Isle of Purbeck

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The Isle of Purbeck, not a true island but a peninsula, is in the county of Dorset, England. It is bordered by the English Channel to the south and east, where steep cliffs fall to the sea; and by the marshy lands of the River Frome and Poole Harbour to the north. Its western boundary is less well defined. The most southerly point is St Aldhelm's or St Alban's Head. As in most parts of Britain this place is also suffering erosion problems along the coast.

[edit] Geology

The geology of the Isle is complex. The northern part is Eocene clay (Barton beds), but where the land rises to the sea there are several parallel strata of Jurassic rocks, including Portland limestone and the Purbeck beds. The latter include Purbeck marble, a particularly hard limestone which is capable of being polished (although in geological terms it is not marble). A ridge of Cretaceous chalk runs along the peninsula creating the Purbeck Hills, part of the southern England Chalk Formation which includes Salisbury Plain, the Dorset Downs and the Isle of Wight. The cliffs here are some of the most spectacular in England, and of great geological interest, both for the rock types and variety of landforms, notably Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door, and the coast is part of the Jurassic coast World Heritage Site because of the unique geology.

Quarrying still takes place in Purbeck; in the past quarrying was particularly around the western side of Swanage, the villages of Worth Matravers and Langton Matravers, and the cliffs along the coast between Swanage and St. Aldhelm's Head. The "caves" at Tilly Whim are former quarries, and Dancing Ledge, Seacombe and Winspit are other cliff-edge quarries. Stone was removed from the cliff quarries either by sea, or using horse carts to transport large blocks to Swanage.

Many of England's most famous cathedrals are adorned with Purbeck marble, and much of London was rebuilt in Portland and Purbeck stone after the Great Fire of London.

See also: Geology of Dorset.

[edit] The Isle

A large part of the district is now designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), but a portion of the coast around Worbarrow Bay is still, after over 50 years, in the hands of the Army, and has not yet been acquired.

Other places of importance are:

Swanage, at the southern end of the peninsula, is a seaside resort. At one time it was linked by a branch railway line from Wareham; this was closed in 1972, but has now reopened as the Swanage Railway, a heritage railway.
Studland: This is a seaside village in its own sandy bay. Nearby, lying off-shore from The Foreland (also Handfast Point), are the chalk stacks named Old Harry Rocks: Old Harry and his Wife.
Poole Harbour is popular with yachtsmen; it contains Brownsea Island, the site of the first-ever Scout camp.
Corfe Castle is in the centre of the Isle, with its picturesque village named after it.
Langton Matravers once the home of several boys preparatory schools now only The Old Malthouse remains