Durham is best known for its Permian fossil fish, although these are typically only accessible from working quarries. Along the coast at Cleveland, Jurassic formations continue from Yorkshire, providing fossil hunting opportunities around the Redcar area.
Redcar is a safer location for collecting, particularly for beginners, and commonly yields rolled Jurassic fossils. Nearby Saltburn features some of the tallest cliffs on the east coast of England and is a good location for finding trace fossils.
Overall, Durham offers a mix of Permian and Jurassic material, with coastal exposures providing accessible collecting sites for a range of fossil types.
Seaham is a Carboniferous coal measure spoil heap, which was dumped in front of magnesium limestone cliffs at the old Dawdon Colliery. The reserves are so extensive that they have provided years of interesting collecting from spoil, which is gradually being washed by the sea. The colliery closed in 1991, but the tall cliffs of spoil continue to yield well-preserved plants. Carboniferous, Spoil, Cliffs, Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
This location is mostly suited to children, with plenty of rolled fossils and fragments to be found in a safe environment. Fossils can simply be picked up along a shingle bank. And the location is close to toilets, food and drink, and excellent parking.Jurassic, Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
The magnificent tall Jurassic cliffs at Saltburn yield ammonites, belemnites, brachiopods and bivalves from the Cleveland Ironstone of the Lower Lias. The rocks here, however can be very hard and difficult to collect from. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦
This new town may not be the prettiest in Cleveland, but is an ideal location for anyone interested in trace fossils. Fossil ripple marks and worm tubes are quite frequent; and bivalves are also very common. However, there is a large number of rocks along the beach, making walking difficult. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦
