Straight Point
Encyclopedia
Straight Point is a coastal region, forming a headland
, between 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 is used by the marines as a firing range. To the west is Sandy Beach
, a holiday beach, that can be reached either along the coastal path or through the large caravan park. To the east Otter Cove
and Littleton Cove.
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 Earths history. The rocks dip gently to the east. Due to this tilting and erosion the oldest exposed rocks are found here to the west with progressively younger rocks forming the cliffs further east.
cliffs at Straight Point show an interesting sequence of sandstones in the Exmouth Formation. Most of the western section is accessible at low tide from Sandy Bay. Only a small part of the eastern side is accessible at low tide. Predominantly the cliffs are composed of layers of "Aylesbeare Mudstone", but additionally with these sandstone Layers. These rock formations are important because they represent the earliest geology along the entire coast. They are from the Triassic period and date from 250 million years ago. Both sediments are markedly red, which indicates that they were formed in a desert.
Headland
A headland is a point of land, usually high and often with a sheer drop, that extends out into a body of water.Headland can also refer to:*Headlands and bays*headLand, an Australian television series...
, between 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
Straight Point is 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 is used by the marines as a firing range. To the west is Sandy Beach
Sandy Beach
Sandy Beach is a beach on the South Shore of Oahu in Hawaii. It is known for its excellent bodyboarding and bodysurfing opportunities due to shore break that breaks very close to the shore. Consequently, more injuries occur per year at Sandy Beach than any other beach in Hawaii, earning it the...
, a holiday beach, that can be reached either along the coastal path or through the large caravan park. To the east Otter Cove
Otter Cove
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.- Location :...
and Littleton Cove.
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 Earths history. The rocks dip gently to the east. Due to this tilting and erosion the oldest exposed rocks are found here to the west with progressively younger rocks forming the cliffs further east.
- see also List of places on the Jurassic Coast
Geology
The red sandstoneSandstone
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,...
cliffs at Straight Point show an interesting sequence of sandstones in the Exmouth Formation. Most of the western section is accessible at low tide from Sandy Bay. Only a small part of the eastern side is accessible at low tide. Predominantly the cliffs are composed of layers of "Aylesbeare Mudstone", but additionally with these sandstone Layers. These rock formations are important because they represent the earliest geology along the entire coast. They are from the Triassic period and date from 250 million years ago. Both sediments are markedly red, which indicates that they were formed in a desert.