- Seaton Tramway
The number one local attraction to visit in Seaton is Seaton Tramway! Stretching three miles between the seaside town of Seaton and the quaint village of Colyford, and the town of Colyton, this narrow-gauge heritage tramway is a journey through history and nature. Seaton Tramway operates historic, electric trams, many of which date back to the early 1900s. Lovingly restored and painted in vibrant colours, the trams ride along a former railway line, offering panoramic views of the East Devon countryside and the Axe Estuary.
The Tramway was founded in 1970 by Claude Lane, a tram enthusiast with a dream of preserving traditional British trams. What began as a modest operation has grown into one of Devon’s most beloved attractions, drawing in families, tram lovers, photographers, and nature enthusiasts alike.
One of the Tramway’s greatest charms is its proximity to the Seaton Wetlands, a haven for birdwatchers and nature lovers. As the tram glides along the tracks, it offers front-row views of marshes, reed beds, and tidal lagoons teeming with wildlife. It’s not unusual to spot herons, egrets, kingfishers, or even a bird of prey circling overhead. The open-sided trams offer a fully immersive experience, allowing you to smell the sea air, feel the breeze, and hear the calls of nature all around you. Whether you’re staying in East Devon or visiting as a day-tripper, Seaton Tramway is easy to access. There’s parking nearby and the route is wheelchair accessible. Trams run every twenty minutes throughout the day during the season, and tickets can be purchased online or at either Seaton or Colyton stations.
To find out more, visit: https://www.tram.co.uk/
2. Jurassic Discovery
If you’ve ever dreamed of walking in the footsteps of dinosaurs, discovering ancient fossils, or unlocking the secrets of Earth’s prehistoric past, Jurassic Discovery, on the famous UNESCO World Heritage Site Jurassic Coast, is the adventure you’ve been waiting for. Next door to Seaton Tramway, you can visit Jurassic Discovery, this new and exciting attraction! Kids can grab a Dino Detective Trail Guide and hunt for clues as they learn about different species, extinction, and the incredible creatures that once roamed the Earth. It’s thrilling, educational and yes, perfect for selfies!
Once you’ve discovered all the dinosaurs, don’t miss the fascinating Leon Garner Fossil Collection, a display with over 1,500 real fossils donated by a local collector. This exhibit adds a touching human element, showing how one person’s passion can inspire generations.
To find out more and book, visit: www.jurassicdiscovery.co.uk
3. Beer
Beer is a small fishing village nestled within the East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, on the Jurassic Coast. The village is known for its fishing fleet, with boats still actively landing catches, including mackerel, sea bass, lobsters, and crabs.
Just a short walk from the village, the historic Beer Quarry Caves are a must-see. These vast underground caverns were hand-carved by generations of quarrymen and supplied the famous Beer Stone used in cathedrals across England. Guided tours bring this fascinating history to life.
4.South West Coast Path
One of the best ways to experience the captivating beauty of the Dorset coastline is from walking along the towering clifftops and winding trails of the South West Coast Path. There is an 86-mile stretch between Poole and Lyme Regis to be explored and enjoyed, through beautiful coastal villages and alongside the hidden coves and sweeping beaches of the Jurassic Coast.
Dramatic landscapes and sparkling seascapes are revealed with every twist and turn along the beautiful Dorset Coast Path walk. Plus, whichever route you choose on this prehistoric coastline, discovering the 185 million years of geological history is simply incredible.
5.Lulworth Cove
A white-pebbled, perfectly curved beach lapped by crystal clear turquoise waters, makes Lulworth Cove one of the most famous Dorset Coast beaches. Enjoy a refreshing swim before taking a short hike over the cliffs and on to Durdle Door, regarded as one of the most iconic landforms in the country. A great spot to experience Dorset’s must-see landmark from a whole new vantage point and you can hire a kayak to glide beneath the magnificent natural limestone arch. Spectacular when viewed from Man O’ War Beach next door. The Lulworth Cove Visitor Centre provides information about the area’s geology, fossils, and the Jurassic coast.
6.Lyme Regis
One of the most popular coastal resorts, Lyme Regis is home to glorious golden sand, spectacular scenery and safe bathing waters protected by the iconic Cobb, which you may recognise from Meryl Streep’s The French Lieutenant’s Woman. A great spot for families to have a summer getaway. The pretty town is often nicknamed ‘The Pearl of Dorset’.
Home to the history of fossil hunting, it was the birthplace of Mary Anning, one of history’s most important fossil collectors and palaeontologists. If you want to learn more about Mary Anning, head over to Monmouth Beach and follow in her footsteps and discover some Jurassic history for yourself! For some dinosaur attractions, check out The Dinosaurland Fossil Museum and The Lyme Regis Museum in the town and discover 200 million years of history, from the remarkable discoveries by Mary Anning and the many writers who have found inspiration in the town.
7. Charmouth Beach
If you want to go fossil hunting in Dorset, Charmouth Beach should be your first stop. The cliffs here offer the best fossil hunting location on the south coast, whether you choose to go it alone or join a guided fossil walk from the Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre. Set up camp in a beach hut and spend the day exploring the rocky beach for ammonites and belemnites – the best time to go searching is just after a big storm, as the cliffs are naturally eroded, so fresh fossils are exposed.
Charmouth was one of the first locations added to Discovering Fossils and has since been the destination for several organised fossil trips. The famous coastline between Lyme Regis, and Seatown, has yielded a range of spectacular fossils, including giant marine reptiles, intricate crinoids and ammonites.
The beach and cliffs are part of the Jurassic Coast – World Heritage Site, which encompasses 95 miles of coast between Dorset and Devon. The area is well-suited to amateur and experienced fossil hunters alike. Throughout the year, visitors flock in their masses to scour the beach for fossils washed out of the cliffs and foreshore.
The rocks at Charmouth date predominantly from the early part of the Jurassic period (around 190 million years ago), during which time this area lay beneath a warm, shallow sea, closer to the equator, approximately where North Africa resides today.
Nigel Chadwick
8. West Bay
Situated on the Jurassic Coast, West Bay is known for the dramatic cliffs and beautiful pebbly beaches. West Bay has two beaches, East Beach is a sloping, shingle beach backed by magnificent sandstone cliffs. The scenery is truly spectacular here, the golden cliffs rise 50m vertically above the beach and the views towards Chesil Beach and Portland will take your breath away and the West Beach is a smaller, quieter beach popular with young families.
The golden cliffs are a huge draw to visitors as featured on ITV crime drama, “Broadchurch”. There’s plenty to do in West Bay, take a stroll around the harbour for an ice cream or fish and chips, climb the coast path up to the top of the cliffs, hire a rowing boat up the River Brit or join a fishing trip out from the harbour, all the ingredients for a chilled out day on the coast.
9. Chesil Beach
Spanning an impressive 18 miles from Portland to West Bay, the magnificent stretch of coastline known as Chesil Beach, or Chesil Bank, is an important conservation area and a unique place for spotting flora and fauna. It is, in fact, a shingle barrier beach which has “rolled” landwards, joining the mainland with the Isle of Portland.
Wild, rugged and windswept, this Dorset beach is a sight to behold. While Chesil Beach itself isn’t known for dinosaur fossils, it’s part of the Jurassic Coast, a site famous for its rich fossil record, including marine reptiles like pliosaurs and ichthyosaurs. Dinosaur footprints can be found at Keates Quarry, not directly on Chesil Beach, but nearby.
By Jim – Flickr: Chesil Beach – Dorset., CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14719064
10. Kimmeridge Bay
Get a closer peek at Dorset’s marine life with a trip to Kimmeridge Bay, where children can delve into mysterious rock pools and snorkellers can don their masks and meet a host of underwater creatures beneath the surface of the glittering sea. Found on the Jurassic Coast within the Purbeck Marine Wildlife Reserve, this is another great spot for fossil hunting – look carefully in the shoreline rocks and you can spot all manner of dinosaur remains.
Visit The Etches Collection Museum of Jurassic Marine Life situated in the village of Kimmeridge. Housing the finest single collection of Late Jurassic age fossils, you will be mesmerised by sea monsters, prehistoric predators and the marine flora and fauna of 152-157 million years ago when the Jurassic Coast of Dorset was but a shallow, tropical sea.
Nearly all of the fossils in the collection were found by Dr Steve Etches MBE in the Kimmeridge Bay locality, from the world famous oil rich Kimmeridge Clay, within 2 miles of where the Museum is located. Some of the fossils were generously donated to the Museum, including Britney, the Ichthyosaur ‘sea dragon’ and a Pliosaur skull, known as the Sea Rex, as featured on the BBC programme ‘Attenborough and The Giant Sea Monster’.
Visit https://www.theetchescollection.org/ for more information.
Jim Champion / Charnel, at the western extreme of Kimmeridge Bay / CC BY-SA 2.0
