Osmington Mills
Encyclopedia
Osmington Mills is a coastal village
situated between Ringstead Bay
(to the east) and the town of Weymouth (to the west) in Dorset
, England
. It is located within the civil parish
of Osmington
.
and caravan
sites) and a public house
(of which the site has been traced back to the 13th century). Footpaths provide routes connecting the village to Weymouth to the west, a walk of approximately 5 miles (8 km), and to Ringstead Bay
1 miles (1.6 km) away eastwards, via Bran Point
approximately at the halfway point.
; and as such, fossil
s can be found in the cliff
s. To the west are Black Head
and beyond that Redcliff Point
, with fossils in the Upper Oxford Clay
.
ist John Constable
in the early 19th century. He spent his honeymoon in the area in 1816. Paintings include:
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
situated between Ringstead Bay
Ringstead Bay
Ringstead Bay and the small village of Ringstead are located on the coast in Dorset, southern England. They are accessible by way of a private road that you have to pay £5 to be able to use with a car park at the end near the sea. There is an alternative car park that is free...
(to the east) and the town of Weymouth (to the west) in 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 located within the civil parish
Civil parish
In England, a civil parish is a territorial designation and, where they are found, the lowest tier of local government below districts and counties...
of Osmington
Osmington
Osmington is a village and civil parish in the District of West Dorset within Dorset, England, situated on the Jurassic Coast northeast of Weymouth. The village has a population of 609.To the east is Osmington Hill.-History:...
.
Tourism
The village is popular with tourists; providing numerous holiday facilities (including campingCampsite
A campsite or camping pitch is a place used for overnight stay in the outdoors. In British English a campsite is an area, usually divided into a number of pitches, where people can camp overnight using tents or camper vans or caravans; this British English use of the word is synonymous with the...
and caravan
Recreational vehicle
Recreational vehicle or RV is, in North America, the usual term for a Motor vehicle or trailer equipped with living space and amenities found in a home.-Features:...
sites) and a public house
Public house
A public house, informally known as a pub, is a drinking establishment fundamental to the culture of Britain, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand. There are approximately 53,500 public houses in the United Kingdom. This number has been declining every year, so that nearly half of the smaller...
(of which the site has been traced back to the 13th century). Footpaths provide routes connecting the village to Weymouth to the west, a walk of approximately 5 miles (8 km), and to Ringstead Bay
Ringstead Bay
Ringstead Bay and the small village of Ringstead are located on the coast in Dorset, southern England. They are accessible by way of a private road that you have to pay £5 to be able to use with a car park at the end near the sea. There is an alternative car park that is free...
1 miles (1.6 km) away eastwards, via Bran Point
Bran Point
Bran Point is a small headland on the Dorset coast in southern England, about half way between the small villages of Ringstead to the east and Osmington Mills to the west. There is a picturesque cliff-top path between the two villages via Bran Point....
approximately at the halfway point.
Geology
The coastline makes up part of Dorset's Jurassic CoastJurassic 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 ....
; and as such, fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
s can be found in the cliff
Cliff
In geography and geology, a cliff is a significant vertical, or near vertical, rock exposure. Cliffs are formed as erosion landforms due to the processes of erosion and weathering that produce them. Cliffs are common on coasts, in mountainous areas, escarpments and along rivers. Cliffs are usually...
s. To the west are Black Head
Black Head, Dorset
Black Head a headland on the south coast of England, to the east of Weymouth in Dorset. It lies on the Jurassic Coast, a UNESCO World Heritage landscape known for its geology. Fossils can be found in the area.The headland faces out over to the Isle of Portland...
and beyond that Redcliff Point
Redcliff Point
Redcliff Point is on the south coast of England, to the east of Weymouth in Dorset. It lies just past the eastern end of the sweeping Weymouth Bay on the Jurassic Coast, a UNESCO World Heritage landscape known for its geology. Fossils can be found in the Upper Oxford Clay in this area.The cliff...
, with fossils in the Upper Oxford Clay
Oxford Clay
The Oxford Clay Formation is a Jurassic marine sedimentary rock formation underlying much of southeast England, from as far west as Dorset and as far north as Yorkshire. The Oxford Clay is of middle Callovian to lower Oxfordian age and comprises 2 main facies. The lower facies comprises the...
.
John Constable
The area around Osmington Mills and Osmington Bay was painted by the English landscape artLandscape art
Landscape art is a term that covers the depiction of natural scenery such as mountains, valleys, trees, rivers, and forests, and especially art where the main subject is a wide view, with its elements arranged into a coherent composition. In other works landscape backgrounds for figures can still...
ist John Constable
John Constable
John Constable was an English Romantic painter. Born in Suffolk, he is known principally for his landscape paintings of Dedham Vale, the area surrounding his home—now known as "Constable Country"—which he invested with an intensity of affection...
in the early 19th century. He spent his honeymoon in the area in 1816. Paintings include:
- Osmington Bay
- A View of Osmington Bay
- Weymouth Bay from the Downs above Osmington Mills
- Weymouth Bay: Bowleaze Cove and Jordon HillWeymouth Bay: Bowleaze Cove and Jordon HillWeymouth Bay: Bowleaze Cove and Jordon Hill was painted by the leading English landscape artist John Constable in 1816–17. The painting now hangs in the National Gallery, London....
See also
- Geology of DorsetGeology of DorsetDorset, England, rests on a variety of different rock types which give the county its interesting landscapes and habitats. Dorset is particularly noted for its coastline, the Jurassic Coast, which in 2001 was designated a World Heritage Site because of the variety of landforms and fossils...
- List of places on the Jurassic Coast
- TrigoniidaeTrigoniidaeThe Trigoniidae represent a large and morphologically interesting family of highly ornamented non-siphonate bivalves. They originated from the Myophoriidae in the Triassic and underwent an explosion of diversity in the Jurassic, reaching an acme in the Cretaceous, although most genera became...
, found particularly around Osmington Mills