New Forest, Dorset and Isle of Wight

The New Forest lies within the county of Hampshire, on the south-central coast of England, and includes Britain's smallest National Park with it's he rare blend of open heathlands and ancient woodlands.

Dorset's 150 mile coastline follows the English Channel to the south and forms the Jurassic Coast, designated a World Heritage Site in December 2001.

The Isle of Wight, England's largest island is located in the English Channel and separated from the mainland 5 miles away by the Solent. It has 57 miles of coastline. Slightly more than half of the island, mainly in the west, is designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The landscape of the AONB is diverse being made up of five different sub areas which together consist of 11 distinct types of landscape. This diversity is the special attraction of the island leading to its oft-quoted description of "England in Miniature".

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St Aldhelms Head - Dorset

St Aldhelms Head, is located southwest of Swanage. The headland is an outcrop of Portland Stone from the overlying Lower Purbeck Stone and is the most southerly part of the Purbeck peninsula and has been heavily quarried - a defunct sea cliff quarry exists underneath the coast guard station and a still working quarry, called "St Aldhelms Quarry". An un-quarried limestone pillar has been left on the cliff edge, by the 19th century quarrymen, presumably as a curiosity. The "Pond Freestone" which makes up the stem of the monolith was the main stone worked at the site.

UNESCO World Heritage Site Jurassic Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty headland peninsula cliffs sea coastal coastline wild flowers geology seascape South West Coast Path