The Land Before Time

Photographer Aisha Nazar journeys back in time to the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site in pursuit of a lost world from 145 million years ago

- AISHA NAZAR

IMAGINE DINOSAURS, RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW, a thought I couldn't seem to shake off as I wandered along the sheltered bay of Lulworth Cove. I watched a family scavenging for ammonites uncovering heaps of stones at the shore, letting out disgruntled sighs every time they scrupulously inspected a rock that disappointingly remained, well, a rock. Unfortunately, it's not the 100-million-year-old marine fossil they were hoping for. As it appeared, fossil hunting, though not quite as popular as neighboring Charmouth or Lyme Regis, was a common sight at Lulworth Cove. It does after all sit on the notable Jurassic Coast, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that stretches 95 miles (152 km) from the coasts of East Devon to Dorset. Just like the family, I was on a quest for hunting fossils but I had my eye on something else altogether.

Located to the east beyond the crescent cove and in a restrictive area of an active military firing range, is a jagged seaside cliff preserving a lost world from the Jurassic age - the remains of a prehistoric forest from whence dinosaurs roamed the earth. The Fossil Forest can only be accessed by the public when the army isn't on firing practice, so checking the schedule before attempting the hike up is always good planning - for the knees. Once you've made it past the intimidating forewarnings about the possibility of being hit by a stray bullet, you'll arrive at the steps that would take you to the bottom of the ledge. 97 irregular strides downwards promised the imprints of a once ancient tropical jungle that is said to be the most fossilized record of a Jurassic forest in the world.