Chesil Beach
Chesil Beach is the most unusual part of the coastline in Dorset, one of the most amazing places on the entire UK coastline. The spit of shingle, about 170m wide and 14m high, stretches for 29km from the island of Portland to Barton Bradstock. As you move from east to west, the pebbles decrease in size – in Portland the stones are found about the size of a fist, but at Barton Bradstock they become “pebble peas.”
General Information
This pebble spit was formed by coastal movements of rocks: strong currents away from the coast mean that waves only occasionally hit the shore, resulting in the sorting of millions of pebble naked rocks that have accumulated here over thousands of years. Strong currents make this spit one of the most dangerous beaches in Europe, and tombstones in many church cemeteries attest to the many drownings and shipwrecks in the area.
Chisil Beach, however, is an extremely popular spot for fishermen who like to sit out with a fishing rod – they enjoy the untouched, unspoiled, distinctive landscape. On the eastern side, the spit connects through Portland Island to the mainland, forming a lagoon known as Fleet – home to thousands of seabirds and wading birds. The Chisil Beach Visitor Center has an exhibit with several interesting displays, and tourists can tour the Fleet Lagoon on a clear-bottomed boat.
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