Mention the word Jurassic to most people and they will imagine a succession of dinosaur films about people who just can’t seem to realise that prehistory has a habit of repeating itself, with deadly results.
However, in Dorset the name means something very different, with the Jurassic coast providing not only the huge treasure trove of prehistoric fossils that gives it its name, but also fantastic scenery that offers a wonderful backdrop for potential wedding shots.
Many a Dorset wedding photographer will have taken lots of snaps – of the camera kind, not T-Rex jaws – down there.
A UNESCO World Heritage site, much of the Jurassic coast is not in Dorset, as it stretches all the way from Swanage to Exmouth. These 95 miles of wonderful coastline feature superb vistas, spectacular rock formations and towering cliffs.
Among the most notable features of all is Chesil Beach, the famous sand bank that shields the lagoon known as the Fleet from the sea near Weymouth. The Fleet is by far the largest lagoon in England.
Nearby is the rugged Isle of Portland, which is actually a peninsula, joined to the mainland by Chesil Beach. Its red and white striped lighthouse, one of three on the headland of Portland Bill, makes a great photographic backdrop.
For those seeking a more elevated backdrop can go to the Golden Cap, at 191 metres (627 ft) the highest point on the south coast of England. Located near Seatown, it is close to Langdon Hill Woods, which provides an opportunity to have further pictures taken amid its beautiful flora and trees.
These are just some of the many wonderful scenic backdrops available along the Dorset part of the Jurassic Coast, providing some of the most wonderful and unique coastal scenery in Britain, all, reassuringly, without any danger of being eaten by a dinosaur.