Chesil Beach
Chesil Beach is 18 miles in length, roughly 160 metres wide and rises to 12 metres in height. On a clear day the complete length of Chesil Beach can be seen from the Heights Hotel's Bar and Bistro. It is a pebble and shingle tombolo, to give it its technical name, which means a deposition landform such as a spit or bar which is attached to the mainland by a narrow piece of land. Chesil beach connects Portland to Abbotsbury and then continues north-westwards to West Bay. It is the largest tombolo in the UK and without it Portland really would be an island!
Running along approximately 8 miles of Chesil Beach is an area known as the Fleet, from the Saxon fleot meaning shallow water. The Fleet covers 480 hectares, is never more than 5 metres deep with the majority being around 2 metres in depth. The Fleet connects to the sea at Ferrybridge that feeds into Portland harbour. Here the water is as normal sea water but at the upper end of the Fleet near Abbotsbury the water only has about half the salt content of seawater. The Fleet is an important area for wildlife and is a special area of conservation (SAC), a specail protection area (SPA) under the EU birds directive, a site of special scientific interest (SSSI), Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance and a designated bass nursery area. Unsurprisingly with all these protections the area is a have for wildlife both on land, in the air and in the sea. There are over 150 species of seaweed and 25 species of fish in the Fleet, whilst 5000 brent Geese make the are their winter home.
The pebbles vary in size along the length of Chesil beach with fist size pebbles at the Portland end to pea size pebbles at West Bay. The pebbles are made up of many different types of rock including flint, chert, quartzite, granite, porphyry, tourmalised rock, breccia, portland stone, pumice, jasper, agate and madrepores.
The seaward face of the beach is steeply shelving and this continues below the sea level until it gradually levels off at around 18 metres below sea level some 300 metres offshore in the southern part of the beach. Further north the offshore depth is around 11 metres. The beach stabilised close to its present position some 5000 years ago and since then it has been advancing slowly towards the mainland. Under storm conditions large quantities of pebbles can be removed from the beach onto the seabed. For severe storms the quantities can exceed 3 Million tonnes.
At the southern end of the Fleet on the Ferrybridge car park lies the Chesil Beach Visitors Centre. The Centre contains a number of displays about the local environments and has live underwater pictures from the bed of the Fleet. During the nesting season there are live pictures from the little tern colony on Chesil beach. A telescope is available to watch the waders and seabirds feeding on the sand flats in front of the Centre. A microscope with television camera can be used by the visiting public to look at the small creatures of the Fleet. There is a touch and feel table with samples of various plants and animals from around the area and some interesting items washed-up on Chesil Beach, including messages in bottles. Children can hunt for real fossils hidden in a sand box. A number of activities and events take place throughout the year around the Centre and along the Fleet.
Walking the 18 miles of Chesil Beach is a real challenge as anyone who has ever walked on a pebble beach can attest to. The saying take one step forward and take two back springs to mind. Be prepared for a 36 mile walk and you have a better chance of completing it.
To bring your group to the Heights Hotel so that you can explore Chesil Beach and the surrounding area, please call Jenny or Kathy to discuss your personal requirements on 01305 821361.
To book your independent break please click below for our best available rates:
