What to See in England: A Guide to Places of Historic Interest, Natural Beauty or Literary AssociationHome, Gordon
History
What to See in England: A Guide to Places of Historic Interest, Natural Beauty or Literary Association
Home, Gordon
England -- Guidebooks; Wales -- Guidebooks
The remarkable cove at West Lulworth consists of a completely circular
basin, hollowed out of the bold cliffs of the southern coast-line of
Purbeck Island. It is of sufficient depth to allow small ships of from
sixty to eighty tons to enter. The narrow opening to the cove is between
two bluffs of Portland stone, forming a portion of what was the barrier
to the sea in former times. Once, however, did the waves eat through the
Portland stone in this place, it was easy work to gradually batter down
and wash out, through the narrow opening, a circular bay from the soft
strata of Hastings sands lying in the protection of the Portland stone.
On the west side of the cove one may notice rocks with such peculiarly
contorted strata as those shown in the foreground of the illustration
opposite.
A most interesting and rugged portion of the coast lies to the west of
Lulworth Cove. After leaving the coastguard signal station one reaches
Stair Hole, a cavity walled off from the sea by Portland limestone. At
high tide, however, the sea enters the chasm through a number of small
apertures, and is probably carving out at this spot a circular basin
after the manner of Lulworth Cove. Passing Dungy Head and Oswald or
Horsewall Bay, with its towering chalk cliffs, one reaches a low
promontory known as Tongue Beach. It is formed of layers of limestone
tilted into curved or perpendicular positions. Crossing this promontory
one enters Durdle Bay, with the Barndoor, an archway 30 feet high, in a
massive cliff.
At East Lulworth, a little way inland from the cove, stands Lulworth
Castle, an imposing-looking building with circular towers at each
corner. It was built about three hundred years ago on the site of an
earlier castle.
[Illustration: LULWORTH COVE FROM THE WEST.
The circular basin has been eaten out of the sandy soil after the sea
had cut an opening in the Portland stone which forms the actual
coast-line at this point.]
CORFE CASTLE
IN THE ISLE OF PURBECK, DORSETSHIRE
=How to get there=.--By rail from Waterloo Station. South-Western
Railway.
=Nearest Station.=--Corfe Castle--quite close to the ruins.
=Distance from London.=--130 miles.
=Average Time.=--Varies between 3 to 5 hours.
1st 2nd 3rd
=Fares.=--Single 21s. 2d. 13s. 3d. 10s. 7d.
Return 37s. 0d. 23s. 3d. 21s. 2d.
=Accommodation Obtainable.= "The Banke's Arms Hotel."
=Alternative Route.=--_Via_ Bournemouth and steamer to Swanage.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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