Chesil Beach Centre

Dorset

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This centre at the start of the bridge to Portland, is a great gateway to Chesil Beach. The pebble ridge is at its highest here – 15m compared to 7m at Abbotsbury. From the car park an energy-sapping hike up sliding pebbles leads to the constant surge and rattle of waves on stones and dazzling views of the sea, with the thin pebble line and the expanse of the Fleet Lagoon behind.

The centre details an ecosystem that includes ringed plovers, redshanks and oystercatchers, as well as drifts of thrift and sea campion.

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