Black Ven

Black Ven is a cliff complex on the Dorset coast made up of limestone layers sitting above clay formations and rising to about 130 meters. The contrasting rock types cause ongoing movement that continuously exposes new fossils on the beach.

James Harrison discovered the first Scelidosaurus fossils here in 1858 while working in quarrying activities. This find started scientific attention on the paleontological importance of this coastal area.

The site is part of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage area, reflecting its importance as a geological reference point. Visitors come here to witness the rock layers directly and understand why this stretch of coast matters to science.

The loose rock and constant ground movement make this a dynamic and potentially unstable area. Stick to marked paths and avoid touching the cliff face to stay safe and prevent further disturbance.

This area holds one of Europe's largest active mudslide systems, with a failure zone roughly 400 meters wide. This ongoing movement not only reveals the geology at work but continuously brings new fossils to the surface.

GPS coordinates: 50.73420,-2.91070

Latest update: December 12, 2025 09:04