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Wednesday, February 22, 2012
The Dorset and East Devon Coast World Heritage Site is England's first natural World Heritage Site - it is known as The Jurassic Coast. It covers 95 miles of truly stunning coastline from East Devon to Dorset, with rocks recording 185 million years of the Earth's history.
World Heritage status was achieved because of the site's unique insight into the Earth Sciences as it clearly depicts a geological ‘walk through time' spanning the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.
World Heritage Sites are places of ‘outstanding universal value' selected by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation)
The Jurassic Coast is extremely well served by its Gateway Towns and villages which provide a good range of accommodation, museums and visitor centres throughout the area. In addition to these, the 'Anchor Towns' of Exeter, Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch also provide an extensive range of visitor facilities.
Tourist Information Centres, located within some of these towns, provide invaluable points of contact for visitor information - why not contact them ahead of your visit to see what's on offer and then pop in again on your arrival to the area, they are there to make your trip as enjoyable as possible and staff will be happy to advise.
The site is managed by the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site Team, based at County Hall in Dorchester.
For more details, visit the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site website.
You can also explore the World Heritage Site virtually on the new World Heritage South West website, with an interactive map of walks, public transport, accommodation, sites of interest & more.