Dancing Ledge

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Dancing Ledge

Dancing Ledge is part of the Jurassic Coast near Langton Matravers in the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset, England. The 'Ledge' is a flat area of rock at the base of a small cliff (a little scrambling is required for access). It is signposted on the South West Coast Path a few kilometres west of Swanage. A swimming pool was blasted into the rock for the use of local preparatory schools sometime near the beginning of the twentieth century. The last surviving school (The Old Malthouse in Langton Matravers, which closed in 2007) for which the pool was originally created recently arranged for debris, including several large rocks, to be removed, making swimming possible once again. The sea is also suitable for swimming, although it is deep right up to shore. This depth was exploited by local quarrymen in transporting Purbeck Limestone away from the area.

Dancing Ledge is so called because the stone cut out of it is the same size as a ballroom dance floor. The stone removed was transported by ship direct from Dancing Ledge, round the south coast to Kent in order to construct Ramsgate harbour.

The cliffs above the ledge are a popular climbing location, with a small (10m)cliff close to the sea, and a larger (~20m) limestone cliff set back above this. It is also a popular spot for tomb-stoning.