Subsection

Durlston Head to White Nothe 1

• Coastal Group: South West

The Durlston Head to White Nothe Subsection is split into 8 areas. Their boundaries have been set based on analysis of coastal processes and the character of the shoreline. Select an area to find out more information about it.

• Durlston Head to St Alban's Head 5G01
• St Alban's Head to Kimmeridge Bay 5G02
• Kimmeridge Bay (defended length) 5G03
• Kimmeridge Bay (undefended) to Worbarrow Tout 5G04
• Worbarrow Tout to Lulworth Cove (East) 5G05
• Lulworth Cove (undefended) 5G06
• Lulworth Cove (defended length) 5G07
• Lulworth Cove (West) to White Nothe 5G08

Map is loading...

General actions for this subsection

There are no actions generic to the whole of this subsection. For actions relating to specific locations, select an area on the map above or use the postcode/location search and click on the Action Plan tab.

All actions are subject to funding and approval, often by other parties than the Lead Organisation shown.

Download SMP documents

The information on this website represents the current SMP management approaches adopted by the local authorities within its area, and current actions needed to deliver them. These management approaches have been approved by the Environment Agency under its Strategic Overview for coastal flood and erosion risk management and are considered to be local policy.

The documents below provide the full SMP adopted locally and approved by the Environment Agency at the time of publication. Some of the information has changed in response to new government policy, new evidence or new work identified.

Data on this page

• Action plan (CSV)
• Policies (CSV)

Main report

• Introduction
• Strategic Environmental Assessment
• Basis for Development of the Plan
• The preferred plan
• Policy statement - part 1
• Policy statement - part 2
• Action plan
• Glossary
• References

Appendices

• Appendix A - SMP Development
• Appendix B - Stakeholder Engagement
• Appendix C - Baseline Process Understanding
  • Appendix C - maps
• Appendix D - Sea Environmental Baseline Report
  • Appendix D - Map (overview)
  • Appendix D - Map
• Appendix E - Issues and Objectives Evaluation
• Appendix F - Initial Policy Appraisal and Scenario Development
• Appendix G - Preferred Policy Scenario Testing
• Appendix H - Economic Appraisal and Sensitivity Testing
• Appendix I - Strategic Environmental Assessment Report
• Appendix J - Appropriate Assessment Report
• Appendix K - Water Framework Directive Assessment Report
• Appendix L - Metadata and Bibliographic Databases
• Appendix M - Action Plan Summary Tables

Supporting Documents

• Summary leaflet
• Non-technical summary

About this subsection

This subsection of coast runs from the Portland Stone cliffs of Durlston Head, a National Nature Reserve, to the chalk headland of White Nothe, west of Durdle Door.

It is characterised by tall, steep eroding cliffs which are legally protected for their outstanding landscape and geological value, and form part of the UNESCO “Jurassic Coast” World Heritage Site. The geology is varied, with limestone, chalk and other rock types experiencing different rates of erosion. In some particularly complex areas, such as Hounds Tout, a combination of landslip and erosion action from the sea influences the shape of the coast, and the entire stretch is punctuated with a series of bays and headlands. The shoreline is popular with visitors, with access points and facilities at Kimmeridge Bay and Lulworth Cove on an otherwise entirely undeveloped coast.

The cliffs in this subsection of the SMP are protected for their internationally important wildlife value, and the inshore area is part of the Purbeck Coast Marine Conservation Zone. There are also sites of heritage interest, one of which (Clavell Tower) has been re-located further back from the cliff edge.

Related links

• Coastal Group Website
• Coastal Handbook
• National Coast Monitoring
• Flood and coastal erosion risk management: current schemes and strategies
• Designated Sites View