A Rural Delight!
Recently there has been an overwhelming flow of nature/travel programmes on the television, which pleases me greatly as the majority are truly amazing, such as Life by the mighty David Attenborough. It got me thinking about a area I used to visit a lot in rural Dorset when I was a kid.
The place in question is Zig Zag Hill, aptly named because its winding road that runs through it is in fact zig zagged. It is a motorists nightmare, and even the guys from Top Gear have road tested it. I learnt from the internet that it is the UK’s most bendiest road…But for you cyclists and motorcyclists or just general thrillseekers out there, it is seen as a great challenge to tackle its sharp bends…
I’m digressing slightly here, as the main reason for this posting is to bring about the amazing artefacts I have uncovered from its chalky slopes… My brother,sister and I whilst walking the dog, would rummage around and pick at the chalk surface and find such things as fossilised shells, perfectly intact, but of course fragile, weird and wonderful sea creatures embedded in chunks of rock…and I also found lying under a tree nuggets of meteorite….
I also found out from the internet that the area is owned by the National Trust, and is also an area of scientific research, so I don’t think they would have taken too kindly to a bunch of kids digging up the landscape!
It got me thinking how many billions and trillions of years old these fossils were, and also the fact that Zig Zag Hill is miles away from the sea! Generally when people think of fossil collecting, it would be on the coast of Devon or Lyme Regis, Dorset, where you can go on group fossil hunting expeditions.
So if you’re ever heading that way, check out Zig Zag Hill, and even if its not for the fossils its a great place for a picnic and stunning views…
