Chesil Beach

Chesil Beach is a long shingle bank in Dorset that stretches for 29 kilometres from West Bay to the Isle of Portland. Behind it lies the Fleet, a shallow tidal lagoon separated from the open sea. The beach reaches up to 15 metres high in places and is up to 200 metres wide. It is one of England’s three major shingle structures, alongside Dungeness and Orford Ness. The pebbles vary in size along its length, from about 5 centimetres at the eastern end to pea-sized at the western end. This natural sorting happens because wave action moves smaller stones further west. The view from Abbotsbury towards Portland Bill is rated among the top ten in England by writer Simon Jenkins. The beach protects the low-lying village of Chiswell from flooding, bending sharply near the village to form Chesil Cove. It has long been dangerous for ships, earning the name ‘Dead Man’s Bay’ from Thomas Hardy. The beach also shelters Weymouth and Chiswell from prevailing winds and waves. Many shipwrecks occurred here during the Age of Sail, especially when south-westerly gales pushed vessels north into Lyme Bay. Visitors walk along the shingle ridge with the Fleet on one side and the open sea on the other. The pebbles crunch underfoot, their size changing as you move east. At Ferry Bridge, remains of a First World War rifle range and Second World War anti-tank blocks can still be seen. The beach is part of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site and the Dorset National Landscape. Nearby Abbotsbury has a nature reserve on the Fleet’s edge, where birds gather at dusk. The contrast between the wild shingle and the calm lagoon makes the place feel both powerful and peaceful.