Stairhole at Lulworth Cove!

Lulworth Cove



At Lulworth Cove, limestone forms a massive barrier against the sea. A perfect horseshoe bay has developed where a stream breached and eroded the limestone allowing the sea to enter the valley and hollow out the softer clays lying behind the limestone barrier. The chalk forms a resistant cliff at the back of the bay. The cove is one of the most famous features within the World Heritage site

The Cliffs between Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door





This photograph clearly shows the chalk of the Certatious era and is one of the youngest rock types to be seen on the Jurassic Coast. Chalk is a soft, very finely grained limestone formed from a 'mud' of calcium carbonate, often made up of the shells of tiny marine organisms

These cliffs, Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove can be seen to thier best advantage from the sea, on boat trips from Lulworth and Weymouth

For information there is a Heritage Centre at Lulworth Cove

Lulworth Cove and Stair Hole



The coast around Lulworth Cove demonstates all stages in the development of bays and headlands, and how that development is controlled by the underlying geology. Along this section of the coast, the rocks have been tilted into a near vertical position

The oldest rocks, Portland Limestone, provides a barrier to the sea, behind which are progressively softer rocks, Purbeck Limestone, Lower Greensand, Wealdon Clay and Upper Greensand. The youngest rocks are chalk, which although soft are massive in thickness

The river that runs into the cove at one time reached the sea, through a cut in the hard Portland Limestone barrier. This allowed the sea to erode the Limestone. Once the sea reached the softer rocks behind, especially the Wealdon Clay, rapid erosion took place. Once the sea reched the chalk, erosion slowed, forming the perfect bay

To the west, the sea has been eroding the Portland Limestone at Stair Hole and the process of bay formation has just begun. Eventually lulworth Cove and Stair Hole will form one larger cove

Source: text

Lulworth Stairhole from a Slightly Whacky Angle!

Back to Lulworth Stairhole!

Another picture of the Lulworth Stairhole ... also known as the Lulworth Crumple! What you see is another cove being created next to Lulworth Cove. The breach has been made by collapsinig caves and arches. This has revealed the famous Lulworth Crumple, a complex fold formed by major earth movements that occurred in the same period that the Alps were formed.

[Courtesy of The Official Guide to the Jurassic Coast]

The rocks in this area are from the jurassic and Cretatious era, which are from 65 million to a little over 140 million years ago

The Cliffs between Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove