The Corton–Hopton coast is a classic place to explore Suffolk’s Ice Age geology. Cliffs of till and meltwater sediment release transported fossils from older rocks, while the separately studied Corton Woods succession records changing rivers and ice margins. Sea defences and beach cover can limit collecting and access. Pleistocene, Erratics (Jurassic, Cretaceous), Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
The Pakefield–Kessingland coast preserves an exceptional record of ancient rivers, changing seas and advancing ice. Its Cromer Forest-bed deposits contain important mammal fossils and evidence of early human activity, while loose beach stones can hold much older fossils carried here by glaciers. Pleistocene, Erratics (Jurassic, Cretaceous), Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦
Mappleton’s glacial cliffs release a varied mixture of fossil-bearing stones onto the beach. Jurassic ammonites, shells and Carboniferous corals occur as transported erratics, with chalk and flint among the other rock types. The rapidly changing shore rewards careful observation, but cliff instability and former military activity require particular caution. Erratics (Jurassic, Carboniferous, Cretaceous), Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦
The fossil-rich Tilton railway cutting exposes rusty Jurassic ironstone, shell-packed limestone and overlying mudstone. Its brachiopod beds and changing marine environments make it an important geological reserve. Visit to observe and photograph the fossils: collecting is not permitted, and the rock faces must not be hammered. Jurassic, Disused Railway Cutting, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
The Vale of Belvoir offers a different kind of fossil hunt: searching weathered Lias limestone and field brash among a landscape of low clay hills. The Long Lane routes towards Barkestone-le-Vale and Belvoir introduce the area, but searching fields and taking fossils require the landowner’s permission and suitable ground conditions. Jurassic, Ploughed Fields, Rating: ♦♦♦♦
Hunstanton’s striped Cretaceous cliffs offer a clear introduction to Norfolk’s marine fossils. Brown Carstone, the thin Red Chalk and pale Ferriby Chalk form contrasting layers, with belemnites, brachiopods, bivalves and occasional ammonites preserved in their rocks. Weathered material on the beach gives collectors a chance to examine fossils without approaching the cliff face, while the harder beds reward patient observation rather than force. The sequence also records missing intervals of geological time, so its colours tell only part of the story. Plan your visit around low tide and keep well clear of unstable cliffs and recent falls. Cretaceous, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
The flooded brickpits at Yaxley, beside Hampton Vale, preserve a glimpse of the Middle Jurassic sea beneath modern Peterborough. Weathering of the fossil-rich Oxford Clay has yielded oysters, belemnites, ammonites and occasional marine-reptile remains along the lake embankment. The exposed shore changes with water level and vegetation, and access to lakeside paths does not automatically permit collecting on the banks. Check current signs and obtain permission before leaving the paths or removing material. Jurassic, Lake Embankment, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
King’s Dyke combines a history of important Jurassic reptile discoveries with a managed fossil hunting area supplied with Oxford Clay from the quarry. Oysters, belemnites and delicate ammonites are characteristic finds in this material. Visits depend on current opening arrangements, a membership permit and gate code; ordinary access following the reserve’s stabilisation closure has not been confirmed. Jurassic, Working Quarry, Rating: ♦♦
Penarth’s north shore reveals red and green Triassic cliffs, pale gypsum and fossil-bearing beach stones. This guide follows the shore north from the pier towards Penarth Head, where loose shell fossils reward careful observation, but tides, unstable cliffs and uncertain collecting permissions demand care. Jurassic, Triassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦
At Lavernock Point, the coast records a remarkable transition from late Triassic mudflats to an Early Jurassic sea. Shells, ammonites and vertebrate remains occur in different parts of the succession, and the discovery of Dracoraptor hanigani made the locality internationally known. Careful observation reveals both the fossils and the changing environments that preserved them. Jurassic, Triassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦
At Llantwit Major’s Cwm Colhuw beach, pale limestone ledges and darker mudstones reveal a fossil-rich Early Jurassic sea. Ammonites and bivalves are the main attractions, often preserved as impressions or shells within the foreshore rocks. The striking cliffs and jointed platforms also make this a rewarding place to see how sedimentary rocks weather and break apart. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
Southerndown’s Dunraven Bay brings together a sandy beach, striking Early Jurassic limestone cliffs and fossil-rich shore platforms. Look closely at the Blue Lias and you can see curved oysters, other bivalves, ammonites and traces of life on an ancient seabed. The changing rocks also reveal how a Jurassic sea spread across an older limestone landscape. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦
Helmsdale’s Late Jurassic foreshore records an ancient submarine landscape beside an active fault. Its distinctive Boulder Beds contain broken shells, corals and fossil wood, together with enormous blocks of much older Devonian rock. The shore northeast of the harbour rewards careful observation, although its rocky ground and tidal headlands require planning. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
Crakaig’s Jurassic foreshore is a rocky, seaweed-covered shore north of the campsite, with striking sedimentary boulder beds and occasional exposures of finer fossil-bearing rock. The original visit recorded ammonites and shells, but sand and shingle often conceal the finer beds. This is a demanding shore where changing exposure matters more than a particular season. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦
A steep woodland walk leads to Eathie Haven, where Hugh Miller explored a shore rich in geological contrasts. Jurassic ammonites and exceptionally preserved plants come from the rocks south of the old fishing station, while much older Devonian beds to the north have yielded fossil fish. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦
Kintradwell’s Jurassic foreshore combines fossiliferous shales with folded sandstones and spectacular boulder beds. When the sand has cleared, ammonites, belemnites and bivalves can be seen among rocks that record an unstable ancient sea floor beside the Helmsdale Fault. Allow for a long coastal walk. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
Brora’s town beaches reveal a varied Jurassic shoreline, with fossil-bearing rocks on both sides of the river mouth. Ammonites, bivalves and belemnites occur in the marine beds, while older rocks on the south foreshore record rivers, lagoons and the development of the Brora coalfield. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦
Portgower’s seaweed-covered foreshore exposes Jurassic boulder beds containing shell debris and enormous blocks of much older rock. The best-known is the ‘fallen stack’, a transported mass of Devonian flagstone with traces of ancient lake environments. This is a rewarding shore for studying fossils in their geological setting, although uneven rocks and tidal cover make close examination demanding. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
The tall Jurassic cliffs along the River Brora yield ammonites and belemnites. You will need wellington boots as the river runs next to the cliff face. Ammonites can be seen exposed on the ledges and platforms beside the river. Jurassic, River Cliffs, Rating: ♦♦♦♦
South of Balintore, Jurassic foreshore ledges at Port-an-Righ and Cadh’-an-Righ lie against Devonian sandstone along the Great Glen fault system. Oysters and belemnites occur here, while red-weathering ironstone nodules preserve ammonites. The best exposures depend on low tides and the shifting cover of sand and shingle. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦
Skye features a complete sequence of 400m of the Jurassic history. The entire coast from Portree to Staffin consists of fossiliferous Jurassic rocks. This guide features Bearreraig Bay fossils and some local information. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
Elgol offers beautiful scenery, with a view of the Black Cuillin rising 3,000 feet straight out of the sea, and the guarantee of finding fossils. The sheer number of bivalve fossils crammed into certain layers of rock here is staggering. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
Camustianavaig is not for the faint-hearted, with a long hard walk and a very rugged terrain. However, for the enthusiastic serious collector, it has a few amazing fossils. And the stunning scenery and absolute solitude in this very remote location makes it a wonderful place to visit. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦
Famous for its historical past, the shores to the north of Prince Charlie’s Cave (which itself lies to the north of Portree) can provide a variety of common and a few rare collectable fossil specimens, from several recognised zones. Prince Charlie’s Cave is one of the toughest locations Skye has to offer. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
This is a very dramatic location, but Rigg is one of the least visited fossils locations on Skye. The reason is that this is only for the experienced collector. It has a fascinating coastline of Lower and Middle Jurassic sediments. Rich in fossils, archaeology and local wildlife, Rigg is one of these places where safety and common sense must prevail. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦
Valtos has the dramatic landscape to match its splendid name. This is the place to see some of Skye’s famous dinosaur footprints. As well as these amazing trace fossils, the Bathonian Upper Jurassic sedimentary rocks have yielded dinosaur bones in the past, and they are on display in the Hunterian Museum in Glasgow. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
Dunans has a delightful little secluded beach that has an exposure of soft grey Oxford Clay at the high tide mark. A variety of fossils can be picked from the clay shale lying at the foot of the exposure and patches of fresh clay bedrock are often revealed on the lowest of tides. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦
The Ardnish Peninsula is a place of immense beauty and has amazing wildlife. Several narrow little peninsulas stretch out like fingers, dividing the sandy shoreline into little inlets at low-tide. Very richly fossiliferous horizons are separated by relatively baron ones. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦
The tiny sea front village of Waterloo is a good place to start for a short and easy fossil hunting location on Skye. This is a great place for a family fossil hunt and, for the beginner. Lower Jurassic fossils can be found in patches across most of the easily accessible bedrock. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
Ammonites (Ammonitida) were shelled cephalopod molluscs that lived throughout the world’s oceans during the Mesozoic (Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods) and they were an extremely successful order, as evidenced by the frequency with which their […]
This site is dedicated to the fossils of the lower cretaceous Albian (Gault Clay and Folkestone Beds) in the county of Kent, south-east England. In particular the beautifully preserved faunas of the Gault Clay are […]
Just north of Larne harbour, Waterloo Bay exposes a remarkable Late Triassic to Early Jurassic succession. The dark mudstones of the Waterloo Mudstone Formation contain ammonites, bivalves and other marine fossils, while the older beds record changing coastal environments before the Jurassic seas. This scientifically important foreshore is an Area of Special Scientific Interest. Jurassic, Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
White Park Bay on the north Antrim coast brings together Jurassic ammonites, fossil-bearing nodules and Cretaceous chalk in a broad sandy bay. Intermittent mudstone exposures around Oweynamuck contrast with the chalk cliffs and boulder-strewn shore towards Portbraddan. This protected coast rewards careful observation, with fossils best photographed in place unless the necessary collecting permission and consent have been established. Cretaceous, Jurassic, Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
