St Alban's Head
Encyclopedia
St Alban's Head is located five kilometres southwest of Swanage
, on the coast of Dorset
, England
.
The coast from St Alban's Head to Durlston Head, with Isle of Portland to Studland Cliffs, forms a single unit of cliffed coastline some 40 km in length. They are formed of hard limestones, with chalk at the eastern end, interspersed with slumped sections of soft cliff of sand and clays.
The area is designated a Special Area of Conservation
under the European Union
's Habitats Directive.
On the bluff of the headland is a monument to the development of radar
during World War II
, by the Telecommunications Research Establishment
at nearby RAF
Worth Matravers
. There is also a coastguard station, now maintained by the National Coastwatch Institution
(not to be confused with HM Coastguard
) and sturdily built former coastguard cottages. A norman
chapel
known as St. Aldhelm's Chapel, St. Aldhelm's Head
which is dedicated to St Aldhelm, Bishop of Sherborne
also stands here.
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 Earth's history. St Alban's Head is part of the Jurassic Coast.
The rock layers along the Jurassic Coast are tilted slightly to the east. Therefore, the oldest part of the coast is found in the western region, progressively younger rocks forming the cliffs here to the east.
Swanage
Swanage is a coastal town and civil parish in the south east of Dorset, England. It is situated at the eastern end of the Isle of Purbeck, approximately 10 km south of Poole and 40 km east of Dorchester. The parish has a population of 10,124 . Nearby are Ballard Down and Old Harry Rocks,...
, on the coast of 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...
.
Geology
The headland is an outcrop of Portland Stone from the overlying Lower Purbeck Stone. The headland is the most southerly part of the Purbeck peninsula and has been heavily quarried - a defunct sea cliff quarry exists underneath the coast guard station and a still working quarry, called "St Aldhelms Quarry" owned by Haysom and Sons (a well known local quarrying family) exists a quarter of a mile inland.The coast from St Alban's Head to Durlston Head, with Isle of Portland to Studland Cliffs, forms a single unit of cliffed coastline some 40 km in length. They are formed of hard limestones, with chalk at the eastern end, interspersed with slumped sections of soft cliff of sand and clays.
The area is designated a Special Area of Conservation
Special Area of Conservation
A Special Area of Conservation is defined in the European Union's Habitats Directive , also known as the Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora...
under the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
's Habitats Directive.
On the bluff of the headland is a monument to the development of radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, by the Telecommunications Research Establishment
Telecommunications Research Establishment
The Telecommunications Research Establishment was the main United Kingdom research and development organization for radio navigation, radar, infra-red detection for heat seeking missiles, and related work for the Royal Air Force during World War II and the years that followed. The name was...
at nearby RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
Worth Matravers
Worth Matravers
Worth Matravers is a village and civil parish in the English county of Dorset. The village is situated on the cliffs west of Swanage. It comprises limestone cottages and farm houses and is built around a pond, which is a regular feature on postcards of the Isle of Purbeck.The civil parish stretches...
. There is also a coastguard station, now maintained by the National Coastwatch Institution
National Coastwatch Institution
The National Coastwatch Institution is a voluntary organisation and registered charity providing a visual watch along the UK's coasts, and is not to be confused with HM Coastguard.-History:...
(not to be confused with HM Coastguard
Her Majesty's Coastguard
Her Majesty's Coastguard is the service of the government of the United Kingdom concerned with co-ordinating air-sea rescue.HM Coastguard is a section of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency responsible for the initiation and co-ordination of all civilian maritime Search and Rescue within the UK...
) and sturdily built former coastguard cottages. A norman
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
known as St. Aldhelm's Chapel, St. Aldhelm's Head
St. Aldhelm's Chapel, St. Aldhelm's Head
St Aldhelm's Chapel is a Norman chapel on St Aldhelm's Head in the parish of Worth Matravers, Swanage, Dorset. The square stone chapel stands within a low circular earthwork, which may be the remains of a pre-Conquest Christian enclosure...
which is dedicated to St Aldhelm, Bishop of Sherborne
Aldhelm, Bishop of Sherborne
Aldhelm , Abbot of Malmesbury Abbey, Bishop of Sherborne, Latin poet and scholar of Anglo-Saxon literature, was born before the middle of the 7th century. He is said to have been the son of Kenten, who was of the royal house of Wessex...
also stands here.
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 ....
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....
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 Earth's history. St Alban's Head is part of the Jurassic Coast.
The rock layers along the Jurassic Coast are tilted slightly to the east. Therefore, the oldest part of the coast is found in the western region, progressively younger rocks forming the cliffs here to the east.
- see also: List of places on the Jurassic Coast