Panorama taken from the top of the cliffs at Hengistbury Head. These cliffs are unstable and being worn away, so at some time in the near future this picture will be historical as the point from which the panorama was taken will be claimed by the sea.

Hengistbury Head - View From Cliffs - Christchurch visitor guide showing a virtual tour of 'Hengistbury Head - View From Cliffs' linked to an interactive map with local and travel information. 360° panoramas from Dorset.

The cliffs of Hengistbury Head are line the southern side of the headland and are constantly being washed into the sea. This provides a clear view of the various strata and show how Hengistbury Head was formed over a period of about 60 million years.

Geology of Hengistbury HeadAll the layers of Hengistbury Head decline to the southeast by about 3 degrees. The bottom layer is formed of Boscombe Sands above which is are the Lower Hengistbury Head Beds, about 3 meters of greenish clay-sands. On top of this is about 15m of brown, sandy clay which form the Upper Hengistbury Beds. Embedded within this are large boulders of ironstone. Next up is about are the Highcliffe Beds, about 3m of white sands with clay islands. Above this is about 1m of river deposits, silt and gravel. Finally there is a thin layer of sandy topsoil.

The ironstones in the Upper Hengistbury Beds are often found lying on the beach. It was for these that the headland was extensively quarried in the 19th century, an act which badly destabilised the headland, and whose effects are still felt today, significantly changing the natural environment.

The views from the top of the cliffs extend along the curve of Bournemouth Bay to the west, as far as the entrance to Poole Harbour and the Poole Harbour Ferry at Sandbanks, some 11 miles away. This whole coastline is comprised of sandy beaches, of which and are just a two. It is also possible to look out to sea to the Isle of Wight and . An even more impressive view of the whole area inland as well can be found at the top of Hengistbury Head.

Bus: Hengistbury Head Cafe
Car: From Christchurch take the B3059 south and turn left onto Bell Vue Road which runs along to the pay-&-display car park at the end. Free parking available on the approach road. From Bournemouth take the A35 and then B3059 to Bell Vue Road.