I

f your knowledge of fossils is more Jurassic Park than Jurassic Coast, then this 100-mile stretch of World Heritage coastline may not yet be marked on your map.

While some keen walkers tackle the entire 630 miles (1,000km) of the South Coastal Path, why not start small by dropping in at one of the 30 designated gateway towns between Exmouth and Swanage for a snippet of what’s on offer?

You can even catch the ‘Jurassic Bus’, which stops at various villages along the coast – saving your legs.

A good place to start is Charmouth, a quiet seaside village renowned for its fossil-filled beaches. Budding archaeologists should head to the Heritage Coast Centre in town for tips, before scouring the pebbles for prehistoric creatures, dinosaur bones and long extinct sea ammonites that wash up with the dwindling tide.

You can put your finds under the microscope back at the Centre, or just enjoy holding 65 million years of history in your hands. Not bad for a day’s rock-pooling.