Lyme Regis is probably the most commercial fossil town in the UK, with fossil shops, museums, fossil tours, its own annual Fossil Festival, and much more—there’s quite no other town like it! The famous beach of Lyme Regis yields large numbers of fossils, and people flock here by the thousands to try their luck. There are regular guided fossil walks, showing you where to find fossils and providing general information. The town has had significant investments to make it one of the most beautiful towns in Dorset. Even the lamp posts in Lyme Regis are shaped like ammonites!
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DIRECTIONS
♦ There are several car parks in the town of Lyme Regis, and access to Church Cliffs is best done from the harbour. There is also a fantastic viewpoint where, on a good day, you can see right along the Jurassic Coast, to the cliffs of Bridport and Burton Bradstock, and beyond to Chesil Beach.
♦ Access can also be had from Charmouth.
♦ Ref: 50.72957°N, 2.92715°W
PROFILE INFO
FIND FREQUENCY: ♦♦♦ – Lyme Regis is world-famous for its highly fossiliferous cliffs but is also widely known for being the most commercial fossil location in the UK. The vast number of commercial collectors can make collecting competitive, but the site continues to yield excellent finds, especially after winter storms.
CHILDREN: ♦♦♦♦ – Lyme Regis is one of the best locations for children. They can walk along the foreshore picking up ammonites or sit on the beach! A guided tour is highly recommended, and bookings can be made at the Lyme Regis Museum. These tours are very popular, especially during school holidays.
ACCESS: ♦♦♦♦♦ – Several car parks are close to the beach, with nearby toilets, cafes, and the fossil heritage information centre. The Charmouth Road car park offers good access to the eastern end of the town.
TYPE: – Fossils are mostly found on the foreshore, among rocks and boulders, or at the bottom of scree slopes and slippages. Collecting from the cliff face or bedrock is not permitted, as Lyme Regis is part of the Jurassic World Heritage Coastline.
FOSSIL HUNTING
Lyme Regis offers a variety of fossil hunting opportunities. The best times are after winter storms, which wash new material onto the beach. The foreshore is a prime location for ammonites, belemnites, ichthyosaur vertebrae, and coprolites (fossilised dung). Some shale beds also reveal fish fragments and complete fish, especially in the Fish Bed that extends to Chippel Bay.
The famous Church Cliffs regularly expose large ammonite molds and impressions. While many of these are too large to collect, they offer spectacular examples of the area’s Jurassic heritage. The soft clays between limestone ledges often reveal marine reptile bones, and flatstones occasionally contain fossilised insects and fish.
Top Tips:
- Visit during winter or early spring for the best chance of new finds.
- Search the foreshore at low tide, especially after storms.
- Use gentle tools—a small hammer and chisel—to split nodules, but avoid damaging potential fossils.
Fossil Groups:
Lyme Regis is particularly well-known for its abundance of ammonites (often pyritized), belemnites, and vertebrate fossils like ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs. Some of the laminated shale beds yield exquisitely preserved fish and insects. Coprolites (fossil dung) are also common and can sometimes reveal details about the diets of marine reptiles.
GEOLOGY
Lyme Regis is part of the Jurassic Coast, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, celebrated for its continuous geological record spanning 185 million years. The cliffs expose the Blue Lias Formation, a sequence of alternating limestone and shale layers from the Lower Jurassic period (~199-183 million years ago). These layers are packed with ammonites, belemnites, bivalves, and marine reptiles.
Stratigraphy & Lithology: The Blue Lias Formation here can be subdivided into thin limestone beds interspersed with soft, dark-grey shales. The more resistant limestone layers often contain abundant fossil molds and impressions, whereas the shales are rich in organic content and can preserve more delicate fossils, such as fish and insects.
Depositional Environment: During the Early Jurassic, this area was covered by a shallow sea. Periodic changes in sea level and oxygenation led to the rhythmic alternation of mudstones (later shales) and limestone. The darker shales often indicate slightly restricted conditions with higher organic content, creating excellent fossil preservation potential.
Key Localities:
- Church Cliffs: Showcases 26 meters of Blue Lias, capped by the Table Ledge, rich in ammonites. Regular landslips here uncover new specimens.
- Black Ven: Lies to the east and comprises the Shales-with-Beef, where fibrous calcite veins occur. This area is a hotspot for ichthyosaur and plesiosaur finds.
Scientific Significance:
The Lyme Regis sequence provides invaluable insights into Early Jurassic marine ecosystems and is used for global stratigraphic correlation. Ammonites here serve as important zone fossils, while marine reptile remains reveal evolutionary adaptations of these iconic predators. Modern techniques such as CT scanning and isotopic analysis further enhance our understanding of ancient ocean conditions and the biology of extinct species.
MARY ANNING — THE FOSSIL HUNTER OF LYME REGIS
No history of Lyme Regis is complete without mentioning Mary Anning (1799–1847), one of the most influential figures in paleontology. Born and raised in Lyme Regis, she became a pioneering fossil hunter and self-taught paleontologist.
Mary Anning’s most notable discoveries include:
- The first complete Ichthyosaur skeleton (discovered at age 12 in 1811).
- The first complete Plesiosaur skeleton (1823).
- The first British example of a Pterosaur (Dimorphodon) in 1828.
- Significant fossil fish and belemnite finds that contributed to scientific understanding of prehistoric life.
Her meticulous work and observations were crucial in challenging early 19th-century notions about Earth’s age and the concept of extinction. Although largely excluded from official scientific circles because of her gender and social standing, Mary Anning’s discoveries helped lay the foundations of modern paleontology. The Lyme Regis Museum (situated on the site of her former home) preserves her legacy and continues to promote the study of the area’s remarkable fossils.
SAFETY
- Check tide times before heading out—getting cut off by the tide is a real danger.
- Avoid the base of cliffs, which are prone to landslides, especially after heavy rain.
- Wear sturdy footwear and appropriate clothing for coastal conditions.
- Always collect from loose material on the foreshore—never dig into cliffs or bedrock.
EQUIPMENT
A basic fossil hunting kit includes:
- A small geological hammer and chisel for splitting rocks (only on the foreshore).
- Protective eyewear and gloves for safety.
- A sturdy backpack or bucket for carrying finds.
- A field guide to help identify common fossils found at Lyme Regis.
ACCESS RIGHTS
This site is an SSSI and forms part of the UNESCO World Heritage Jurassic Coast. You can visit the site, but hammering the bedrock is not permitted. For full information about the reasons for the status of the site and restrictions, please download the PDF from Natural England – SSSI Information – West Dorset
It is important to follow our ‘Code of Conduct‘ when collecting fossils or visiting any site. Please also read our ‘Terms and Conditions‘.
LINKS
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