Kimmeridge Bay

If you’re interested in marine wildlife, Kimmeridge Bay is one of the best destinations in the country. The beach here is the best place to access the Purbeck Marine Wildlife Reserve.  With an absence of sand the water visibility at Kimmeridge is excellent making it understandably popular with snorkelers and divers. 

You don’t have to get in the water to see some of the marine life on offer here. There are an abundance of rockpools teeming with crabs, anemones, fish and some lovely colourful varieties of seaweed.  As part of the Jurassic Coastline Kimmeridge is of geological interest; the rocks on the beach contain a variety of interesting fossils and the area is also home to one of England’s only oil wells.

The beach itself consists mainly of rocky shale, with large limestone ledges which can be used as stepping-stones for beach-goers wanting to peer into the clear waters to view the marine life. From the beach there are views across the bay to Clavell Tower, a picturesque Victorian Folly built on a hill.

This is a great starting point for the South-West Coast Path and there are quite a few good walks in the area.

The Fine Foundation Marine Centre, operated by the Dorset Wildlife Trust, has displays of wildlife found in the reserve and encourages visitors to explore the waters of the bay for themselves.  The centre is open Tuesdays to Sundays from April to September and on Bank Holidays.

Kimmeridge is well known in the surfing community as Dorset’s premier reef break, Broadbench. This legendary surf spot is known to hold waves of up to 15 feet along with other waves in the “K-Bay” area.

There are no shops on the beach but an ice-cream van may be found here in the summer. It is also worth noting the beach is in private ownership and access is via a toll road to which charges apply.