Sussex is one of the best areas in the UK for collecting Cretaceous and Eocene fossils, with a range of productive coastal locations. The chalk cliffs of the Seven Sisters yield echinoids and occasional ammonites from Upper Cretaceous deposits.
Further west, Bracklesham Bay is well known for its Eocene London Clay, producing sharks’ teeth along with a variety of marine fossils. These foreshore sites are particularly accessible and regularly yield material after tidal movement.
Additional locations such as Hastings and Fairlight provide opportunities to find dinosaur remains within Lower Cretaceous deposits, making Sussex a diverse and important region for fossil hunting.
Bracklesham Bay’s Eocene sands and clays yield shells, shark and ray remains when low tide and scour expose the beds. The guide centres on Bracklesham Lane and the nearby Earnley fossil horizons. The broader four-formation Bracklesham Group succession is spread along the bay, rather than exposed together by the car park. Eocene, Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
The shore from Holywell towards Cow Gap exposes fossiliferous Cretaceous chalk and an important Cenomanian–Turonian boundary section. Ammonites, bivalves and brachiopods occur in the rocks, but fossils in loose blocks may have fallen from higher beds. Tides, slippery ground and unstable cliffs make careful planning essential. Cretaceous, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
The Seven Sisters cliffs east of Cuckmere Haven expose flinty Late Cretaceous chalk, with echinoids, shells and other fossils in loose material. Distinctive flint bands trace the bedding through the high brows. This guide follows the east-bank coast; Seaford Head across the river is a separate locality. Cretaceous, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦
The shore from Pett Level and Cliff End towards Fairlight Cove records Early Cretaceous rivers and muddy environments. Its Cliff End Bone Bed is important for fish, reptile and rare mammal remains. Fossils may occur in loose material, but unstable cliffs, soft ground and rapid tidal cut-off demand particular care. Cretaceous, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
Hastings’ Early Cretaceous sandstone and mudstone preserve plant remains, shells and vertebrate fossils along the shore east of Rock-a-Nore. The cliffs towards Ecclesbourne Glen also record river channels and dinosaur footprints. Beach access changes as the coast erodes: use only an open, signed route and never cross a safety barrier. Cretaceous, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦
The coast from Cow Gap to Beachy Head lighthouse exposes Gault, Upper Greensand and Chalk, with fossils from several parts of the Cretaceous succession. Slipped and changing exposures make provenance important. This demanding tidal shore is distinct from the Holywell–Cow Gap and Birling Gap guides. Cretaceous, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦
Aldwick and Bognor Rocks expose early Eocene London Clay when beach conditions permit. Shells, plant remains and fish-bearing nodules and pyritic debris make this an important fossil coast, also known for rare insects. The wider scientific section extends towards Pagham, with different reefs exposed in different places. Eocene, Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦
The shore from Glyne Gap towards Galley Hill exposes Early Cretaceous sediments when beach scour removes the covering sand and shingle. The original guide records dinosaur footprints after the November 2000 storms. Fossils and traces are intermittent, and the fossiliferous beds belong to the Tunbridge Wells Sand Formation. Cretaceous, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦
Peacehaven’s Late Cretaceous chalk yields echinoids, molluscs and occasional fish remains, with beach scour controlling exposure. Fossils occur on the rocky foreshore and in loose blocks, while flint bands and marl seams reveal how the beds change between Bastion Steps and Friars Bay. Cretaceous, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
Birling Gap gives access to Seaford Chalk around the steps and a distinctive chalk dry valley. The Seven Sisters Flint Band and sponge-bearing beds help explain the local fossils. This guide concentrates on the immediate area, rather than treating the shore to Beachy Head or Cuckmere Haven as one safe walking route. Cretaceous, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
Seaford Head’s chalk foreshore is noted for echinoids, especially in the beds around Hope Gap, although many specimens are worn or incomplete. Its flints, marls and hardgrounds record a changing Late Cretaceous succession along the coast. Hope Gap steps are closed: the geological account is not a route to the shore. Cretaceous, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦
Newhaven’s Late Cretaceous chalk contains small Offaster pilula and larger Echinocorys echinoids, with finds strongly dependent on beach conditions. The cliffs from Castle Hill towards Old Nore Point reveal marl seams and flint bands that help trace the succession. Large ammonites in the wave-cut platform should be photographed and left intact. Cretaceous, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
Cooden’s Early Cretaceous foreshore exposes fault-separated Tunbridge Wells Sand and Weald Clay when tides and beach scour permit. Plant material and ironstone-hosted fossils are characteristic interests, with important insect records and occasional vertebrate remains. Loose finds do not always reveal which formation they came from. Cretaceous, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
