Old Harry Rocks, Chalk formations at Handfast Point, Dorset, England
Old Harry Rocks is a group of white chalk stacks rising from the sea off Handfast Point in southern England. The towers and stumps mark the eastern end of the Jurassic Coast and stand several meters offshore from the clifftop.
The chalk formations took shape 84 million years ago during the Late Cretaceous period from deposits of marine organisms. Erosion from wind and waves continues to shape the rocks and gradually wears them back.
The name may come from Harry Paye, a pirate from Poole who used the rocks to hide his ship during coastal raids. The white towers now serve as a landmark for walkers and photographers traveling along the southern shore.
A 40-minute walk from the South Beach car park on Manor Road follows the South West Coast Path to the rocks. The route traces the clifftop and offers several viewpoints overlooking the water.
British pilots used these rocks as target practice during the Second World War and left behind .303 shell cases. Divers still find these cases on the seabed around the formation today.
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