Jurassic coast breaks
This break has been 240 million years in the making! You will
journey though the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods
discovering how our landscape has been moulded into what we see
today. You will explore the Rocks, Fossils and quarries that
make the World Heritage Coast unique – World Wide!
Your break will be lead by local expert Bob Ford, who with his
in depth local knowledge will make history 'come alive'.
A typical itinerary
Friday :
6.00 pm - Meet in the hotel conference room for an introductory
slide talk. Between us we will plan the weekend according to the
weather and time of year, taking into account any particular
sites you wish to visit.
7.30 pm - dinner in the hotel restaurant overlooking Chesil
Beach and The Fleet.
Saturday :
6.00 am - if it's light we'll get up for an early walk
(or you can stay in bed if you prefer!)
8.00 am - back to the hotel for a well-earned Full English
Breakfast
9.00 am - set out to walk to a nearby quarry where we can
explore Portland's geology
1.00 pm - we'll take a break for lunch at Portland Bill
2.00 pm - our return route will take us along Portland's
dramatic Westcliffs
5.00 pm - return to the hotel
7.00 pm - dinner
Sunday :
8.00 am - breakfast
9.00 am - board minibus for the first of the day's visits to
some of the many fossil-hunting sites on Dorset's Jurassic coast
1.00 pm - packed lunch at one of the stops
4.00 pm - return to the hotel for a Dorset Cream Tea
You may be interested to see what previous guests have seen on their
special interest breaks. Please
click here to see what might await you on such a trip.
What you will need to bring
Each weekend is different, but usually we cover up to 5 miles
on foot each day over a wide variety of terrains and in all weathers,
... so you're advised to bring:
- good footwear (walking boots and wellingtons)
- warm waterproof clothing, including over-trousers
- a sun hat and sun block (from April to October)
- a thermos flask
- and of course, binoculars!
How to book
For Jurassic Coast breaks we take bespoke bookings for 6 or
more people in your party. This enables you
to choose your dates and mix itineraries to suit your exact requirements.
Please contact us to discuss
your specific requirements or for our weekend prices.
Our fossil-hunting code of conduct
- the best place to collect fossils is on the lower beach where fossils are being washed clear of mud and sand
- watch out for patches of blue-grey mud which may be much softer than they look
- wet and weedy rocks are always slippery - keep off them
- keep well away from the base of cliffs and on no account attempt to remove fossils from any steep slope or cliff
- wear a safety hat if you need to approach close to a cliff to look at strata - preferably use binoculars from a distance
- avoid having to use a hammer to split rocks, but if you have to make sure you wear safety glasses and tough gloves
- keep close to the leader at all times - he knows the tides and local conditions better than you!
