Walking the Jurassic Coast: 95 Miles of Geological Time, and Mary Anning’s Overlooked Legacy

Mary Anning sold fossils to support her family from childhood, discovered the first complete ichthyosaur skeleton in 1823 at age 12, found the first plesiosaur skeleton recognised by science in 1823, and the first British pterosaur. She was a working-class woman in early 19th-century England and was systematically excluded from the scientific institutions whose members published research based on her discoveries. The scientific society allowed her to attend lectures as a courtesy but not as a member. She died of breast cancer in 1847. The Geological Society of London, which had excluded her throughout her career, published an obituary acknowledging her contributions. The American paleontologist Richard Owen, who had benefited significantly from her finds, did not mention her in the speech he gave about the ichthyosaur.

The Jurassic Coast runs 95 miles along the southern shoreline of England, from Exmouth in East Devon to Studland Bay in Dorset. It was the first natural UNESCO World Heritage Site in England, inscribed in 2001. The reason is straightforward: the cliffs expose an unbroken sequence of Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous rock spanning 185 million years. Walk east to west and you’re walking forward in geological time.

What You’re Actually Looking At

The red sandstone cliffs around Ladram Bay date from roughly 240 million years ago, when this area was a desert. By the time you reach the limestone and shale around Lyme Regis, you’re into Jurassic seas teeming with ammonites and ichthyosaurs. The white chalk cliffs at the eastern end, including the Isle of Portland and Old Harry Rocks, are Cretaceous.

This isn’t just scenic. After storms, particularly in winter, fossils wash onto beaches between Charmouth and Seatown. Ammonites are common. Ichthyosaur vertebrae turn up regularly. Mary Anning discovered the first complete ichthyosaur skeleton at Lyme Regis in 1823, aged 12.

Where to Start

Lyme Regis is the obvious base. The town sits on an unstable cliff and has been falling into the sea for centuries, which is precisely why the fossil hunting is so good. The Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre (free entry) has decent exhibits on local geology and can tell you where recent finds have been made.

Durdle Door is the coast’s most photographed spot, a natural limestone arch with a shingle beach. It’s 15 minutes on foot from the car park at Lulworth Cove. Lulworth itself is worth an hour. The cove’s near-perfect circular shape results from waves breaking through a narrow band of hard Portland limestone, then scouring out the softer rock behind.

Chesil Beach is genuinely strange: 18 miles of shingle bank, up to 14 metres high, enclosing a tidal lagoon called The Fleet. The pebbles are graded by size from west to east, supposedly accurately enough that local fishermen landing in fog could tell their position by the pebble size. Foot access from Portland is rough. Abbotsbury at the western end is easier.

Fossil Hunting Rules

You can collect loose fossils from the beach below the high tide mark. Do not hammer the cliffs. This is illegal, actively dangerous (cliffs collapse without warning), and ruins the context of finds for science. Walk after a storm, look at the base of cliffs, and turn over stones on the beach. Bring a soft brush and a bag.

Getting Around

The South West Coast Path follows the entire Jurassic Coast section. No car is needed if you plan properly. Train access is good at Axminster (for Lyme Regis), Weymouth, and Wool (for Lulworth). First Bus runs coastal services in summer but schedules are thin. A car makes hopping between key sites much easier between October and March.

Where to Eat and Sleep

In Lyme Regis, Hix Oyster & Fish House on Cobb Road is the upmarket choice, using local catch. Around £35-£50 a head. Alexandra Hotel on Pound Street is a solid mid-range option with sea views from around £120 per night. For a cheaper base, Bridport (12 miles east) has more options and the Bull Hotel on East Street is well run.

At Lulworth, the Castle Inn in West Lulworth serves decent pub food and has rooms. Book months ahead for summer weekends.

Practical Notes

The best fossil hunting is late autumn through early spring. Summer crowds at Durdle Door can make it feel like a beach resort rather than a geological monument. October on Charmouth beach, almost alone, with fresh falls from the cliff face, is a completely different experience.