A wave breaks in Lulworh Cove.

It was probably the tiny stream which now discharges into the northwest corner of the cove that made the first breach through the tough Portland stone that guards the soft cretaceous chalk behind. The energy of the waves then pushed through and enlarged the gap into the perfect circle we see today.

The near vertical band of stone was twisted into position by the forces that built the Alps and the Pyrenees to the south. Evidence of the forces involved can be seen in the folded strata of the Lulworth Crumple seen at its best at Stair Hole nearby.

Jurassic Coast | Itineraries Page