West Bay cliffs

As they glow yellow-orange in the sunset and their buttresses soar up to serrated edges, the cliffs at West Bay present a spectacle like nothing else in Dorset. About 43 metres high, they consist of layers of fine-grained sandstone separated by bands of calcite which are more weather-resistant, producing what look like horizontal stripes along the cliffs.

They are a magnificently commanding sight, but best admired from a distance: the calcite acts as a cement up to a point, but is not proof against the action of the waves at the foot of the cliffs and of wind and rain higher up. Falls are common and there have been fatalities, so keep well away from the base of the cliffs.

 Nearest postcode: DT6 4EP
OS reference: SY464901
What3Words: handyman.defeated.spell