Chesil Beach, sometimes called Chesil Bank, in Dorset, southern England is one of three major shingle structures in Britain. Its name is derived from the Old English ceosel or cisel, meaning `gravel` or `shingle`. It runs for a length of 29 kilometres 18 mi from West Bay to the Isle of Portland and in places is up to 15 metres 50 ft high 200 metres 660 ft wide. Behind the beach is the Fleet, a shallow tidal lagoon. Both are part of the Jurassic Coast and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The beach is often identified as a tombolo, although research into the geomorphology of the area has revealed that it is in fact a barrier beach which has `rolled` landwards, joining the mainland with the Isle of Portland and giving the appearance of a tombolo.]
The beach curves sharply at the eastern end, near the village of Chiswell, and forms Chesil Cove against the cliffs of the Isle of Portland, and this protects the low-lying village from flooding. It has been the scene of many shipwrecks and was named `Dead Man`s Bay` by Thomas Hardy. The beach provides shelter from the prevailing winds and waves for the town of Weymouth, Dorset and the village of Chiswell on Portland
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