Golden Cap
| Golden Cap | |
|---|---|
 Golden Cap seen from Charmouth beach | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 191 m (627 ft)[1] |
| Prominence | 63 m (207 ft)[1] |
| Parent peak | Hardown Hill [1] |
| Geography | |
 | |
| Location | Dorset, England |
| Parent range | South Dorset Downs |
| OS grid | SY384934 |
| Topo map | OS Landranger 193 |
Golden Cap is a hill and cliff situated on the English Channel coast between Bridport and Charmouth in Dorset, England. At 191 metres (627 ft), it is the highest point on the south coast of Great Britain and is visible for tens of miles along the coastline. It is accessible via a coastal footpath from Seatown, and takes around 40 minutes to reach the summit.
The hill is owned by the National Trust and forms part of the Jurassic Coast, a World Heritage Site.
The base of the cliff is covered with large boulders, and is popular with fossil collectors. Storms have previously exposed fossilised ammonites and belemnites in the Blue Lias base.
The name derives from the distinctive outcropping of golden greensand rock present at the very top of the cliff.
Behind the cliff is Langdon Wood, a small wood of mainly Corsican Pine, planted in the 1950s, whose trees originate from a nearby copse known as "Eleanor's Clump". Langdon is owned by the National Trust, and encompasses a circular walk of approximately one mile
References
- ^ a b c Summit Listings by Relative Height by Jonathan de Ferranti. Accessed on 27 Mar 2013.
External links
- Golden Cap - official site at National Trust
- Golden Cap and Seatown — Geology of the Wessex Coast by Ian West, Southampton University