At Hinkley Point, you can find complete fish and reptile bones exposed along on the foreshore. Vertebrae of Ichthyosaur are commonly found loose in the foreshore single. Ammonites and shells can also be found.
DIRECTIONS
♦ This location is best accessed from Knighton, but is poorly signposted. The best way is to drive to Stogursey and, from there, you will see a signpost to the village of Burton. At Burton, a narrow road leads to Knighton. It is signposted on the right hand side as ‘Knighton’ across a wall. This cannot be seen if driving from Shurton and is easily missed.
♦ Follow the road through the village. It will then come to a left hand bend and a farm track. Follow this track up and over the hill, and up and over the next hill. This is an unmade road and full of potholes, used mostly by farm vehicles. You will see a large sign saying vehicles are not permitted past this point. However, there are plenty of parking spaces before it, you will need to walk the remainder of track.
♦ Continue to follow the farm track by foot until you reach the cliff. Walk right until the cliff dips. Here, you can easily descend to the shore. Carry on walking to the right along the foreshore.
♦ Car Parking Postcode: TA5 1QD; Google Maps Link
♦ Site location: What3Words: ///whirlpool.trading.engages
PROFILE INFO
FIND FREQUENCY: ♦♦♦ – This location is highly productive after winter storms for reptile and fish remains, but ammonites and shells are less common.
CHILDREN: ♦♦♦ – Although this location is suitable for families, it is best suited to the fossil enthusiast because most of the fossils can only be found after winter storms and high tides.
ACCESS: ♦♦ – Access to the beach can be made from Knighton. It’s a fairly long walk and the car parking area is along an unmade track.
TYPE: – This is a foreshore and cliff location, so fossils can be found in both. However, the vast majority of fossils are found exposed loose on the foreshore after high tides, or during scouring conditions.
VIDEO FILM
FOSSIL HUNTING
Hinkley Point is a highly productive fossil-hunting locality, best known for its abundance of Early Jurassic marine reptiles and associated marine fauna. Regular tidal action continually exposes new material, making careful searching of the foreshore particularly rewarding.
Marine reptile remains are among the most frequent and recognisable finds. Ichthyosaur material is very common and is most often attributed to Ichthyosaurus communis, though fragments of larger forms such as Temnodontosaurus are also reported from the area. Typical finds include vertebrae, ribs, limb elements and occasional jaw fragments, with teeth being found less frequently. Most material is disarticulated, but the density of remains makes this an excellent site for reptile collectors.
Ammonites are widespread and occur in a range of sizes. Commonly encountered genera include Dactylioceras, Arietites and Psiloceras. Many specimens show a pronounced ammonite keel, which can sometimes be seen weathering out on exposed surfaces. Ammonites are most often found within blocks of Blue Lias limestone rather than loose on the beach, and these blocks rarely split cleanly. If a specimen is visible as a clear ammonite keel or partial whorl protruding from the rock, it is usually best to collect the entire block and prepare it later rather than attempting to split it in the field.
Belemnites, most commonly attributed to Passaloteuthis, are abundant on the foreshore and are often found loose after high tides or storms. Both complete guards and broken fragments are common, with occasional concentrations occurring in small areas.
Bivalves and other shells are frequent and include flattened and partial specimens, with better-preserved examples appearing after periods of erosion. While not always visually striking, they are an important part of the site’s fossil assemblage.
Fish remains are another notable feature of Hinkley Point. Scales, vertebrae and fin elements are commonly found, particularly within shale. Typical finds are often attributed to genera such as Dapedium and Pholidophorus. With careful searching, partially articulated fish and, more rarely, near-complete specimens can be found exposed on the foreshore. These fossils are delicate and should be handled with care.
Crinoid material is also present, most notably as crinoid-rich limestone blocks. These are commonly referred to as Pentacrinites blocks and may contain columnals, stem fragments, and occasionally more complex articulated sections. Such blocks are usually heavy and weather slowly, but can yield attractive specimens with preparation.
At the base of the cliffs, fossils are frequently found within the first metre above normal beach height. After high tides, bones and fossil fragments are often washed out and redistributed across the foreshore, making post-tide searches particularly productive. Always maintain a safe distance from the cliffs, as rock falls can occur without warning.
GEOLOGY
The coastline at Hinkley Point exposes a classic sequence of Lower Jurassic (Early Jurassic) strata, making it one of the most important and instructive geological sections in Somerset. The cliffs and foreshore here are dominated by the Blue Lias Formation, a unit well known for its alternating limestones and shales and its exceptional fossil content.
The Blue Lias at Hinkley Point is characterised by rhythmic bedding, with harder limestone layers interbedded with softer, darker shales. These repeating layers reflect changes in sedimentation during the Early Jurassic, with quieter marine conditions allowing fine muds to settle, interrupted by periods of increased carbonate deposition forming limestone beds. This alternating sequence is clearly visible along the cliff faces and across the foreshore, particularly at low tide.
The limestone beds form prominent ledges and platforms on the foreshore and are generally more resistant to erosion. These beds often weather into large, blocky slabs that may contain fossils but rarely split cleanly. In contrast, the shale layers are much softer and erode more rapidly, breaking down into muds and thin fragments. This differential erosion plays a major role in fossil exposure, as fossils weather out of the softer shales and are released onto the beach.
The cliffs themselves are actively eroding, with frequent small-scale collapses and slumping. This erosion is a key factor in continually refreshing the fossil supply, as new material is regularly exposed and washed down onto the foreshore. However, this also makes the area hazardous, and the cliff base should be treated with caution at all times.
The foreshore geology is strongly influenced by tidal action, with high tides and storm events redistributing loose material and exposing fresh surfaces. After periods of rough weather, newly eroded shale patches and freshly broken limestone blocks are often visible, offering the best opportunities for finding fossils. Between tides, the foreshore can appear relatively barren, but subtle changes in erosion frequently reveal new material.
Localised variations within the Blue Lias sequence can be observed along the coast, with some beds being more fossiliferous or more prone to erosion than others. These variations explain why certain stretches of foreshore are consistently more productive than others, even over relatively short distances.
SAFETY
Common sense when collecting at all locations should be used and knowledge of tide times is essential. You can easily be cut off by the tide as the sea always reaches parts of the cliff and wear a hard hat. There are also regular cliff falls along this part of the coast, so keep well away from the base of the cliff.
EQUIPMENT
Hinkley point often depends on beach conditions to find loose fossils, but always take the right tools such as hammers and chisels, goggles and gloves to split any ex-situ blocks.
ACCESS RIGHTS
This site is an SSSI. This means 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
PLEASE NOTE: Hinkley Point Power Station has some of the highest security measures, please keep away from the station, keep to the footpath and foreshore.
It is important to follow our ‘Code of Conduct’ when collecting fossils or visiting any site. Please also read our ‘Terms and Conditions‘
LINKS
♦ Fossil Discussions
♦ Fossil Articles
♦ Buy Fossils, Tools and Equipment
♦ Buy Crystals, Meteorites, and Artefacts
♦ Join Fossil Hunts
♦ UK Fossils Network
