Fossil Hunting in Dorset

Dorset is one of the UK’s top fossil hunting locations, forming part of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site. The area is best known for Jurassic fossils, especially ammonites, belemnites, and occasional marine reptiles like ichthyosaurs.

Lyme Regis, often called the fossil capital of the UK, is a popular starting point, along with nearby beaches such as Charmouth and Seatown, which regularly produce finds after storms. While these locations can be busy, Dorset offers many other productive sites.

The county also includes exposures from the Upper Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous, including fossil-rich areas on the Isle of Portland, making it a must-visit destination for collectors.

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Charmouth (Stonebarrow)

Stonebarrow, to the east of Charmouth, is one of the busiest and most productive sections of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site. Renowned for its rich ammonite beds, including the famous Green Ammonite Member and the highly sought-after golden pyritised ammonites, this stretch attracts collectors from around the world. The foreshore regularly yields a wide variety of fossils, and with persistence, it can be one of the most rewarding areas along the Dorset coast.Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
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Charmouth (Black Ven)

Black Ven is one of the most iconic and geologically dynamic fossil locations on the Jurassic Coast. Located west of Charmouth, its constantly shifting cliffs and large landslips make it one of the most important sites for fossil discovery in the UK. Renowned for marine reptiles, ammonites and exceptional flatstone fossils, Black Ven continues to produce remarkable finds year after year.Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
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Charmouth (West Beach)

West Beach at Charmouth is one of the most accessible and productive fossil hunting locations in the UK, attracting collectors of all levels throughout the year. Situated at the heart of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site, this area is especially well known for its abundance of marine reptile remains, coprolites and a wide range of Jurassic fossils, many of which can be found loose on the foreshore after storms.Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
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Monmouth Beach (Lyme Regis)

Monmouth Beach, Lyme Regis, exposes classic Lower Jurassic Lias beds similar to those at Church Cliffs, making it one of the most iconic fossil sites on the Dorset coast. The foreshore regularly yields ammonites, bivalves and marine reptile remains, although success is heavily dependent on conditions. After storms and strong scouring, fresh material is revealed, often producing some of the best finds along the Jurassic Coast.Jurassic, Cretaceous, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦
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Seatown

Seatown is one of Dorset’s classic fossil-hunting locations, offering rich Jurassic material set against some of the most dramatic coastal scenery on the south coast. However, it can be more dangerous than many nearby localities due to the exceptionally high and unstable cliffs, so care is always required. Fossils are commonly found loose along the foreshore, with some of the finest specimens—particularly ammonites—preserved within hard nodules that require careful preparation. During periods of strong coastal scouring, belemnites can occur in abundance across the beach.Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
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Lyme Regis

Lyme Regis is the most commercial fossil town in the UK, with fossil shops, museums, fossil tours and much, much more – there is no other town like it. The famous beach of Lyme Regis yields large numbers of fossils and people flock here by their thousands to try their luck. The town has a number of fossil shops and includes a museum. There are regular guided fossil collecting tours, showing you where to find fossils and providing general information. The town has had a lot of money spend on making it one of the most beautiful towns in Dorset. Even the lamp posts in Lyme Regis are shaped like ammonites! Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦

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Eype

Just west of Seatown, the quieter stretch of Eype exposes the fossil-rich Beacon Limestone Formation. The foreshore is scattered with fallen limestone blocks, many containing ammonites and other Jurassic fossils. Collecting here can be challenging, as specimens are often locked within hard rock, but with patience and the right conditions—especially after storms—well-preserved finds can still be made. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦
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Burton Bradstock

Locals can wait months, even years for Burton Cliff to ‘fall’, and when she does, her rich ammonite beds from the top layers of Inferior Oolite rock yield superb finds, with plenty to bring home. Cliff falls occur without warning and if you happen to be in the area when one happens, fossils can then be collected from the rocks on the foreshore or from any of the scree slopes. As well as ammonites, many other fossils can be found, including echinoids, shark fins, bivalves and brachiopods. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦

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Tidmoor Point

Tidmoor Point, on the edge of The Fleet lagoon opposite Chesil Beach, is a small but highly productive Oxford Clay locality. Best known for its pyritised and limonitic ammonites, the low cliffs and foreshore regularly yield a wide range of fossils, including belemnites, crinoids, crustaceans, fish and occasional reptile remains. Despite its modest size, it remains one of the most reliable sites for collectors searching for well-preserved Jurassic fossils. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦
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Smallmouth Sands

Smallmouth Sands, located within Portland Harbour near Weymouth, is one of the UK’s most remarkable yet often overlooked fossil sites, exposing the Lower Jurassic Kimmeridge Clay. It is one of the most diverse assemblages of Kimmeridge Clay reptiles anywhere in the world. Fossils are typically tiny but abundant, with collectors finding vertebrate remains, fish, and shells scattered across the foreshore, especially after favourable tides and storms.Jurassic, Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦
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Thorncombe Beacon

Thorncombe Beacon is a highly productive Jurassic location, yielding a wide range of fossils including ammonites, bivalves, brachiopods, belemnites, crinoids and occasional starfish specimens. The foreshore is scattered with fallen blocks from the cliffs above, many of which contain well-preserved fossils. However, the rock here is extremely hard, meaning extraction can be challenging and often requires patience and effort, particularly when working freshly fallen material after storms.Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦
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Black Head

The coastal section at Black Head, near Osmington, displays Jurassic rocks from the Kimmeridge Clay Formation of 152-157 million years ago. Fossils to be found include ammonites, brachiopods, coral, worm tubes and bivalves, as well as marine reptile remains, especially vertebrae and fish bones and teeth.. This site is where the huge skull of the famous Weymouth Bay pliosaur, Pliosaurus kevani was discovered but expect to find a less sensational specimen!
Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
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Ringstead Bay

Ringstead Bay is a wonderful location, with rocks and fossils from the Corallian, Kimmeridge Clay, Purbeck Beds and Portland Beds to be found. The site consists mostly of Kimmeridge Clay from the Upper Jurassic. It is rich in fossils and with easy parking, toilets and refreshments nearby; it’s an ideal, safe location for the family. The site is productive in either direction from the access point. This location is also just a short walk away from other good sites and makes for an ideal day trip. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦
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Wyke Regis

Wyke Regis (West), along the sheltered shoreline of the East Fleet lagoon behind Chesil Beach, is a productive Upper Jurassic site exposing the Kimmeridge Clay Formation. The foreshore and low cliffs can yield a wide range of fossils, including ammonites, bivalves and large oysters, along with occasional reptile remains. With relatively easy access and regular fresh material from erosion, it is a rewarding location for careful searching under the right conditions.Jurassic, Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
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Osmington Mills

The section of coast, east of Ringstead Bay, between Bran Point and Osmington Mills, expose a superb succession of Corallian (Middle Jurassic) rocks, which reveal the entire sequence of the Osmington Oolite Formation and other beds, which are rich in fossils. A good variety of fossils are found in broken rocks from rockfalls and along the foreshore, which may be collected. Ammonites, bivalves and gastropods and trace fossils are common finds.Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦

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Peveril Point

The stretch of coastline from Peveril Point into the eastern half of Durlston Bay exposes part of the renowned Purbeck Limestone Group, one of the most important Late Jurassic–earliest Cretaceous sequences in Britain. This section is particularly known for its accessible ledges and foreshore exposures, where fossils can be found without venturing too far into the more hazardous parts of the bay. Although finds can be small and require careful searching, this area offers a rewarding introduction to the complex lagoonal environments of the Purbeck beds, with a mix of vertebrate fragments, shells and microfossils regularly discovered.Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦
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White Nothe

White Nothe, between Ringstead and Lulworth Cove, is a dramatic and lesser-visited section of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site. This steep headland exposes a mix of Jurassic and Cretaceous rocks, with landslips bringing fossil-bearing material onto the foreshore. Although challenging to access, it can yield ammonites and other marine fossils under the right conditions, making it a rewarding location for experienced collectors seeking quieter ground. Cretaceous, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦
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Durlston Bay

From the Zig Zag path to Durlston Head, the western half of Durlston Bay reveals some of the finest and most complete exposures of the Purbeck Limestone Group in the UK. This section is more rugged and challenging, with steep cliffs, ledges and active rockfall zones, but it is also the most productive for serious collectors. The beds here are famous for yielding tiny mammal remains, reptile material, fish fossils and dinosaur traces, offering a rare glimpse into life in the lagoonal and coastal environments that existed at the end of the Jurassic period. While conditions can be difficult, this part of the bay is one of the most scientifically significant fossil localities on the Dorset coast. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
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Bowleaze Cove

The Oxford Clay and the Corallian Beds at Bowleaze Cove in Weymouth (Furzy Cliff) can yield bivalves and ammonites and in the past the clay was particularly rich in marine reptile remains. Giant fossil oyster shells are plentiful. These locations are best after scouring tides and/or rain. You will need wellington boots or good walking boots, towards the east, the terrain is tough going towards Redcliff Point. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦

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Redcliff Point

The Oxford Clay and the Corallian Beds at Redcliff Point yield ammonites, many species of bivalves and the clay is particularly rich in reptile remains. Giant fossil oyster shells of Gryphaea dilatata are also plentiful. This location is best after scouring tides and/or rain, but you will need wellington boots or good walking boots, as the terrain is tough going at Redcliff Point.
Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦

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Kimmeridge Bay

If you are intending to use Kimmeridge Bay as the start of a trip to get to other nearby sites, this can be one of the most dangerous locations for fossil hunting. The tides have cut many people off in the past. Kimmeridge Bay and the adjacent cliffs and foreshore are rich in ammonites, reptiles and shells, but the best collecting sites to the east are a long walk if you are planning to look for fossils along the coastline from Kimmeridge Bay to Chapman’s Pool. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦

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Pirates Cove

Pirates Cove, near Wyke Regis, is a small but highly productive section of Corallian cliffs, offering a rich and varied fossil assemblage. The easily accessible foreshore, when conditions allow, yields abundant gastropods, bivalves and echinoids, often weathering out from the soft limestones and clays. While compact in size, the diversity of fossils and regular fresh exposure make it a rewarding stop, especially when combined with nearby fossil hunting locations along this stretch of coast.Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
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St. Oswald’s Bay

The beach at St. Oswald’s Bay lies just to the east of Durdle Door, where an impressive coastal section display a range of rocks from the Jurassic to Cretaceous eras. Fossils to be found include echinoids, ammonites, brachiopods and bivalves, as well as shark teeth. It’s a lovely summer location, albeit busy but certainly more fruitful for fossils during the winter months, after some erosion. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦

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Lulworth Cove

Lulworth Cove is a popular tourist location and its famous ‘Fossil Forest’ can be visited at low tide. It is ideal for children and makes for a great whole day out. However, fossils are less common than at other Dorset locations nearby. Jurassic, Cretaceous, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦

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Freshwater Bay

Freshwater Bay is the best place on the Isle of Portland to access the Portland Stone. Here mollusc’s and ammonites can be found, although the later is not common, along with trace fossils. You can collect from the cliff-top quarry or from the foreshore. Jurassic, Cliffs, Foreshore, Disused Quarry, Rating: ♦

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Swanage Bay

This varied Cretaceous site offers a refreshing contrast to Dorset’s more famous Jurassic locations, exposing a mix of Chalk, Greensand and underlying Wealden deposits. The foreshore and cliffs can yield a diverse range of fossils, including echinoids, bivalves, brachiopods and occasional ammonites from the Chalk, alongside rarer finds such as dinosaur bone fragments from the Wealden. With multiple formations represented, it provides a unique opportunity to collect across different Cretaceous environments in one location. Cretaceous, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
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West Weare

West Weare is the best location on Isle of Portland for fossil hunting. While most of the island consists of Portland Stone, this location is Kimmeridge Clay. Most of this clay on the Isle of Portland is covered, but, here, it can be found slipped between the debris of the quarry. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦

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Langton Herring

Langton Herring is both a productive and geologically interesting site. The long, but stunning walk along the South West Coastal path has some wonderful scenery. This location is really for the specialist collector or those who love walking. The site yields a wide variety of brachiopods, echinoids, worm tubes, bryozoans, bivalves (especially oysters) and corals, although, in recent years, it has become over collected. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦

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West Bay

West Bay continues from Burton Bradstock, but it is far less productive because the Inferior Oolite is much thinner here and cliff falls are uncommon. Fossil shells and poorly preserved ammonites can be found in the Bridport Sand Formation. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦

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Watton Cliff

Watton Cliff, part of West Cliff at West Bay and is an excellent location for collecting microfossils. While the site is also rich in other fossils (such as brachiopods, crinoids, fish, sharks’ teeth, crocodiles, amphibians and plants). ihis guide concentrates more on the microfossils, including small mammals, fish, reptiles and ostracods, which are well preserved and abundant. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦

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Cogden Beach

The beach at Cogden, near West Bexington, is next to Hive Beach at Burton Bradstock. It is a popular walk for families and dog walkers, with Hive Beach cafe and toilets a short stroll away. At Cogden Beach, the cliffs are made up of the Jurassic Frome Clay and bivalves and brachiopods are the most common fossils. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦

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Church Ope Cove

Church Cove is a peaceful location, where you can find bivalves, oysters, trace fossils and ammonites. However, it is difficult to access because the headlands (which need to be passed) are very rocky. Nevertheless, you should be able to find plenty of blocks containing the Basal Shell Bed, which are full of bivalves. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦

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Hengistbury Head

Hengistbury Head is at the most easterly end of Dorset and is a popular area for hikers. The cliffs are tall, but surrounded by water, with Christchurch Harbour just 400m round the corner to the east. These are Barton Age and are rich in fossil seeds. Therefore, this is an ideal location for the microfossil collector. Eocene, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦

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Studland Bay

The famous plant beds from the Poole Formation used to be found at Bournemouth, but, after the sea defence was constructed, this bed gradually became obscured and today it can hardly be seen. However, the Poole Formation can be found at Studland Bay, which also yields some plant remains. Eocene, Cretaceous, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦

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Keates Quarry

Two separate locations near Worth Matravers provide an opportunity to see where, 140mya, sauropod dinosaurs gathered at the shoreline of a shallow lagoon and to visit their incredible trackways. The nearby quarry provides bivalves, gastropods, fish remains, turtle bones and carapace fragments, mammal teeth and bones, and plant remains from this bygone environment. Cretaceous, Quarry (permission required) and Attraction, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦