Swanage

Location of Swanage

The Isle of Purbeck in Dorset; on the south coast of England

Geological setting

A discordant coastline where bands of hard and soft rock run perpendicular to the coast

Formation of Swanage Bay

Formed from a band of soft clay and sands which eroded more quickly than surrounding rock

Formation of Studland Bay

Another bay formed to the north of Swanage in a band of soft clay and sands

The Foreland (Handfast Point)

A headland made of resistant Chalk that separates the bays

Durlston Head

A headland made of resistant Limestone found to the south of Swanage Bay

Old Harry Rocks

A famous stack and stump located at the end of The Foreland

Formation of Old Harry

Erosion of a chalk headland through the cave-arch-stack-stump sequence

Ballard Point

A headland made of Chalk located between Studland Bay and Swanage Bay

Concordant coastline nearby

Found further south at Lulworth Cove where rock bands run parallel to the coast

Formation of Lulworth Cove

A gap eroded in a band of resistant Limestone; allowing the sea to rapidly erode the softer clay behind it

Chesil Beach

A famous tombolo (spit connecting an island to the mainland) found further along the Dorset coast