Although I had heard about the Jurassic Coast, I didn’t know what to expect when I visited this World Heritage Site in March this year to write an article for Dutch newspaper ’Trouw’. I knew about Durdle Door, because it is such a populair place among landscape photographers and off course I did some research, but before that I’d never heard about Scratchy Bottom, Stonebarrow Cliffs, Golden Cap or Lulworth Cove which has quite a different meaning in Dutch. (Don’t tell anybody that you heard this from me!)
Jim from Lulworth Heritage Centre walking the Lulworth Area
Thanks to Jurassic Coast Guide and Ambassador Martin Curtis, Fossil expert and Ambassador Steve Snowball, Ranger Jim Gale and Caroline Sharp of the visitor centre in Lulworth, I had a great week. They guided me through the stunning area and along the stories from the coastline. I ‘met’ Mary Anning and learned about her discoveries and major contribution to the understanding of the history of the earth, I have seen the fossils on the beach under the Stonebarrow Cliffs and I was impressed by the beauty of the rough coastline.
Martin Curtis took me up to the Golden Cap as you can see on one of the photos. The light played with the clouds and the sea. It was a beautiful day which ended in a good sunset over the West Bay Cliffs and Hive Beach. Martin and I were talking like we knew each other for a much longer time than only one day.
Golden Cap
Sunset at Burton Bradstock
Over the following days I visited Portland’s Pulpit Rock and the lighthouse. Together with Jim Gale, one of the most enthusiastic rangers I’ve met and who became lyrical about the rare birds he spotted, I walked the Lulworth area. With Martin I walked to the Old Harry Rocks and later that day I stood in the footprints of Dinosaurs! Thanks to Martin who took me to a secret place. And although it rained cats and dinosaurs it was a great experience.
One of my main goals was to take a photo which would tell the story of the coast in one picture. Finally I succeeded, but unfortunately I can’t show the picture, because the article is not published yet, but I can show you some other photos in which I tried to catch the Jurassic Coast in a different way. The coastline has been photographed so much and in such a good way that it is difficult to bring in something new or unique, but it was a very nice challenge to do it. Enjoy the photos and maybe we will meet one day on top of Golden Cap, in front of Durdle Door or at Joe’s Cafe at the South Beach drinking a coffee and having one of their delicious brownies.
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Blog by Frank Peters
Durdle Door copyright Frank Peters
