Lee-on-the-Solent Fossil Hunting

An easily accessible location, perfect for families and children to search for fossil shark teeth and shells along the shingle foreshore. The fossils, dating back 34 million years to the Eocene epoch, can be collected without tools—simply picked up from the beach. The best time to find them is after storms or during the winter, but teeth can still be discovered year-round.

DIRECTIONS

♦ Head to Lee-on-the-Solent and park at Monks Hill Car Park. The car park is located at the eastern end of the seafront, providing easy access to the beach.
♦ From the car park, walk directly onto the shingle foreshore, where fossil hunting for shark teeth and Eocene fossil shells begins.
♦ Fossils can be found along the shoreline, especially after storms or at low tide. The best area to search is along the exposed gravel beds where natural erosion reveals new finds.
♦ Facilities: Nearby, you’ll find toilets, cafés, and shops along the Lee-on-the-Solent seafront.
♦ Postcode to car park: PO13 9LT. Google Maps
♦ Location area: WHAT3WORDS: ///payback.report.snacking

PROFILE INFO

FIND FREQUENCY: ♦♦♦ – During winter, especially after storms and during periods of very low water, shark teeth and fossil shells are quite common. In summer, however, they can be harder to find, as the site is often picked over by many visitors. For the best chances of success, visit outside peak times.
CHILDREN: ♦♦♦♦♦ – This is a fantastic location for children, just a few metres from the car park. The beach is easy to explore, with no cliffs, and fossils can be found along the foreshore. Being in a seaside town, there are also plenty of other activities for children beyond fossil hunting.
ACCESS: ♦♦♦♦♦ – From the main car park, it’s just a short walk to the shingle beach where fossils can be found. The beach offers very easy access, making it suitable for all visitors.
TYPE: – This is a foreshore-only location. Fossils can be found among the shingle along the foreshore.

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FOSSIL HUNTING

Lee-on-the-Solent is an excellent and accessible location for fossil collecting, particularly suited to families and beginners, as fossils can be found without the risks associated with cliffs or rockfalls. The fossils here are derived from Eocene marine deposits, and although the site is not as consistently productive as some locations further west, it can still yield a wide variety of interesting finds under the right conditions, especially after storms or strong wave action.

Shark teeth are among the most sought-after fossils at this location and can occasionally be found scattered within the shingle and gravel. These include species such as Striatolamia macrota, a common sand tiger shark with long, slender teeth and fine striations, as well as other sand tiger relatives such as Carcharias and Odontaspis. Larger and more robust teeth may occasionally be found from species such as Otodus obliquus, an early mackerel shark, along with rarer forms including Palaeohypotodus rutoti and Jaekelotodus robustus. These teeth are typically recognised by their elongated crowns and small lateral cusps, reflecting the diverse predatory sharks that inhabited the warm, shallow seas covering southern England around 40 million years ago.

In addition to sharks, a wide range of marine invertebrates can be found, particularly from the Bracklesham and Barton Groups. Bivalves are especially common and include species such as Glycymeris (dog cockles), Venericor (formerly Venericardia), Pecten (scallops), Cardita, Corbula and Dosinia. These shells are often well preserved and can sometimes be found complete within the shingle.

Gastropods are also abundant and include characteristic Eocene forms such as Turritella, Natica, Volutilithes, Conus, Fusinus and Cerithium. These spiral shells often display fine ornamentation and can vary greatly in size and shape, reflecting the diversity of marine life in the Eocene seas. Fragments are common, but complete specimens can occasionally be found with careful searching.

Other fossils that may be encountered include crustacean remains, fish fragments and occasional vertebrate material. These are less common but add to the diversity of the site. In some areas, Quaternary deposits can also yield much younger material, including worn fragments of mammal bone such as deer or horse, along with microfossils, reflecting more recent Ice Age environments.

Most collecting at Lee-on-the-Solent is carried out by carefully searching the foreshore, particularly in areas where shingle and gravel accumulate. Fossils often become concentrated in natural traps where wave action has sorted and deposited material. A notable feature is the shingle bank extending out to sea, visible from the car park, which is often one of the most productive areas to search, especially during low tide.

Success at this location relies heavily on a keen eye and patience. Look for unusual shapes, smooth enamel surfaces, or symmetrical forms that stand out from the surrounding pebbles. Fossils can often be partially buried or only just visible, so careful and methodical searching is key.

GEOLOGY

he geology at Lee-on-the-Solent forms part of the Hampshire Basin, with sediments dating to the Eocene Epoch (around 56–34 million years ago). These rocks were deposited in a warm, shallow sea that covered much of southern England, creating a sequence of fossil-rich marine sands, silts and clays.

The most important unit underlying this stretch of coast is the Bracklesham Group, a well-known Eocene sequence across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight. This group is made up of several formations, including the Selsey Formation, Marsh Farm Formation, Earnley Formation and Wittering Formation. These represent a series of changing marine conditions, from nearshore sandy environments to slightly deeper, quieter waters where finer sediments could settle. It is within these beds that the majority of the region’s marine fossils originate, including shells, crustaceans and vertebrate remains.

Although these formations are not always clearly exposed at Lee-on-the-Solent itself due to beach cover, they are the primary source of the fossils found on the foreshore, having been eroded and redistributed by coastal processes. The sediments were originally laid down in a subtropical sea, rich in marine life, which is why the Bracklesham Group is considered one of the most fossiliferous Eocene sequences in the UK.

Overlying and reworking these older deposits are Quaternary sediments, formed over the last 2.6 million years during repeated Ice Age cycles. These include gravels, sands and silts that make up much of the modern beach. The foreshore at Lee-on-the-Solent is therefore largely composed of material that has been eroded from the underlying Eocene beds and redistributed by waves and tides.

The coastline today is shaped by ongoing marine processes, particularly longshore drift, which moves shingle and sediment along the coast. Periodic erosion can expose patches of the underlying Bracklesham Group, releasing new fossil material onto the beach. As a result, the geology here represents a combination of in-situ Eocene deposits and reworked material, making it a productive and ever-changing fossil collecting environment.

SAFETY

Common sense when collecting at all locations should always be used and prior knowledge of tide times is essential. Lee-on-the-Solent has no cliffs and the beach is just a few metres away, meaning that it is a lovely safe environment to collect from. As with any water location, please make sure you keep an eye on children at all times.

EQUIPMENT

Lee-on-the-Solent is an excellent location for fossil collecting and, in most cases, very little equipment is required. The majority of fossils can be found loose within the shingle or on the surface of the foreshore, so a good eye and patienceare often all you need to make successful finds.

However, many of the fossils here—particularly shells—can be fragile and easily damaged, so it is important to bring wrapping materials such as tissue, newspaper or bubble wrap. Small Tupperware-style containers or specimen boxes are highly recommended to keep your finds safe during transport.

A pair of tweezers can also be useful for picking up smaller or delicate specimens from the shingle, especially in wet conditions. While tools are generally not necessary, a small hand trowel may occasionally be useful for gently moving shingle or sediment to reveal hidden fossils.

As the foreshore is made up of pebbles, shingle and uneven ground, it is advisable to wear sturdy footwear with good grip. A small bag or backpack is also useful for carrying your finds and equipment comfortably along the beach.

CLEANING AND TREATING

Begin by removing any loose sediment very carefully using a soft toothbrush. Once cleaned, fossils should be desalinated by soaking them in fresh water for at least 24 hours to remove residual salt. After soaking, allow specimens to dry naturally at room temperature. Do not dry them on radiators or other heat sources, as rapid drying can cause cracking or long-term damage.

Once fully dry, we recommend sealing fossils with Paraloid B-72, dissolved in acetone. This is a museum-grade consolidant that is widely available in pre-mixed bottles. Paraloid B-72 is stable, long-lasting, and does not yellow or react chemically over time. Importantly, it is also fully reversible, making it suitable for scientifically important or display-quality specimens.

ARTICLES

ACCESS RIGHTS

This site is a site of special scientific interest (SSSI). This means you can visit the site, but digging the bedrock clay (which is rarely exposed at this location and not needed to find fossils) is not permitted.

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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