Here the cliffs are sinking slow,

Slipping, sliding, down they go.

Fraught with danger, who will save

These ancient cliffs from the waves?

Fossils here are found in scores

On these old Jurassic shores;

Here were creatures long since lost,

When dinosaurs this land had crossed.

A crumbling cliff at Sidmouth on the Jurassic Coast. Photo by Ginette Pestana

Teacher’s note: The English resort town of Sidmouth lies at the mouth of the River Sid in Devon, on the English Channel.  Its origins date from the Iron Age, possibly earlier.  It is famous as a gateway to the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site. The giant red cliff of Salcombe Hill is a well-known though crumbling landmark.  J.R.R. Tolkien wrote early parts of Lord of the Rings while holidaying in Sidmouth with his family.