The Landslides of East Devon and West Dorset

Abstract

The landslides of the East Devon and West Dorset coast are some of the most spectacular examples of mass movements. Complex sequences of slumps, slides and flows mantle the cliffs between West Bay in the east and Axmouth in the west. Whilst much of the shoreline is backed by unstable ground, the classic sites of Stonebarrow Hill, Black Ven and the Axmouth to Lyme Regis Undercliffs are exemplars of the wider geomorphology. The geology is a key determinant of both the location and type of mass movements. Clays, marls and silts of the Lias are capped unconformably by Cretaceous Upper Greensand and Gault. The juxtaposition of permeable over impermeable strata has a key role to play in the evolution of a stunning part of the British coastline.