The Fleet-side exposures near Langton Herring preserve Bathonian shell beds and brachiopod-rich limestone in a varied Jurassic succession. Oyster banks, encrusting organisms and separate marker horizons are of specialist interest, but reserve access and collecting restrictions mean that an ordinary visit should stay on public paths. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
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: ♦♦♦
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Broom Pit, west of Orford, preserves unusually shelly Pliocene Coralline Crag. Its cross-bedded sands, bryozoans and contrasting weathered layers record an ancient shallow sea and later changes in fossil preservation. This woodland pit is private, so permission and an agreed approach are essential before a visit. Pliocene, Disused Pit, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
Crag Farm Pit at Sudbourne is the type locality of the Sudbourne Member of the Coralline Crag. Cross-bedded shelly sand and bryozoans preserve evidence of Pliocene tidal sandwaves. The pit is on private land: arrange permission and confirm the available exposure before travelling, with no assumption of public entry or digging rights. Pliocene, Disused Pit, Rating: ♦♦♦
The small bay immediately south of Seafield Tower exposes fossil-rich Carboniferous limestone and shale beneath a prominent sandstone outcrop. Crinoid stems, corals and shells can be seen on weathered foreshore surfaces, while the local limestone has also yielded scientifically important crinoids and microscopic fossils. These rocks belong to the Lower Limestone Formation, with the principal fossil-bearing limestone dated to the late Brigantian, near the end of the Viséan.
Carboniferous, 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: ♦♦♦♦♦
At the northern end of Gosford Bay, Craigielaw Point reveals fossil-rich rocks from the Carboniferous seas of East Lothian. Branching corals, crinoid stems, brachiopods and bryozoans appear in the weathered limestone, while low rocky ledges and tidal pools make this a rewarding place to explore the changing environments of an ancient coast. Carboniferous, Foreshore Outcrops, Rating: ♦♦♦♦
