The 10 minute walk from Tyneham car park to Worbarrow Bay in Dorset is well worthwhile.

The pictures below show the views from Warbarrow Tout, the word "Tout" meaning "Look-out hill", from the Old English "Tote".

The correct spelling of Worbarrow is somewhat confusing. Over the years it has changed from Wyrebarowe 1462, to Wyrbarrow 1500, to Worthbarrow 1575, to Warbarrow 1841, to today's mix of Worbarrow and Warbarrow.

The next bay east of Worbarrow is called Brandy Bay. Needless to say, smuggling was a cottage industry along this coast.

One smuggler was stoned on Warbarrow beach. No, not too much brandy on a moonlit night, he was stoned to death by the excise men.

I guess he tried to go through the green exit with nothing to declare!

The above engraving, from Ancestry Images shows Clarkson Stansfield's 1830 engraving of a shipwreck in Worbarrow Bay.

Centre left you can see the cottages occupied by the fishermen.

Sea Cottage, Worbarrow, was the home of the Miller family of fishermen, reputedly descended from two spannish sailors of the Armada, who were shipwrecked on the coast of Scotland and made their way to Worbarrow.

Rodney Legg's book has a brilliant extract from Walter Miller, declaring that before the Crimean War, all of the Miller family were smugglers.

One of Walter's great uncles was unlucky to be caught smuggling and was sent to Dorchester Jail.

When let out, he was met by the Squire and taken to the Kings Arms for a good meal.

I guess the Squire's stock of brandy was running seriously low!

This shows Worbarrow Bay in the late evening.

Millions of years ago this area was covered by shallow seas which retreated leaving a pattern of freshwater lagoons.

Deposits of freshwater snail shells led to the formation of Purbeck Marble, which is a rich green colour when polished. This can be found between Worbarrow Tout and Peveril Point.

The marble was used in medieval times by the early English church builders. Examples can be seen in Salisbury Cathedral and in the clustered pillars of Kingston Church near Corfe Castle.

For the geology of Worbarrow Bay, see the Southampton University web site:-

Worbarrow Bay