Otter Cove
Encyclopedia
Otter Cove is a small secluded cove on the eastern side of Straight Point
between the coastal towns of Exmouth
and Budleigh Salterton
, in Devon
, on the south coast of England
.
, four kilometres southeast of Exmouth and about eleven kilometres southwest of Sidmouth
. The top of the headland Straight Point is used as a firing range by the Marines
. Due to a landslip Otter Cove is no longer accessible from the headland.
stretches over a distance of 153 kilometres (95 mi), from Orcombe Point
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 Earth's history. The rocks dip gently to the east. Due to this tilting and erosion the oldest exposed rocks are found here to the west, between Exmouth and Sidmouth, with progressively younger rocks forming the cliffs further east. Straight Point and Otter Cove are part of the Jurassic Coast.
sediments from the "Aylesbeare Mudstone Group" and additionally of layers of red sandstone
. These rock formations are from the Triassic period and date from about 245 million years ago. Both sediments are markedly red, which indicates that they were formed in a desert.
The cliffs to the east side of Straight Point show an interesting sequence of “Exmouth Formation” sandstones. However only a small part of the coast line is accessible and solely at low tide by walking along the wave-cut ledges from Littleham Cove. These ledges are full of pot-holes and there is a cave near Otter Cove.
In the corner of Littleham Cove there is a fault and a drastic change in the character of the cliffs. Otter Cove is south of this fault and here are fluvial sandstones with beds of coarser dark subangular grains (i.e. beginning to resemble a fine-grained fluvial breccia
).
Straight Point
Straight Point is a coastal region, forming a headland, between Exmouth and Budleigh Salterton in Devon on the south coast of England.- Location :...
between the coastal towns of 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:...
and Budleigh Salterton
Budleigh Salterton
Budleigh Salterton is a small town on the south coast of Devon, England 15 miles south of Exeter. It is situated within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty designated East Devon AONB.- Features :...
, in Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, on the south coast of 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...
.
Location
Otter Cove lies about sixteen kilometres south of the city of ExeterExeter
Exeter is a historic city in Devon, England. It lies within the ceremonial county of Devon, of which it is the county town as well as the home of Devon County Council. Currently the administrative area has the status of a non-metropolitan district, and is therefore under the administration of the...
, four kilometres southeast of Exmouth and about eleven kilometres southwest of Sidmouth
Sidmouth
Sidmouth is a small town on the English Channel coast in Devon, South West England. The town lies at the mouth of the River Sid in the East Devon district, south east of Exeter. It has a population of about 15,000, of whom 40% are over 65....
. The top of the headland Straight Point is used as a firing range by the Marines
Royal Marines
The Corps of Her Majesty's Royal Marines, commonly just referred to as the Royal Marines , are the marine corps and amphibious infantry of the United Kingdom and, along with the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary, form the Naval Service...
. Due to a landslip Otter Cove is no longer accessible from the headland.
Jurassic Coast
The Jurassic CoastJurassic 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 ....
stretches over a distance of 153 kilometres (95 mi), from Orcombe Point
Orcombe Point
Orcombe Point is a coastal feature near Exmouth, Devon, on the south coast of England. It lies about south of the city of Exeter, southeast of Exmouth town centre and about southwest of Sidmouth....
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 Earth's history. The rocks dip gently to the east. Due to this tilting and erosion the oldest exposed rocks are found here to the west, between Exmouth and Sidmouth, with progressively younger rocks forming the cliffs further east. Straight Point and Otter Cove are part of the Jurassic Coast.
- See also List of places on the Jurassic Coast
Geology
Predominantly the cliffs in this area are composed of mudstoneMudstone
Mudstone is a fine grained sedimentary rock whose original constituents were clays or muds. Grain size is up to 0.0625 mm with individual grains too small to be distinguished without a microscope. With increased pressure over time the platey clay minerals may become aligned, with the...
sediments from the "Aylesbeare Mudstone Group" and additionally of layers of red sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
. These rock formations are from the Triassic period and date from about 245 million years ago. Both sediments are markedly red, which indicates that they were formed in a desert.
The cliffs to the east side of Straight Point show an interesting sequence of “Exmouth Formation” sandstones. However only a small part of the coast line is accessible and solely at low tide by walking along the wave-cut ledges from Littleham Cove. These ledges are full of pot-holes and there is a cave near Otter Cove.
In the corner of Littleham Cove there is a fault and a drastic change in the character of the cliffs. Otter Cove is south of this fault and here are fluvial sandstones with beds of coarser dark subangular grains (i.e. beginning to resemble a fine-grained fluvial breccia
Breccia
Breccia is a rock composed of broken fragments of minerals or rock cemented together by a fine-grained matrix, that can be either similar to or different from the composition of the fragments....
).