I recently went to a friend's wedding which happened to be down at Sandbanks in Poole, Dorset, somewhere quite famous for housing all its millionaires - it's one of the finest places to live in the country. We used to go there when I was quite young, just for the exquisite sandy beaches, but nowadays we're lumbered with pebbles on them on our stretch of the seafront in Sussex.
Unbeknown to me, I grew up on what is commonly called the Jurassic Coast. Having left when I was 18 and always having taken it completely for granted as one does when young and never having got around to exploring it as an adult on little sojourns back home, it was wonderful to re-visit some of it and I would like to return with the children.
Here is an article brought to us by Haven Holiday Parks who focused on this area especially for me, giving us their tips about where to go and what to do. N.B. When they talk about dinosaurs living in Dorset, they are not referring to me and my friends, OK?
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If you’ve never been to Dorset, you might not know that the
county is home to the stunning world famous Jurassic Coast. Not only was this
coastline England’s first natural World Heritage Site, it’s also 200 million
years old, 95 miles long and millions of years ago it was home to dinosaurs.
Look carefully and you might even find some fossils!
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Fossil hunting on Charmouth Beach
No trip to Dorset is complete without trying to find a
dinosaur fossil. Charmouth Beach is just 2 miles from Lyme Regis and one of the
best locations for fossil hunting.
Experts call Charmouth Beach a highly fossilified area and
complete fish skeletons have even been found in the past. Although most people
won’t find a big fossil, small ammonite fossils are very common. Fossil hunting
is a great activity to do with your little ones – just bring along your keen
eye and a bucket!
Our top tip is to walk along the beach at the tide line and
crouch down to get a closer look. Above all remember to respect the coastline
and not to hammer or chisel at the cliffs.
Dinosaur Museum, Dorchester
For all things dinosaur, make your next stop the Dinosaur
Museum in Dorchester. This whole museum is dedicated to dinosaurs and has
life-size reconstructions of all the favourites, including a T-Rex, stegosaurus
and triceratops.
It’s one of the area’s most popular attractions and a must
for all visitors to the Jurassic Coast. What’s more, it’s no ordinary museum as
it’s highly interactive and gives visitors loads of opportunities to get
involved with hands-on displays. You can even feel what kind of skin the
dinosaurs had!
Lulworth Cove
Lulworth Cove is one of the most popular hotspots on the
Jurassic Coast as it’s home to the Durdle Door – an iconic geographical wonder
of the south coast. This natural arch juts out into the sea and is a stunning
sight whatever the weather.
This picturesque cove is just a short drive away from Rockley Park Holiday Park and one of the
best places in the country to go rock pooling. So pack a bucket and head down
to Lulworth Cove to see what you can find.
Old Harry Rocks
The Old Harry Rocks are the final must-see on the Jurassic
Coast. These two iconic chalk formations – a stack and a stump – lie just 10km south
of Poole and Rockley Park. The largest stump is called Old Harry and the
smaller one is commonly known as his ‘wife.’ Unfortunately, Old Harry’s Wife partially
collapsed due to erosion in the late 1800s but the pair still stand strong for
new generation of visitors to witness.
This iconic natural wonder lies at the most easterly point
of the Jurassic Coast and whatever you do, don’t leave Dorset without seeing
it.
[Disclosure - I have been compensated for the privilege of running this post!].
