaySwanage RailwayThe Swanage Railway is a long heritage railway in the Purbeck district of Dorset, England. The railway follows the route of the Purbeck branch line between Norden railway station, Corfe Castle railway station, Harman's Cross railway station, Herston Halt railway station and Swanage...
, a heritage railwayHeritage railwaythumb|right|the Historical [[Khyber train safari|Khyber Railway]] goes through the [[Khyber Pass]], [[Pakistan]]A heritage railway , preserved railway , tourist railway , or tourist railroad is a railway that is run as a tourist attraction, in some cases by volunteers, and...
. - StudlandStudlandStudland is a small village on the Isle of Purbeck in the English county of Dorset. It is famous for its beaches and nature reserve. In 2001 Studland had a population of 480, the lowest in 50 years...
: This is a seaside village in its own sandy bay. Nearby, lying off-shore from The Foreland (also Handfast Point), are the chalk stacks named Old Harry RocksOld Harry RocksThe Old Harry Rocks are two chalk sea stacks located at Handfast Point, on the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset, southern England.- Location :Old Harry Rocks lie directly east of Studland, about 4 kilometres northeast of Swanage, and about 10 kilometres south of the large towns of Poole and...
: Old Harry and his Wife. - Poole HarbourPoole HarbourPoole Harbour is a large natural harbour in Dorset, southern England, with the town of Poole on its shores. The harbour is a drowned valley formed at the end of the last ice age and is the estuary of several rivers, the largest being the Frome. The harbour has a long history of human settlement...
is popular with yachtsmen; it contains Brownsea IslandBrownsea IslandBrownsea Island is the largest of the islands in Poole Harbour in the county of Dorset, England. The island is owned by the National Trust. Much of the island is open to the public and includes areas of woodland and heath with a wide variety of wildlife, together with cliff top views across Poole...
, the site of the first-ever Scout campBrownsea Island Scout campThe Brownsea Island Scout camp was a boys camping event on Brownsea Island in Poole Harbour, southern England, organised by Lieutenant-General Baden-Powell to test his ideas for the book Scouting for Boys. Boys from different social backgrounds participated from 1 August to 8 August 1907 in...
. - Corfe CastleCorfe CastleCorfe Castle is a village and civil parish in the English county of Dorset. It is the site of a ruined castle of the same name. The village and castle stand over a gap in the Purbeck Hills on the route between Wareham and Swanage. The village lies in the gap below the castle, and is some eight...
is in the centre of the Isle, with its picturesque village named after it. - Langton MatraversLangton MatraversLangton Matravers is a small village on the Isle of Purbeck, in the county of Dorset in the south of England.Langton Matravers is part of the Purbeck local government district and is within the South Dorset constituency of the House of Commons and the South West England constituency of the European...
, which was once the home of several boys preparatory schoolsPreparatory school (UK)In English language usage in the former British Empire, the present-day Commonwealth, a preparatory school is an independent school preparing children up to the age of eleven or thirteen for entry into fee-paying, secondary independent schools, some of which are known as public schools...
until 2007 when The Old MalthouseThe Old MalthouseThe Old Malthouse School was a preparatory school in the village of Langton Matravers near Swanage in the Isle of Purbeck, Dorset, United Kingdom....
closed. - Kimmeridge BayKimmeridgeKimmeridge is a small village in the Purbeck district of Dorset, England, situated on the English Channel coast. Kimmeridge is about south of Wareham and about west of Swanage and is on the Isle of Purbeck...
, with its fossil-rich Jurassic shale cliffs, and site of the oldest continually working oil well in the world.
External links
- West, I., The Geology of the Wessex Coast centred on Corfe Castle at Grid referenceBritish national grid reference systemThe Ordnance Survey National Grid reference system is a system of geographic grid references used in Great Britain, different from using latitude and longitude....
: SY 960 820. - National Coastwatch Institution St Alban's Head Website
- Links to all the Museums on the Isle of Purbeck
- Isle of Purbeck - Public Aquarium