A premier place in the Britain for studying physical geography, a trip to the Isle of Purbeck is an adventure through a beautiful and varied landscape, rich in learning opportunities. The coastline features in textbooks globally and in 2001 it was designated part of England's first natural World Heritage Site for its geology and geomorphology.

The short journey of discovery begins on the discordant coastline in the east, where you cruise the meandering River Frome to spill into Poole Harbour. Beyond the entrance, follow the shifting sand dunes of Studland as you surf along to the stacks of Old Harry Rocks. Sail round the headland to the sweeping bay of Swanage and up onto the craggy limestone cliffs of Durlston. Stride the concordant cliff tops perched above the pounding waves at Dancing Ledge, and dip down to the oil and fossil rich clays of Kimmeridge. Soar over towering vertical cliffs of pure white chalk and dive into the turquoise seas of Lulworth Cove. Emerge to view the awe-inspiring folds of the Lulworth Crumple, and gently float through the massive arch at Durdle Door. Finally, land on the beach with a new wealth of knowledge to take from this bountiful trip.

 With such a rich abundance of sites within a small area, ranging from the most south westerly chalk streams in Britain to spectacular coastal landforms, Purbeck can offer a great variety of learning opportunities, set in a natural and exhilarating environment. Purbeck has the most northerly evidence of the alpine mountain building period, as well as one of the finest examples of late Jurassic-early Cretaceous rock sequences in the world. This contains a treasure trove of fossils, ranging from a well preserved Jurassic forest to some of the longest dinosaur trackways ever found. Being one of the best understood sedimentary basins in the world, this region is an ideal place to learn about physical geography, whether your students are new to the subject, or looking to add to the list of over 3,000 species of cretaceous insects found at Durlston.

Come to Purbeck and with the aid of local expertise study: geological timescales; formation of rocks; plate tectonics; folding; processes of erosion and weathering; coastal landforms of erosion and deposition; future coastal evolution and coastal management. River profiles, flows, and features of erosion and deposition can also be explored.

Practise field techniques such as: sketching; transects; quadrats; measuring longshore drift; beach and sand dune profiles; as well as river profiles and flow rates.