Temple Bay

Temple Bay is a small cove which sits in Dunraven Bay, just around Witch’s Point from the larger Southerndown beach. The beach here is a narrow stretch of sand between rocky ledges of Blue Lias limestone.

To the back of the beach are high, sheer cliffs made up of layers of sandstone and limestone. This is excellent fossil hunting territory although care must be taken as the cliffs can be unstable.

If you are interested in less extinct (just!) wildlife then these cliffs are home to choughs, a rare member of the crow family with red legs and beak.

The top of the cliffs at Witches Point provide great views across the bay and are also the site of the ruins of Dunraven castle, a castellated manor house which was mostly demolished in the 1960s. There are also the remains of an Iron Age hillfort towards the end of the point.

Access to the beach is somewhat of a challenge with a fairly steep path and steps leading down to the beach. On spring low tides it may be possible to walk around the point from Southerndown, but however you get here keep an eye on the tides as it is possible to be cut off.