Golden Cap
Encyclopedia
Golden Cap is a hill
and cliff
situated between Bridport
and Charmouth
in Dorset
, England
. The cliffs are the highest point on the south coast
of Great Britain
. The name derives from the distinctive outcropping of golden Greensand
rock present at the very top of the cliff.
The hill is owned by the National Trust
and forms part of the Jurassic Coast
, a World Heritage Site
. The Jurassic Coast stretches over a distance of 153 kilometres (95 mi),
from Orcombe Point near Exmouth
, in the west, to Old Harry Rocks
on the Isle of Purbeck
, in the east
. The coastal exposures along the coastline provide a continuous sequence of Triassic
, Jurassic
and Cretaceous
rock formations spanning approximately 185 million years of the Earths history. The localities along the Jurassic Coast includes a large range of important fossil
zones.
Golden Cap is the highest point on the south-coast of Great Britain
. The 626 ft (191 m) hill is visible for tens of miles in each direction along the coastline. There is a coast-path leading up from Seatown and for those fit enough to try, it takes about 30 to 40 minutes to get to the top. Directly behind the cliff is a small wood of (mainly) Corsican Pine known as Langdon Wood, planted in the 1950s and originating from a copse of trees known as "Eleanor's Clump". Langdon is owned by the National Trust and has a car park and a circular walk around the wood of almost exactly one mile.
The base of the cliff is shrouded by various large boulders, which are frequented by fossil collectors and tourists alike. Following a storm, thousands of fossilised ammonite
s and belemnites are visible in the Blue Lias
base. The base of the cliff is accessible through Chideock Beach (Seatown) or Charmouth
. Extreme caution must be taken when visiting the base of Golden Cap, as the tide
completely envelopes the beach below the cliff. A secondary but not insignificant danger is of rock falls, especially in high winds and after heavy rains. This is due to the heavier (some up to 20 tonnes) boulders being lodged high up in much softer and more easily eroded lias. For the same reasons, walking on the top of the cliff requires caution.
The cliff path from Chideock
Beach up towards the top of Golden Cap has recently been closed for safety reasons, the entire area being prone to coastal erosion
and landslip. A diversionary route is open from the village of Seatown. Photographs of the cliff, from as early as 1890, show the full extent to which the sea has encroached upon the area in recent times.
Hill
A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills often have a distinct summit, although in areas with scarp/dip topography a hill may refer to a particular section of flat terrain without a massive summit A hill is a landform that extends above the surrounding terrain. Hills...
and cliff
Cliff
In geography and geology, a cliff is a significant vertical, or near vertical, rock exposure. Cliffs are formed as erosion landforms due to the processes of erosion and weathering that produce them. Cliffs are common on coasts, in mountainous areas, escarpments and along rivers. Cliffs are usually...
situated between Bridport
Bridport
Bridport is a market town in Dorset, England. Located near the coast at the western end of Chesil Beach at the confluence of the River Brit and its Asker and Simene tributaries, it originally thrived as a fishing port and rope-making centre...
and Charmouth
Charmouth
Charmouth is a village at the mouth of the River Char in West Dorset, England, with a population of 1,687 according to the 2001 census.-The village:...
in Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The cliffs are the highest point on the south coast
Coast
A coastline or seashore is the area where land meets the sea or ocean. A precise line that can be called a coastline cannot be determined due to the dynamic nature of tides. The term "coastal zone" can be used instead, which is a spatial zone where interaction of the sea and land processes occurs...
of Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. The name derives from the distinctive outcropping of golden Greensand
Greensand
Greensand or Green sand is either a sand or sandstone, which has a greenish color. This term is specifically applied to shallow marine sediment, that contains noticeable quantities of rounded greenish grains. These grains are called glauconies and consist of a mixture of mixed-layer clay...
rock present at the very top of the cliff.
The hill is owned by the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
and forms part of the Jurassic Coast
Jurassic Coast
The Jurassic Coast is a World Heritage Site on the English Channel coast of southern England. The site stretches from Orcombe Point near Exmouth in East Devon to Old Harry Rocks near Swanage in East Dorset, a distance of ....
, a World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
. The Jurassic Coast stretches over a distance of 153 kilometres (95 mi),
from Orcombe Point near Exmouth
Exmouth, Devon
Exmouth is a port town, civil parish and seaside resort in East Devon, England, sited on the east bank of the mouth of the River Exe. In 2001, it had a population of 32,972.-History:...
, in the west, to Old Harry Rocks
Old Harry Rocks
The Old Harry Rocks are two chalk sea stacks located at Handfast Point, on the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset, southern England.- Location :Old Harry Rocks lie directly east of Studland, about 4 kilometres northeast of Swanage, and about 10 kilometres south of the large towns of Poole and...
on the Isle of Purbeck
Isle of Purbeck
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...
, in the east
. The coastal exposures along the coastline provide a continuous sequence of Triassic
Triassic
The Triassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about 250 to 200 Mya . As the first period of the Mesozoic Era, the Triassic follows the Permian and is followed by the Jurassic. Both the start and end of the Triassic are marked by major extinction events...
, Jurassic
Jurassic
The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Mya to Mya, that is, from the end of the Triassic to the beginning of the Cretaceous. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic era, also known as the age of reptiles. The start of the period is marked by...
and Cretaceous
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...
rock formations spanning approximately 185 million years of the Earths history. The localities along the Jurassic Coast includes a large range of important fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
zones.
- see also List of places on the Jurassic Coast
Golden Cap is the highest point on the south-coast of Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
. The 626 ft (191 m) hill is visible for tens of miles in each direction along the coastline. There is a coast-path leading up from Seatown and for those fit enough to try, it takes about 30 to 40 minutes to get to the top. Directly behind the cliff is a small wood of (mainly) Corsican Pine known as Langdon Wood, planted in the 1950s and originating from a copse of trees known as "Eleanor's Clump". Langdon is owned by the National Trust and has a car park and a circular walk around the wood of almost exactly one mile.
The base of the cliff is shrouded by various large boulders, which are frequented by fossil collectors and tourists alike. Following a storm, thousands of fossilised ammonite
Ammonite
Ammonite, as a zoological or paleontological term, refers to any member of the Ammonoidea an extinct subclass within the Molluscan class Cephalopoda which are more closely related to living coleoids Ammonite, as a zoological or paleontological term, refers to any member of the Ammonoidea an extinct...
s and belemnites are visible in the Blue Lias
Blue Lias
The Blue Lias is a geologic formation in southern, eastern and western England and parts of South Wales, part of the Lias Group. The Blue Lias consists of a sequence of limestone and shale layers, laid down in latest Triassic and early Jurassic times, between 195 and 200 million years ago...
base. The base of the cliff is accessible through Chideock Beach (Seatown) or Charmouth
Charmouth
Charmouth is a village at the mouth of the River Char in West Dorset, England, with a population of 1,687 according to the 2001 census.-The village:...
. Extreme caution must be taken when visiting the base of Golden Cap, as the tide
Tide
Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the moon and the sun and the rotation of the Earth....
completely envelopes the beach below the cliff. A secondary but not insignificant danger is of rock falls, especially in high winds and after heavy rains. This is due to the heavier (some up to 20 tonnes) boulders being lodged high up in much softer and more easily eroded lias. For the same reasons, walking on the top of the cliff requires caution.
Chideock
Chideock is a village in south west Dorset, England, situated on the A35 trunk road between Bridport and Lyme Regis. The village has a population of 597 based on the 2001 census....
Beach up towards the top of Golden Cap has recently been closed for safety reasons, the entire area being prone to coastal erosion
Erosion
Erosion is when materials are removed from the surface and changed into something else. It only works by hydraulic actions and transport of solids in the natural environment, and leads to the deposition of these materials elsewhere...
and landslip. A diversionary route is open from the village of Seatown. Photographs of the cliff, from as early as 1890, show the full extent to which the sea has encroached upon the area in recent times.
External links
- Golden Cap - official site at National Trust
- Golden Cap and Seatown — Geology of the Wessex Coast by Ian West, Southampton University