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| Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty | |
|---|---|
| Name | Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty |
| Location | Dorset, England |
| Area km2 | 453 |
| Established | 1959 |
| Governing body | Dorset AONB Partnership |
Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is a designated protected landscape on the southern coast of England encompassing a variety of coastal and inland environments between Exeter and Poole Harbour. The AONB includes internationally recognised geology such as the Jurassic Coast, archaeological sites like Maumbury Rings, historic settlements such as Dorchester, and landmarks including Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove, offering layered connections to Charles Darwin, Mary Anning, and the Industrial Revolution.
The AONB spans coastal stretches from the eastern approaches near Poole Harbour through the Isle of Purbeck to the western extents close to Bridport and Lyme Regis, intersecting administrative areas of Dorset Council and adjacent to Devon county boundaries. It abuts the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site and lies within the broader south coast geography influenced by the English Channel and features topographic contrasts between the South Dorset Downs, the Blackmore Vale periphery, and the coastal headlands near Weymouth.
The landscape contains prominent limestone formations of the Portland Stone and Purbeck Beds with iconic arches and coves at Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove, plus clay vales and heathland mosaics such as Wareham Forest and the Poole Basin. Chalk ridges continue into Swanage and the Undercliff zone, while the coastline preserves exposures central to the Palaeogene and Mesozoic records studied by Mary Anning and Adam Sedgwick. River corridors like the River Frome and estuarine systems around Poole Harbour add wetland and tidal habitats.
Habitat diversity supports priority species recorded by Natural England, including avifauna such as Peregrine falcon populations on sea cliffs and migratory passage through Studland and Snettisham. Heathland hosts dung beetle assemblages and invertebrates studied in Bournemouth University surveys, while maritime cliffs sustain specialised plants of the Red Data Book and lichens cited in Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland records. Coastal lagoons and saltmarshes provide nursery grounds for fish noted in ICES datasets and staging areas for waders monitored by Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.
Human presence is recorded from Paleolithic finds associated with Mary Anning's discoveries near Lyme Regis through Bronze Age barrows on the Worbarrow Tout ridge, Roman infrastructure near Dorchester (ancient Durnovaria), and medieval architecture in villages like Corfe Castle and Swanage. Agricultural enclosure and 18th–19th century estate management influenced by landowners and architects such as Capability Brown altered parkland and woodlands; 20th-century events including wartime fortifications around Weymouth and military training in Salisbury Plain shaped land use patterns.
The AONB is traversed by long-distance routes including the South West Coast Path and attracts walkers to viewpoints at St. Aldhelm's Head and fossil-hunting visitors to Charmouth and Lyme Regis, with boat trips from Poole and coastal recreation at Bournemouth and Swanage piers. Cultural tourism links to sites such as Max Gate (associated with Thomas Hardy) and festivals in Dorchester and Bridport; activities range from sailing linked to Poole Harbour Commissioners to birdwatching organized by Dorset Wildlife Trust.
Management is coordinated by the Dorset AONB Partnership in collaboration with statutory bodies like Natural England and local authorities including Dorset Council; frameworks align with national designations such as the Site of Special Scientific Interest network and the UNESCO World Heritage Site status of the Jurassic Coast. Conservation priorities address coastal erosion at West Bay, habitat restoration on heathlands working with RSPB and Wildlife Trusts, and sustainable farming initiatives promoted through agri-environment schemes administered by DEFRA.
Access is provided by road corridors including the A35 and local roads to towns such as Bridport and Dorchester, rail links via stations at Weymouth and Moreton connect to the National Rail network, and ferry services operate from Poole Harbour and crossings to the Isle of Wight. Public transport and cycle routes are supported by initiatives from Dorset Council and community transport groups to reduce pressure on sensitive sites like Studland Bay and Lulworth during peak seasons.
Category:Protected areas of Dorset Category:Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty in England