Dorset's geology is famous and spectacular. The Dorset and East Devon coast has been designated as a World Heritage Site as it provides a record through a staggering 185 million years of the Earth's ancient history, through the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods of geological time.

The rocks provide a record through one third of the evolution of life in the form of fossils. The coast also contains a range of superb erosional features; landslides, bays, headlands, sea stack and a barrier beach and lagoon (Chesil and the Fleet), which are one of the finest in the world.

The geology along the coast is spectacularly exposed and available for study at any time. In contrast, the Weymouth Relief Road offers a unique opportunity to learn more about the geology that underlies the countryside. Expert geologists and palaeontologists, fossil experts, have been taking a closer look as the cuttings have been excavated this summer.

The fossils have been taken away by the various experts who have had access to the site and will be donated to museums, including Dorset County Museum, once their studies are complete.

More detailed, academic information about the Weymouth Relief Road geology is available on Dr Ian West's website (opens in a new window) .

Photos of the geological finds (opens in a new window)  are available as a collection on our Flickr account.

• Transcript of geology interview - why is Southdown Ridge special?

  Jurassic Coast Earth Science Advisor Sam Scriven is filmed in the relief road Southdown Ridge cutting, with views of the Ridgeway cutting and Littlemoor, explaining the areas special geology.

• What has been found in the Weymouth Relief Road?

  The excavations for the relief road have cut through part of a huge fold in the rocks known as the Weymouth Anticline.