Famous for its Folly, Clavells Tower, which is in danger of falling into the sea, we interview Piers Chichester of the Clavell Tower Trust to find out what the plans are to save this magnificent piece of Britain's Heritage.
The oil rich Blackstone of Kimmeridge has been collected and mined for centuries, its high oil content gives it similar properties to Jet, a rock thought to have magical properties, and even since the earliest times it has been carved into armlets, ornaments and even furniture. The Dorset County Museum in Dorchester holds displays of the shale workings and its assistant curator, Peter Woodward offers an intriguing insite into how the delicate armlets were made.
With such a high oil content, it is no wonder the cliffs here have on occasion spontaneously combusted, the fires burning deep into the cliff turning the shale red.
The British Petroleum oil well at Kimmeridge has been pumping high grade crude oil since the 1960's. The oil originates not from the cliff, but from much deeper down from the Cornbrash layer.
The Kimmeridge Bay Purbeck Marine Wildlife Reserve is an ideal place to come to learn about our temperate marine life.
In an interview with one of the Marine Wardens at Kimmeridge, Dan Williams shows you how to catch crabs the friendly way, using a piece of old bacon and a net washing powder tablet bag.
"It's amazing what lives in our seas, and you don't even have to get wet to see a lot of it. Kimmeridge is a great place for rock pooling as the geology there has left wave cut ledges which you can walk out onto at low tide. Looking over the side, you can see all manner of marine life."
Overlooking Kimmeridge Bay to the West is the stunningly beautiful Gad cliff. This consists of Portland limestone and forms part of the Purbeck Monocline, a shock wave from the European mountain building period around 25 million years ago.
Climbing to its top on a clear day will reward you with incredible views across Kimmeridge bay.
In the valley behind Gad Cliff is the deserted village of Tynham. This was requisitioned by the MOD as a firing range in 1943 and today remains in the Lulworth Firing Range.
