The only natural World Heritage Site in England, the “Jurassic Coast” sits on the coast of the East Devon National Landscape, sharing it with neighboring Dorset National Landscape. The Jurassic Coast stretches from Orcombe Point near Exmouth to Old Harry Rocks near Swanage, a total of 95 miles.
Walk through 185 million years of geological time
In East Devon, if you walk from Lyme Regis toward Exmouth (approx 30-mile) you are walking backward through the ages!
The Jurassic period (Charmouth/Lyme Regis): Start among the grey limestones and ammonite-filled shores of Lyme Regis.
The Cretaceous period: Witness the towering white chalk cliffs at Beer.
The Triassic: End your journey at the iconic Geoneedle at Orcombe Point, where the vibrant red sandstone dates back 250 million years when Devon was a desert.
Additional Information
Follow the waymarked route through key destinations
Lyme Regis to Seaton
This is one of the most unique stretches of the entire SWCP. Known as the Axe Valley Undercliff, it’s a National Nature Reserve created by a massive 19th-century landslip.
It feels like a temperate rainforest. The path is dense with ferns, ash, and hazel trees. The terrain is rugged and undulating. It’s a wild section where nature has reclaimed the path.
Seaton to Sidmouth
Leaving the Undercliff, you enjoy a flat Seaton followed by steep cliff climbs.
You’ll pass through:
Beer: A picture-perfect fishing village tucked into a limestone cove.
Branscombe: Believed to be one of the longest villages in England.
Hooken Cliffs: A undercliff where rare plants thrive on the chalk debris.
Sidmouth to Exmouth
As you move west from Sidmouth, the white chalk gives way to the striking deep red cliffs of Triassic period (roughly 250 million years ago).
Ladram Bay: Famous for its majestic red sandstone sea stacks standing out in the blue water.
Budleigh Salterton: Known for its unique Budleigh Pebbles—smooth, round pebbles found on the beach and into the heathland inland.
Orcombe Point: The official gateway to the Jurassic Coast in Exmouth, marked by the geo-needle monument.