The Clavel Tower, recently relocated away from the cliff edge.

The Clavel Café is an ideal stop off point for walkers. Its located away from the beach at the far end of the village, near to the church.

Towards the end of the Jurassic period there was a period of warm clear water in which coral flourished, followed by an invasion of muddy water. This led to the formation of the Kimmeridge clay and bitumous shales.

Kimmeridge Clay is an excellent source of fossils and still has large numbers of ammonites embedded in the rocks. A giant marine reptile called Pliosaraus grandis, with teeth 33 centimetres long was discovered there, so watch where you sit down to eat your lunch!

The thin laminated shale has been used to make bronze age ornaments and as fuel for cottagers fires. In more recent times the area has provided large quantities of high quality oil, extracted by "Nodding Donkey" pumps.

For information on Rock Pooling and the Snorkelling Trail at Kimmeridge Bay, see the Purbeck Marine Wildlife Reserve web site:-

Purbeck Marine Wildlife Reserve

For the geology of Kimmeridge Bay, see the Southampton University web site:-

Kimmeridge Bay