Towns & cities · South East England
Kimmeridge
Kimmeridge — village and civil parish in Dorset, England, UK.
Wikimedia Commons contributors — see linked file page for photographer and licence licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 3 h–6 h
- Nearest railway station
- Norden · 5.0 km
- Free entry
- Family-friendly
- Dog-friendly
About
Kimmeridge is a town, city, village or settlement in the United Kingdom. Recent population estimates put it at around 70 people. Wikidata describes it as: "village and civil parish in Dorset, England, UK". Coordinates: 50.6170°, -2.1180°.
Photo gallery
Protected designations
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: South Dorset Coast SSSI
- Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: Dorset
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Kimmeridge ( ) is a small village and civil parish on the Isle of Purbeck, a peninsula on the English Channel coast in Dorset, England. It is situated about 4.5 miles (7.2 km) south of Wareham and 7 miles (11 km) west of Swanage. In 2013 the estimated population of the civil parish was 90. Kimmeridge is a coastal parish and its coastline forms part of the Jurassic Coast, a World Heritage Site. The coast is also part of a Site of Special Scientific Interest, and the whole parish is in the Dorset National Landscape area. Kimmeridge is the type locality for Kimmeridge Clay, the geological formation that covers most of the parish. Within the clay are bands of bituminous shale, which in the history of the village have been the focus of several attempts to create an industrial centre. An oil well has operated on the shore of Kimmeridge Bay since 1959. The village is the origin of the name of the Kimmeridgian stage of the Late Jurassic. The roughly semi-circular Kimmeridge Bay is southwest of Kimmeridge village. It is backed by low cliffs of Kimmeridge clay, and beneath the cliffs is a large wave-cut platform and a rocky shore with rock pools and attendant ecology. Kimmeridge Bay is a surfer and diver area.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
Background
History
In the Iron Age and during the Roman occupation, ornaments and other objects were made from the black bituminous shale—known as blackstone or 'Kimmeridge coal'—that occurs in layers within the Kimmeridge clay that covers most of Kimmeridge parish. Armlets were manufactured from the shale using a lathe, which produced waste in the form of hard black discs; these have been discovered at several sites, and were thought by 18th-century antiquaries to be coins and therefore called 'coal money'. The Romans also used the shale as fuel for boiling sea water to produce salt. the pier which Clavell built for the port became ruinous and was destroyed by a storm in 1745. Clavell had Smedmore House…
Description
In 2014 £2.7 million was secured from the Heritage Lottery Fund for the purpose of creating a new museum in Kimmeridge, on the site of the old village hall. The project cost a total of £5 million and also houses conservation workshops and a new village hall and community space with a capacity for 120 people. The museum, called the Museum of Jurassic Marine Life, displays the Etches Collection of over 2,000 fossils collected over 30 years by village resident Steve Etches. The museum opened in October 2016.
Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Coordinates
- 50.6170, -2.1180
- District
- Dorset
- Parish
- Kimmeridge
- Postcode
- BH20 5PH
- Parliamentary constituency
- South Dorset
- Population
- 70
- Nearest railway station
- Norden — 5 km
- Official site
- www.theetchescollection.org
Sources
- wikidata: Q597734 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Kimmeridge (CC BY-SA 4.0)
- commons: Kimmeridge main street - geograph.org.uk - 251704.jpg (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Other places nearby
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Nearby
📷 5Museums · South East England
The Etches Collection
The Etches Collection — museum in Dorset, United Kingdom.
📷 5Museums · South East England
Museum of Jurassic Marine Life
Museum of Jurassic Marine Life — a museum in england-south-east, United Kingdom.
📷 5Historic houses · South East England
Smedmore House
Smedmore House — a other in england-south-east, United Kingdom.
📷 5Natural landmarks · South East England
Fine Foundation Marine Centre
Fine Foundation Marine Centre — a other in england-south-east, United Kingdom.
📷 5Follies · South East England
Clavell Tower
Clavell Tower — Folly or eyecatcher.
📷 5Archaeological sites · South East England
Old Site of Clavel Tower
Old Site of Clavel Tower — a archaeological in england-south-east, United Kingdom.
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Frequently asked questions
- Where is Kimmeridge?
- Kimmeridge is in South-East England, United Kingdom (postcode BH20 5PH), in the parish of Kimmeridge.
- Is Kimmeridge a protected site?
- Yes — Kimmeridge is part of the South Dorset Coast SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest and the Dorset National Landscape (AONB).
- Is Kimmeridge free to visit?
- Yes, Kimmeridge is free to enter.
- How do I get to Kimmeridge?
- The nearest railway station is Norden, about 5.0 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode BH20 5PH.