Chesil Beach facts for kids
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Chesil Beach, also known as Chesil Bank, is a famous beach in Dorset, southern England. It's one of the biggest shingle (gravel) beaches in Britain. The name "Chesil" comes from an old English word meaning "gravel" or "shingle."
This amazing beach acts like a natural wall, connecting the mainland to the Isle of Portland. Behind the beach, there's a calm body of water called The Fleet or The Fleet Lagoon.
The shingle beach is about 18 miles (29 km) long. It's also very wide, around 220 yards (200 meters), and can be as high as 50 feet (15 meters). Both Chesil Beach and The Fleet are part of the Jurassic Coast. This area is so special that UNESCO has named it a World Heritage Site. You might have also heard of it from the book On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan.
What is Chesil Beach Like?
At the eastern end of the beach, near the village of Chiswell on the Isle of Portland, the beach curves sharply. This curve forms an area called Chesil Cove. This part of the beach is super important because it protects the low-lying village from floods.
As you go west from Chesil Cove, the shingle beach stretches out in a straight line. It forms a natural barrier for The Fleet, which is a shallow tidal lagoon. The deepest part of this lagoon is about 9½ feet (3 meters).
The beach also helps protect the town of Weymouth and the village of Chiswell. It blocks strong winds and waves that usually come from the west. Without Chesil Beach, these places might not even exist!
Shingle Size Mystery
One cool thing about Chesil Beach is how the size of the shingle changes. At the north-west end (near West Bay), the stones are tiny, like peas. But as you move towards the south-east end (near Portland), they get much bigger, some even the size of oranges!
Long ago, smugglers used this unique feature to their advantage. They say that if smugglers landed on the beach in the middle of the night, they could tell exactly where they were just by feeling the size of the shingle under their feet.
Images for kids
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Chesil Beach and the Fleet Lagoon
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Plants that grow on Chesil Beach
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A Highball bouncing bomb prototype, now on display at Abbotsbury Swannery
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Looking west down Chesil Beach near Abbotsbury
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Shingle on Chesil Beach at Chesil Cove
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Large chert and flint shingle near the Portland end of the beach, with a shoe for size comparison
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Towards the northern end, the shingle becomes much smaller
See also
In Spanish: Chesil Beach para niños
