The sight of Ladram Bay's red sandstone sea stacks has to be one of the finest on the South Devon coast. The rock that they're made of dates back to the Triassic Period, some 220 million years ago. As is the case with much of the Jurassic Coast, the rocks are treasure troves of prehistoric reptile remains.

Mike Cree

November 1, 2024

The Otter Sandstone Formation is the richest source of Triassic reptile remains in Britain and one of the most important in the world. At the south-west end of the bay, the most common fossils in the sandstone are networks of vertical, tube-like carbonate petrifactions (rhizocretions): these represent the roots of plants that were able to survive in the harsh dry climate of the Triassic Period.[1]

The bay is sited on the same band of sandstone that forms the oil reservoir at the Wytch Farm oilfield on the Isle of Purbeck.

Walk down the path to the beach and you'll see them close up.

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Location: Otterton, East Devon, Devon, South West England, England, United Kingdom

Ladram Bay Sea Stacks

1. Otterton Ledge – Otter Estuary Nature Reserve loop from Littleham

2. Otterton Ledge – Otter Estuary Nature Reserve loop from Budleigh Salterton

3. Otterton Ledge – View of the Jurassic Coast loop from Otterton

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