Furzy Cliff

Last updated

Weymouth Bay: Bowleaze Cove and Jordon Hill, painted by John Constable in 1816-17, including Furzy Cliff. John Constable 027.jpg
Weymouth Bay: Bowleaze Cove and Jordon Hill , painted by John Constable in 1816–17, including Furzy Cliff.
View of Bowleaze Cove from the top of Furzy Cliff. Uk dor bowleaze.JPG
View of Bowleaze Cove from the top of Furzy Cliff.

Furzy Cliff, also known as Jordan's Cliff, is located on the coast near the village of Preston, just to the east of Weymouth, Dorset, England. It is at the northeastern end of Weymouth Beach, looking out over Weymouth Bay to Portland Harbour and the Isle of Portland. Close by to the east is Bowleaze Cove. Just inland to the north are Jordan Hill and the remains of the Jordan Hill Roman Temple. On the top of the cliff there is a large grass area with good views. [1]

Furzy Cliff consists of Oxford Clay with a thin Corallian Limestone layer over this. [2] Mudslides frequently occur on the narrow undercliff and the base is mainly made up of clay material. [3] [4] Fossilized examples of Gryphaea dilatata , commonly called "devil's toenail", an extinct species of Jurassic oyster, and Metriacanthosaurus parkeri , a theropod dinosaur, can be found in the Oxford Clay.

In 1816–17, the artist John Constable painted Weymouth Bay: Bowleaze Cove and Jordon Hill , including Furzy Cliff, while on his honeymoon, viewed from the beach at Bowlease and looking west. [5] The painting is now in the National Gallery, London.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jurassic Coast</span> World Heritage Site on the coast of southern England

The Jurassic Coast is a World Heritage Site on the English Channel coast of southern England. It stretches from Exmouth in East Devon to Studland Bay in Dorset, a distance of about 96 miles (154 km), and was inscribed on the World Heritage List in mid-December 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chesil Beach</span> Shingle beach in Dorset, England

Chesil Beach in Dorset, England is one of three major shingle beach structures in Britain. Its name is derived from the Old English ceosel or cisel, meaning "gravel" or "shingle". It runs for a length of 29 kilometres (18 mi) from West Bay to the Isle of Portland and in places is up to 15 metres (50 ft) high and 200 metres (660 ft) wide. Behind the beach is the Fleet, a shallow tidal lagoon. Both are part of the Jurassic Coast and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and together form an SSSI and Ramsar Site.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Durdle Door</span> Natural limestone arch on the Jurassic coast of England

Durdle Door is a natural limestone arch on the Jurassic Coast near Lulworth in Dorset, England. It is privately owned by the Weld Family who own the Lulworth Estate, but it is also open to the public.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Overcombe</span>

Overcombe is an area in Preston in south Dorset, England, situated on top of cliffs 2 miles (3.2 km) northeast of Weymouth. The River Jordan flows in the vicinity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geology of Dorset</span> Geological overview of the English county of Dorset

Dorset is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. Covering an area of 2,653 square kilometres (1,024 sq mi); it borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. The great variation in its landscape owes much to the underlying geology, which includes an almost unbroken sequence of rocks from 200 to 40 million years ago (Mya) and superficial deposits from 2 Mya to the present. In general, the oldest rocks appear in the far west of the county, with the most recent (Eocene) in the far east. Jurassic rocks also underlie the Blackmore Vale and comprise much of the coastal cliff in the west and south of the county; although younger Cretaceous rocks crown some of the highpoints in the west, they are mainly to be found in the centre and east of the county.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weymouth Bay</span>

Weymouth Bay is a sheltered bay on the south coast of England, in Dorset. It is protected from erosion by Chesil Beach and the Isle of Portland, and includes several beaches, notably Weymouth Beach, a gently curving arc of golden sand which stretches from the resort of Weymouth. Weymouth Bay is situated approximately halfway along the UNESCO Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weymouth Beach</span> Beach in Dorset, England

Weymouth Beach is a gently curving arc of sand in Weymouth Bay, beside the town of Weymouth in Dorset, England. Immediately adjacent to the beach is The Esplanade.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">White Nothe</span> Headland in Dorset, England

White Nothe is a chalk headland on the English Channel coast at the eastern end of Ringstead Bay, east of Weymouth in Dorset, England. The area is well known for its geology and fossils. Its flanks are the result of prehistoric landslides and the inaccessible slopes of the undercliff provide a secluded wildlife habitat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newton's Cove</span> Cove in Dorset, England

Newton's Cove is a small cove, 0.5 kilometres (0.3 mi) south of Weymouth, Dorset, England. Overlooking Portland Harbour, the cove is close to Nothe Gardens and the Nothe Fort.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greenhill, Dorset</span>

Greenhill is a suburb to the northeast of Weymouth in Dorset, England, with a sand and shingle beach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bowleaze Cove</span>

Bowleaze Cove is a small sand and shingle beach, near the village of Preston, just to the northeast of Weymouth, Dorset, England. The cove is on the Jurassic Coast and is known for its geology. Just to the west is Furzy Cliff.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Osmington Mills</span> Human settlement in England

Osmington Mills is a coastal hamlet in the English county of Dorset. It lies within the civil parish of Osmington 5 miles (8.0 km) northeast of Weymouth.

<i>Weymouth Bay: Bowleaze Cove and Jordon Hill</i> Painting by John Constable

Weymouth Bay: Bowleaze Cove and Jordon Hill was painted by the leading English landscape artist John Constable between 1816 and 1817. It is the second of three oil versions of this view painted by Constable and now hangs in the National Gallery, London.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Redcliff Point</span>

Redcliff Point is on the south coast of England, to the east of Weymouth in Dorset. It lies just past the eastern end of the sweeping Weymouth Bay on the Jurassic Coast, a UNESCO World Heritage landscape known for its geology. Fossils can be found in the Upper Oxford Clay in this area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black Head, Dorset</span>

Black Head a headland on the south coast of England, to the east of Weymouth in Dorset. It lies on the Jurassic Coast, a UNESCO World Heritage landscape known for its geology. Fossils can be found in the area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jordan Hill, Dorset</span>

Jordan Hill is located near the coast close to the village of Preston, just to the east of Weymouth, Dorset, England. The hill leads down to Furzy Cliff on the coast to the south. Close by to the east is Bowleaze Cove. The hill figure of the Osmington White Horse can be seen from the hill to the north. There are also views across Bowleaze Cove from the hill and nearby public footpaths. The hill is a short detour from the South West Coastal Path National Trail.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Broadrock</span>

Broadrock is a cliff on the coast in Dorset, southern England. It faces out into Weymouth Bay between Bowleaze Cove and Redcliff Point. There are many landslips on the cliffs at this point.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geography of Dorset</span>

Dorset is a county located in the middle of the south coast of England. It lies between the latitudes 50.512°N and 51.081°N and the longitudes 1.682°W and 2.958°W, and occupies an area of 2,653 km2. It spans 90 kilometres (56 mi) from east to west and 63 kilometres (39 mi) from north to south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">River Jordan, Dorset</span> River in Dorset, England

The River Jordan is a river in the county of Dorset, England. The river is approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) long, and includes the tributaries of the Osmington Brook and the Preston River. The River Jordan discharges into the English Channel at Bowleaze Cove, northeast of Weymouth.

References

  1. Furzy Cliff Archived 9 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine , Dorset, April 2006.
  2. Isle of Portland and Weymouth Bay (Portland Bill to Redcliff Point) Archived 28 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine , SCOPAC.
  3. Furzey Cliff and view towards Redcliff Point [ permanent dead link ], 1996.
  4. Richard J. Chorley, Stanley Alfred Schumm, David E. Sugden, Geomorphology , Routledge, 1985. Geomorphic processes and landforms, page 392.
  5. Weymouth Bay: Bowleaze Cove and Jordon Hill, The National Gallery, London, UK.

Coordinates: 50°38′07″N2°25′39″W / 50.6352°N 2.4275°W / 50.6352; -2.4275