Photos of Kilve Beach
About Kilve Beach
Kilve Beach sits on the Somerset coast, with an amazing view looking north across the Bristol Channel toward Wales. The cliffs behind it are banded in pale limestone and dark shale that is roughly 200 million years old. Low tide is the best time to be here when the water pulls back off the wide rock shelf. The constant moving of water has eroded the rock in rows of ridges and grooves. The result looks like a washboard, and fault lines cut across it at angles. Shooting along the ridges from low down and creates amazing leading lines pulling out toward the water. Rock pools sit in the larger grooves. Fossils often appear as the rock shelf slowly wears away and make unique shooting subjects if you are lucky enough to see some. (The beach is protected, so no hammers or tools, so nothing is allowed to come out of the bedrock.) Overcast light suits the wet rock, and low sun late in the day spreads peacefully along the shore. The ruins of an old oil retort stand near the car park, left from an attempt to work the shale. Turn off at the post office in Kilve village and follow the lane to a small car park. Tides can shift quickly along this section of the coast, so keep an eye on the water level as you shoot. (Kilve, Somerset, England)
