Stratton lies on the Upper Chalk geological layer. North of the railway line however, the Parish lies on the Middle Chalk. The reason for this inferred fault line running east-west through the area where the Upper Chalk has dropped from its previous level.

Fossils delineate the layers of the chalk. In Stratton the most likely fossils to be found are the heart-shaped sea urchins sometimes called 'Shepherds Crowns' plus the less easily defined sponges. They are often preserved in flint and are practically indestructible. The age range for the Chalk is about 85 to 95 million years. Small deposits of clay (of much younger age - only 50 million years), at Grimstone and Ash Hill were used for brickmaking.

The River Frome and the Wrackle stream for fringed with narrow belts of trees mainly Alders and Willows. The Wrackle is a 'winterbourne' as it only flows when the water table is high.

The waterways in the Parish attract mallard ducks and mute swans, provide feeding grounds and cover for grey herons,
moorhens and even the little egret. The river is home to trout, otters and mink.

The range of invertebrate species is impressive. You may find water mites and spiders, water slaters, gnat and midge larvae, great diving beetles, underwater beetles, 'whirligigs', water boatmen, pond skaters, measurers, crickets, mayflies, dragonflies and damsel flies.

There are surviving sluice gates and channels for the old water-meadows system, which was a method used from the 18th to the mid-20th Century for flooding the fields in Spring for early growth of grass. When flooded naturally today
these meadows attract large flocks of black-headed gulls. Water crowfoot, purple loosestrife and lady-smocks are found here. The slopes of the valley (Coombs) in the Parish are generally south facing. Hedgerows containing such species as hawthorn, elder, hedge maple, blackthorn, beech, hazel and ash emphasize the undulating nature of the area. One such hedgerow along the track ('The Run') from Stratton to Grimstone Down is continuous and was possibly established in Saxon times to denote a land unit. The hedgerows provide a habitat for finches, sparrows, yellow-hammers and wrens with cow-parsley, and red & white campions at their base. Some of the Coomb sides are still permanent grassland and home to dogs-bit scabious, harebell, scarlet pimpernel and birds-foot trefoil and the dorset blue butterfly. Buzzards and kestrels may be seen as well as roe deer, rabbits and foxes. 'The Clumps' are a notable landmark of beech trees originally planted in 1830 by the Sheridan family of Frampton Court. Many other woodlands were planted in the late 19th Century to give cover for pheasants and are home to dog's mercury, cuckoo-pint, harts tongue fern and wood sorrel.