Hold your horses! The attractive seaside village of Charmouth lies in the heart of Jurassic Coast fossil hunting country. The soft rocks and clay of the Jurassic Coast on the south coast of England release a steady stream of fossils onto the beach with each new high tide or winter storm. Many fossil sea shells look just like the modern shells you might find on the beach. Along the Jurassic Coast, the best place to find fossils is loose on the beach where the sea has already done the hard work of separating them from surrounding rocks. We tend to visit Charmouth which is the town next to Lyme Regis. The Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre (pictured) and Lyme Regis Museum run regular guided fossil hunting walks throughout the year. The south coast has the same formations as those on the Somerset coast, but with less competition from other collectors. Avoid fresh rockfalls, mudflows and landslides. Thirdly, and finally, you might cause a landslip and become a fossil yourself. Our top tip? Generally it is best to walk up to 400 metres on the beach to find the best areas. Part of this work involves employing a Fossil Warden to speak to people along the coast’s most popular fossil beaches during busy periods of the year. Learn more about the important role erosion plays for the World Heritage Site. Also, one of the best places to go fossil hunting within the Jurassic Coast is Charmouth Beach. Click here to have a look at the different types of fossils you might find. A guided fossil hunt is easily the best way to build confidence and learn from an experienced collector. Why not visit one of the following museums or visitor centres? Share it with your friends! Sign up below to receive our free quarterly e‑newsletter, and information about upcoming events, volunteering opportunities and campaigns. The scattered backbones of Ichthyosaurs, a type of giant marine reptile, are relatively common around Charmouth and Lyme Regis, but you still have to be pretty lucky to find one. (Tommy Trenchard) During the mid Cretaceous period movements under the earths crust uplifted the seabed and it then became exposed and formed the cliffs along this stretch of coastline. Hopes Nose 8. A falling tide is the safest and best time to spend time on the beach. This is due to rough weather causing more erosion. Croyde 1… This part of the Jurassic coastline erodes rapidly, resulting in fossils falling from landslides in the surrounding cliffs onto the beaches. Charmouth Beach, a little further east, and Monmouth Beach, west of … The cliffs at Charmouth and Lyme Regis used to be a sea bed during the Jurassic Period. How to find fossils in rocks. Most fossils get washed from the cliffs or are displaced by natural erosion and landslips, so the best and safest place to search is along the beach amongst the loose shingle. We call it the Fossil Forest. Ammonite fossils can often be found laying on the beach after stormy tides, the beach being easily accessible from the car park. Fossils can come from almost anywhere along the Jurassic Coast, but they are mostly quite hard to find and in some places fossil collecting is not allowed without permission. ‘I’m not going to Charmouth or Lyme Regis… what do I do?’ – there are plenty of opportunities to see fantastic fossils, even if you’re not in a good place to give fossil hunting a go. Pinhay Bay 9. There is one very famous layer of limestone on the Jurassic Coast where fossil trees are found. Our top, number one, most important and crucial tip of all is… go out with a guide! Stuart speaks to around 2,000 people per year, encouraging them to search for fossils responsibly and safely. These are often found loose on the beach around Charmouth and Lyme Regis. Seaton beach is a stone beach and is a great place to start fossil hunting. Unless you plan to make fossil hunting a regular hobby, taking a hammer is a waste of time. They can be found on almost any pebbly beach along the Jurassic Coast… but they are very hard to spot and are the rarest of the fossils shown here. It may be the best place to find fossils in Dorset. Remember they change daily! Secondly, you’re more likely to destroy the fossils than find them. Far from it. The area is well suited to amateur and experienced fossil hunters alike – throughout the year visitors flock in their masses to scour the beach for fossils washed out of … The best time to go fossil hunting is during calmer weather on the outgoing tide. Stretching from East Devon’s Orcombe Point all the way to the spectacular sea stacks known as Old Harry Rocks in Dorset, the Jurassic Coast really is a ‘walk through time’. For any beginner, the beaches between Charmouth and Lyme Regis are the best and safest place to try fossil hunting. The two best spots for fossil hunting are supposed to be Charmouth and Lyme Regis. If you are trying fossil hunting for the first time it can be daunting. This is because the storms and downpours unearth new areas of the cliffs that haven’t been unearthed before…and with this comes mudslides and fossils! Valley of the Rocks 5. They can be found anywhere as the wind, cliff erosion, the size of waves, the tides, and many other factors change the beach every day. Firstly, it’s strictly forbidden in protected areas and sites of special scientific interest to hammer away willy-nilly at ancient rock formations. Fossil hunting in Charmouth and Lyme regis. Posted by amyralph on 31st August 2018. There are lots of organised trips which start at the visitors centre where you can learn the best tips and techniques for finding fossils whilst staying safe near the cliffs. Llantwit Major is one of the best locations, where you can find giant gastropods. If you are serious about wanting to find super cool fossils, the best time to go fossil hunting in Lyme Regis is during the rainy, stormy, super-terrible-weather-y time of year. Now the Jurassic Coast stretches 95 miles from Devon to Dorset, so it’s huge! Visit Lulworth Cove and the nearby fossil forest, the most complete fossil record of a Jurassic forest in the world Hang out with the swans at the Abbotsbury Swannery at Chesil Beach Ride a steam train and visit the ruins of Corfe Castle Enjoy the colours of the quaint beach huts lining the shore along most of the beaches We went fossil hunting on East Cliff beach, which is east of the town of Lyme Regis. Fossils appear on both the East and West beaches at Charmouth. For any beginner, the beaches between Charmouth and Lyme Regis are the best and safest place to try fossil hunting. Fremington 7. Collection of belemnite fossils from the Jurassic Coast. Fossil collecting near Lyme Regis. They are lots of different types of fossils sea shell found along the Jurassic Coast, including relatives of oysters, clams and scallops. Fossils are the remnants or traces of an organism of a past geologic age, such as a skeleton or leaf imprint, embedded and preserved in the earth’s crust. Lee Bay 3. Please note that it is forbidden to hammer the cliffs as our coastline is part of The Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site. Beer Head 6. They are the shells of extinct animals related to squid and octopus. This is because it is apparently better for fossil hunting as it tends to be quieter stretch of the Jurassic Coast. Don’t be one of them. © Paul Carter - paulcarter-photographer.co.uk & Fairlynch Museum, Important information for visitors to the Jurassic Coast during COVID-19, Top Romantic Locations on the Jurassic Coast, Top Romantic Cottages on the Jurassic Coast, Jurassic Coast Teachers’ Primary School Resources, Fossils from the Jurassic Coast in the Fossil Finder, The Geological History of the Jurassic Coast, Jurassic Coast Fossils Book - for Sale in our Shop. You'll find similar fossils at both; Charmouth is a bigger beach (and has the fossil centre) but less collectors at Seatown, or walk from one to another along the shore and get the bus back (set off 2 hours before low tide). One of the best beaches to find fossils is at Charmouth in Dorset. The large shingle beach and…, The historic seaside town of Lyme Regis nestles in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty at the point where the rugged West Dorset and East…, The Etches Collection – Museum of Jurassic Marine Life opened in the village of Kimmeridge in October 2016. “Fossils are eroded from the cliffs of the World Heritage Site and tumble onto the beaches where anyone can discover them. You could also invest in our official guide to Fossils of the Jurassic Coast. Fossil hunting often involves moving slowly along the shore, so it can be hard to stay warm. holiday cottages in Devon, Cornwall, Dorset and the New Forest. There are fossils all along the Jurassic Coast. Dorset is also quieter in the colder months, meaning that you can really get stuck in to looking for different ancient relics without having to fight for space. Cliff falls and landslides can happen without warning so stay away from all cliffs and remember to check tide tables to avoid getting cut off by a rising sea. Reader Favorites from Life in a Breakdown When you are planning a fossil hunt, always check the tides. Here’s the good news – many fossils simply lie exposed amongst the beach pebbles, just waiting to be spotted. It stretches from Exmouth in East Devon to Studland Bay in Dorset, a distance of about 96 miles (154 km), and was inscribed on the World Heritage List in mid-December 2001.. The Jurassic and Triassic sites offer the chance to find ammonites, belemnites and brachiopods, as well as reptiles, and shark and fish remains. In fact, ammonites are the most common find in … Some of the UK’s most significant finds have been unearthed by amateur fossil hunters or stumbled upon by dog walkers and beachcombers…you may recall our blog earlier in the year about the startling discovery made by Archie Faiers on a beach near Lyme Regis. The growing number of visitors to the Jurassic Coast has led to some healthy competition. Here are our suggestions for anyone wanting to give fossil hunting a try on the Jurassic Coast. …be patient. The cliffs around this coast are the remains of a Jurassic seafloor that was teeming with life 190 million years ago. You are, of course, allowed to take a photo of your fossil, and if it’s something particularly unusual, make a note of your location and contact the local heritage centre, museum or finds officer. Take some small bags or tubs to carry any fossils you find. Finding Fossils on the Jurassic Coast. Lyme Regis is often the first place that people head to when they learn that the Jurassic Coast is packed full of fossils, and Church cliffs are the town’s best spot for exposed rock. Fossil collecting can be an exciting activity to try – who doesn’t want to find their own piece of Earth’s history? Always be aware of the tide movements: the ideal time to go fossil hunting is on … As these cliffs collapse into the sea and the waves wash against them, fossils are dragged out onto the beaches. Staithes, Runswick, Robin Hood’s Bay, Boggle Hole and Saltburn are all good spots to go hunting fossils. Absolutely not. Fossil sea shell. The best time to find fossils on the beaches is after a winter storm. This has been an amazing summer, and I think records must have been broken for people visiting the Jurassic Coast. Photo © Lyme Regis Museum/Matt Austin. Don’t forget – wear the right clothes for the weather, especially if it’s cold. More often they are found broken into segments. A great place to start would be to sign up for a guided fossil hunt where you’ll have the opportunity to learn from the experts and hone your skills. Jurassic Coast.org explain that “the rough weather helps expose more fossils” in winter, making it the perfect time to search for fossils by the seaside. © 2021 - Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site Partnership | Registered Charity 1101134 | Mountfield, Rax Lane, Bridport DT6 3JP. If you’re fossil hunting in a protected area you’re not allowed to remove your finds. If you want to go fossil hunting on the Jurassic Coast, Charmouth is the place to head. The beach and cliffs are part of the Jurassic Coast (World Heritage Site), which encompass 95 miles of coast between Dorset and Devon. Some of the treasures you could find are millions of years old. Did you like this article? These fossil sea urchins are preserved by a very hard rock called flint. Here, there are loads of opportunities to scour the beach for some ( of the millions of year old) fossils. 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