Monmouth Beach, Lyme Regis, exposes classic Lower Jurassic Lias beds similar to those at Church Cliffs, making it one of the most iconic fossil sites on the Dorset coast. The foreshore regularly yields ammonites, bivalves and marine reptile remains, although success is heavily dependent on conditions. After storms and strong scouring, fresh material is revealed, often producing some of the best finds along the Jurassic Coast.Jurassic, Cretaceous, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦
📺 VIDEO
This varied Cretaceous site offers a refreshing contrast to Dorset’s more famous Jurassic locations, exposing a mix of Chalk, Greensand and underlying Wealden deposits. The foreshore and cliffs can yield a diverse range of fossils, including echinoids, bivalves, brachiopods and occasional ammonites from the Chalk, alongside rarer finds such as dinosaur bone fragments from the Wealden. With multiple formations represented, it provides a unique opportunity to collect across different Cretaceous environments in one location. Cretaceous, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
📺 VIDEO
Cogden’s shingle beach, east of Hive Beach, borders low exposures of Frome Clay and basal Forest Marble. Bivalves, brachiopods and occasional small gastropods occur in mudstone, cementstone and loose shelly slabs, while patchy exposure and a steeply shelving shore shape what can safely be observed. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
Lee Bay, below Lee Abbey just west of the Valley of Rocks, exposes Devonian sandstone and slaty rocks containing marine fossil impressions. Brachiopods, possible bivalves and crinoid stem fragments are recorded from a reef in the bay, while younger gravel and angular head deposits preserve a separate chapter of its coastal history. Begin by observing naturally weathered pieces on the accessible central shore; the rocky flanks and headlands need considerable care. Devonian, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦
Quantoxhead is a quiet and expansive stretch of the Somerset coast, where tall Jurassic cliffs and a wide wave-cut platform provide excellent fossil exposure. The foreshore regularly yields ammonites and occasional reptile remains, often after erosion, while the long rocky platform also features numerous rock pools, making it both a productive and scenic location to explore. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
📺 VIDEO
Middle Hope, on the headland north of Weston-super-Mare, is one of the most important Early Carboniferous coastal geology sites in south-west England. The foreshore exposes fossil-rich limestones together with the remarkable Middle Hope Volcanic Member, where submarine eruptions produced tuffs, lapilli and pillow lava within a tropical marine succession. Crinoids, brachiopods and corals are especially characteristic, with trace fossils, bryozoans, molluscs and other marine fossils also present.Carboniferous, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
📺 VIDEO
Shepherd’s Chine and Whale Chine are superb locations that yields some superb fish remains, lobsters, ammonites, brachiopods, bivalves, and occasional reptile and dinosaur bones. During the right conditions, you can come back with some great specimens. Cretaceous, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
Bembridge Foreland is an important Isle of Wight fossil site, where the Bembridge Limestone and Bembridge Marls are exposed across the foreshore as a broad wave-cut platform and scattered rock outcrops. Best searched on a low tide, these beds are well known for their shelly fossils, especially gastropods and bivalves weathering from the limestone onto the shore. At foreshore level towards the south-west of the bay, the Bembridge Oyster Bed is regularly washed out and is the main source of the site’s vertebrate material, including turtle, crocodile and mammal remains.Eocene, Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
📺 VIDEO
Crook Ness opens onto the Burniston shore, where Middle Jurassic plant-bearing rocks and dinosaur tracks record rivers and vegetated floodplains. The Long Nab Member rewards careful observation, but fixed track surfaces, unstable cliffs and a rocky tidal foreshore need particular care. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦
Beckton Bunny reveals the upper Barton succession and its transition into the freshwater and brackish Headon Hill Formation. Shells are generally more scattered and broken than farther west at Barton on Sea, although the Chama horizon is notably fossiliferous when exposed. Eroding cliffs and uncertain shore access require careful planning. Eocene, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦
Samphire Hoe provides a managed reserve and access to the natural shore west of the reclaimed ground. Its Chalk fossils and cliff succession are fascinating, but the reserve paths and the tidal beach have very different access conditions. Cretaceous, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
Robinswood Hill’s Early Jurassic quarry exposes a remarkable succession of marine mudstones, silts and fossil-bearing harder beds. Belemnites, bivalves and brachiopods can be recognised in weathered rock, while scientific studies have recorded ammonites and exceptionally preserved sea lilies. This is an observation and photography site: leave fossils and stones where they lie, as requested by the published visitor guidance. Jurassic, Disused Quarry, Rating: ♦♦
Cleeve Common’s old quarries reveal a varied Middle Jurassic limestone succession, from pale building-stone oolites to beds rich in shells. Rolling Bank and Pot Quarry are especially important for strata preserved in very few places. Enjoy the fossils, rock textures and wide views through observation and photography; Cleeve Common Trust prohibits removing stone or fossils from the common. Jurassic, Disused Quarries, 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: ♦♦♦♦
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 former Houghton Regis chalk quarry reveals a fossil-rich Cretaceous seabed, including the distinctive Totternhoe Stone and its reworked shells. The quarry is now an important wildlife site where fossils are for observation and photography: collecting and hammering are not permitted. Cretaceous, Disused Quarry, 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: ♦♦♦♦♦
Wenlock Edge at Presthope offers woodland walks beside limestone rich in crinoid debris, corals and brachiopods. This guide concerns the historic path-side exposure near the quarry fence, with nearby Knowle Quarry providing separate examples of reef growth and bedding. Check the current route and collecting conditions with the National Trust before disturbing material. Silurian, Cutting, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
Wenlock Quarry, also known as Edgefield Quarry, cuts through the wooded escarpment near Much Wenlock. Its Silurian limestone and ballstone buildups preserve corals, brachiopods, crinoids and bryozoans. The old workings offer an unusually clear view of changing limestone facies, but steep approaches and overhanging faces require a cautious visit. Silurian, Disused Quarry, Rating: ♦♦♦
Around Coniston, Ashgill Quarry, Ashgill Beck and Torver Beck reveal a varied succession of Ordovician and Silurian marine rocks. Trilobites and brachiopods occur in shell-bearing beds, while younger mudstones preserve graptolite assemblages. These are separate upland exposures, with steep quarry faces and fast-changing stream conditions; arrange collecting permission and leave protected rock faces undisturbed. Silurian, Ordovician, Cuttings, Disused Quarries, Rating: ♦♦♦
The hillside quarries above Stockdale Farm in Longsleddale expose Late Ordovician fossil-bearing rocks of the Stile End Formation. Their scientific importance includes type material of trilobites, although loose spoil commonly preserves incomplete, weathered moulds. Arrange access and collecting permission with the landowner before visiting these steep, exposed workings. Ordovician, Disused Quarry, 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: ♦♦
Pendower Beach combines a Devonian coastal section with much older fossil-bearing quartzite carried into the rocks as large blocks. The eastern shore offers elusive brachiopod impressions, while the raised beach and folded bedrock reward a careful geological visit even when fossils are scarce. Devonian, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦
Rusey Cliff is a remote locality where Carboniferous shales and sandstones have been intensely folded, faulted and veined. Its principal interest is the Rusey Fault Zone; fossil reports from the original guide need careful interpretation among the striking quartz breccias and mineral textures. Carboniferous, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
The steep outline of Parkhouse Hill near Earl Sterndale reveals a Carboniferous reef margin shaped by later faulting and erosion. Brachiopods, corals and crinoid fragments can be seen in its limestone. This protected hill is a place for looking and photographing: leave fossils in place, follow permitted routes and keep clear of steep faces and summit drops. Carboniferous, Outcrops, Rating: ♦♦♦
West Quarry, also called Coal Hills West Quarry, exposes fossil-rich Eyam Limestone at the National Stone Centre near Wirksworth. Crinoid debris and brachiopods record a Carboniferous sea on the edge of the Derbyshire limestone platform. Visit to observe and photograph fossils, leave all rocks in place, and keep well away from quarry faces and the sudden drop into the lower workings. Carboniferous, Disused 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: ♦♦♦♦
Freshwater East combines a broad sandy beach with Silurian marine fossils and an internationally important record of early land plants and animal traces. The rocks around the bay record a transition from marine environments to coastal wetlands, rivers and ancient soils. Carboniferous, Devonian, Silurian, Ordovician, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
Manorbier Bay combines fossiliferous limestone pebbles with spectacular, steeply tilted Old Red Sandstone cliffs. Crinoid fragments are reported in grey stones around the stream, while the surrounding red beds preserve ancient soils and animal trails. These tell different geological stories: fossils in transported pebbles do not date the cliffs behind the beach. Devonian, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
The northern rocks at Whitesands Bay expose steeply inclined Cambrian beds beside a broad sandy beach. Fossils are sparse, but careful observation of loose rock surfaces may reveal dark impressions of small brachiopod shells, giving a glimpse of the ancient sea in which these sediments formed. Cambrian, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦
West Angle Bay exposes folded Lower Carboniferous limestone and shale, with crinoid stems, brachiopods and other marine fossils visible on weathered rock surfaces. The sandy beach is a good starting point for a family visit, while the surrounding cliffs reveal the change from Devonian river deposits to a shallow sea. Carboniferous, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
Marloes Sands combines Silurian fossils with spectacular folded cliffs and the volcanic rocks of an ancient coastline. Corals and brachiopods are the main attraction, with trilobites, crinoids and other marine remains recorded in the fossiliferous beds. The wide sandy bay is also an excellent place to see how shallow seas gave way to river floodplains. Silurian, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
Upper Gilwern Quarry, near Howey in Powys, is known for its well-preserved Ordovician trilobites, from tiny growth stages to occasional complete specimens. Its fine-grained rocks record an ancient marine environment. This privately owned quarry is available to booked accommodation guests under the operator’s current access and collecting conditions. Ordovician, Private Quarry, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
The coast below Caim reveals fossil-rich Carboniferous limestone, with weathered colonial corals, horn corals and large brachiopods. The ledges and headlands show how marine shells and corals were preserved within a changing shallow-water environment. Carboniferous, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦
The wooded slopes of Gallt Yr Ancr, west of Meifod, contain shell-rich Ordovician sandstone associated with old quarries. Brachiopod moulds and occasional trilobite fragments reveal a marine fauna in the rocks beside the Glyndwr’s Way walking route. Ordovician, Disused Quarry, Rating: ♦♦
Prestatyn Hillside combines an escarpment walk with glimpses of Carboniferous marine fossils. Occasional limestone blocks reveal crinoids, brachiopods and corals, while the surrounding rocks record sediment carried from a carbonate platform into deeper water. Carboniferous, Outcrops, Rating: ♦♦
The western shore of Red Wharf Bay exposes coral-bearing Carboniferous limestone, with brachiopod sections and crinoid fragments in its ledges. North towards Trwyn Dwlban, striking sandstone-filled pipes record ancient dissolution and river activity between episodes of marine deposition. Carboniferous, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦
Elie offers two contrasting places to look for Carboniferous fossils: the sand-covered beds of Elie Shore and the rocky exposures at Wood Haven. Shells and crinoid fragments record ancient seas, while nearby volcanic necks reveal how later eruptions disrupted the sedimentary rocks. Carboniferous, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦
The rocky shore west of Aberlady reveals Carboniferous corals, bryozoans and shells among low cliffs and tidal rock platforms. Follow the Kilspindie shore towards Craigielaw to explore fossil-rich limestone and ancient seabed traces, with changing layers recording shallow seas and coastal swamps. This protected coast is best enjoyed through careful observation and photography. Carboniferous, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
This is an area extremely rich in Silurian fossils, but which is also a challenging place to collect fossils from. The locations discussed in the guide are suitable for those who are used to exploring and walking. However, it is a beautiful landscape, with many different types of fossils to be collected. In fact, the area is famous for its rich diversity of fossil species, some of which are unique. Silurian, Cuttings, Outcrops, Disused Quarries, Streams, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
The volcanic rocks at Aldons Quarry contain a variety of Ordovician fossils, including trilobites, brachiopods, bivalves, cephalopods, gastropods, graptolites and goniatites. They can be found in mudstones, which can be seen in the scree slopes. Ordovician, Disused Quarry, Rating: ♦♦♦
This is a very productive little quarry that is easy to access. It is an occasionally worked quarry, which is fully accessible from the trackway. This means fresh faces and scree are available to search through. Take plenty of paper for bags of finds, but, be warned, it involves quite a long walk. Ordovician, Part Working Quarry, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
Ordovician rocks at Craighead Quarry are very fossiliferous and this disused quarry is often visited by local schools and colleges to study the fossils and geology at this site. While it is now quite overgrown, there is still plenty to be found. The most common finds are graptolites, brachiopods, trilobites and goniatites. Ordovician, Disused Quarry, Rating: ♦♦♦
Ardwell Bay, south of Girvan, is the best coastal location in the area for finding fossils. Graptolites are the most common, with orthocone fragments and trilobites also being quite common. In addition, brachiopods can be found. The rocks you need to split are easy to identify, being black when weathered. Ordovician, Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦
At Kennedy’s Pass, there is a formation that is full of conglomerate units, mudstones, siltstones and sandstones. Within this, you can find a wide range of fossils, including trilobites, graptolites, corals and brachiopods. However, they are not easy to find. The productive beds are lower down, which are mostly covered up by the less productive upper beds. Ordovician, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
The foreshore east of the Forth Rail Bridge at South Queensferry exposes Carboniferous fish remains, coprolites and plant fragments, together with a distinct marine shell bed. From Port Neuk to Long Rib, folded sandstone, dark oil shale and pale intrusions reveal a changing landscape of lakes, deltas and brief marine incursions. Carboniferious, Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
Beadnell’s tilted limestone reefs and shell-rich shale preserve a varied Carboniferous marine fauna. Brachiopods, crinoids, corals and bryozoans occur in distinct beds along the village shore, while folds, faults and a dolerite dyke make the coast as interesting for its structure as for its fossils. Carboniferous, Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
The faulted Carboniferous shore at Howick brings together fossil-rich marine limestone, ancient coastal sandstones and rooted plant-bearing beds. Crinoids, brachiopods, corals and trace fossils reward careful observation, while the discovery of a giant Arthropleura moult has revealed an exceptional part of the younger delta-plain landscape. Carboniferous, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦
