The Marshwood and Powerstock Vales form a natural region in southwest England reaching to the

Dorset Dorset ( ; archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The ceremonial county comprises the unitary authority areas of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and Dorset (unitary authority), Dors ...

coastline. The region is recognised as a National Character Area (No. 139) by Natural England, the UK Government's advisors on the

natural environment The natural environment or natural world encompasses all life, living and non-living things occurring nature, naturally, meaning in this case not Artificiality, artificial. The term is most often applied to the Earth or some parts of Earth. Th ...

. It covers an area of and lies entirely within the

Dorset AONB Dorset (or archaically, Dorsetshire) is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. Covering an area of ; it borders Devon to the west, Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north-east, and Hampshire to the east. The grea ...

. The boundary of the Marshwood and Powerstock Vales NCA runs along the coastline from just east of Charmouth to West Bay, cutting briefing inland towards Bridport before heading eastwards again to

Chilcombe Chilcombe is a hamlet and civil parish in Dorset, England, situated in the Dorset unitary authority administrative area about east of Bridport and west of the county town, Dorchester. It comprises a church, an 18th-century farmhouse with farm ...

. It then runs broadly north-northeast, taking in

Eggardon Hill Eggardon Hill is a prehistoric hillfort on a hill in Dorset, England. It is located on chalk uplands approximately four miles to the east of the town of Bridport. The Hill Eggardon Hill stands above sea level and is classified as a Hump (hil ...

, before reaching the A356 near

Toller Porcorum Toller Porcorum () is a village and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in Dorset, England, situated in the River Toller, Toller valley northwest of Dorchester, Dorset, Dorchester. In the 2011 census the civil parish—which also includes t ...

. It then heads westwards towards

Mapperton Mapperton is a hamlet and civil parish in Dorset, England, south-east of Beaminster. Dorset County Council estimated that the population of the parish was 60 in 2013. Parish The parish of Mapperton is comparatively small at . The population h ...

, Beaminster and

Stoke Abbott Stoke Abbott is a village and civil parish in west Dorset, England, west of Beaminster. In 2013 the estimated population of the parish was 190. The author Ralph Wightman, agriculturist, broadcaster, and native of Dorset, described the village as ...

before swinging in a wide arc to return to the coast via

Pilsdon Pilsdon is a hamlet and civil parish in the Dorset unitary authority area of Dorset, England. Dorset County Council's 2013 mid-year estimate of the parish population is 50. The Grade II* Pilsdon Manor House dates from the start of the 17th cen ...

and

Whitchurch Canonicorum Whitchurch Canonicorum () is a village and civil parish in southwest Dorset, England, situated in the Marshwood Vale west-northwest of Bridport. In the 2011 Census the parish – which includes the settlements of Morcombelake, Ryall and Fishp ...

.''Marshwood and Powerstock Vales - Character Area 139''
at www.naturalengland.org.uk. Accessed on 6 Apr 2013. The heart of the region is the clay bowl of the

Vale of Marshwood The Marshwood Vale (or Vale of Marshwood) is a low-lying, bowl-shaped valley of Lower Lias clay, in the western tip of the county of Dorset in south-west England. It lies to the north of the A35 trunk road between the towns of Bridport and Lyme R ...

surrounded by

Upper Greensand Greensand or green sand is a sand or sandstone which has a greenish color. This term is specifically applied to shallow marine sediment that contains noticeable quantities of rounded greenish grains. These grains are called ''glauconies'' and co ...

ridges and hills with a deeply incised network of valleys, in the east forming the Powerstock Hills - small, conical hills divided by deep valleys. To the north, a broad plateau overlooks the valley of the River Axe and separates the region from the

Yeovil Scarplands The Yeovil Scarplands are a natural region in southern England in the counties of Somerset and Dorset. The region is listed as National Character Area 140 by Natural England, the UK Government's advisor on the natural environment. It covers an ...

. To the east are the chalk hills of the

Dorset Downs The Dorset Downs are an area of chalk downland in the centre of the county Dorset in south west England. The downs are the most western part of a larger chalk formation which also includes (from west to east) Cranborne Chase, Salisbury Plain, Ham ...

and

Cranborne Chase Cranborne Chase () is an area of central southern England, straddling the counties Dorset, Hampshire and Wiltshire. It is part of the Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). The area is dominated by, ...

, and the coastal strip of the

Weymouth Lowlands The Weymouth Lowlands form a natural region on the south coast of England in the county of Dorset. Much of the area lies with the Dorset Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. According to Natural England, who have designated the Weymouth Lowlands ...

, and, to the west, the Greensand transitions into the Blackdowns. Lastly, to the south is Lyme Bay on the

English Channel The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" (Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), (Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Kana ...

where the coastline is characterised by slumped, mobile cliffs, prominent headlands like

Golden Cap Golden Cap is a hill and cliff situated on the English Channel coast between Bridport and Charmouth in Dorset, England. At , it is arguably the highest point on the south coast of Great Britain (although the highest point is set back some 250m fr ...

, and hidden valleys. The major watercourses of the region are the River Brit and the

River Char The River Char is a river in Dorset. The Char runs a few miles from Bettiscombe to Charmouth, passing Pilsdon Pilsdon is a hamlet and civil parish in the Dorset unitary authority area of Dorset, England. Dorset County Council's 2013 mid-y ...

.''NCA: 139 Marshwood & Powerstock Vales - Key Facts & Data''
at www.naturalengland.org.uk. Accessed on 6 Apr 2013.

References

Natural regions of Dorset Natural regions of England {{Dorset-geo-stub