Tag: Crinoids

Dorset by UK Fossils (UKGE Group)
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Tidmoor Point

Tidmoor Point, on the edge of The Fleet lagoon opposite Chesil Beach, is a small but highly productive Oxford Clay locality. Best known for its pyritised and limonitic ammonites, the low cliffs and foreshore regularly yield a wide range of fossils, including belemnites, crinoids, crustaceans, fish and occasional reptile remains. Despite its modest size, it remains one of the most reliable sites for collectors searching for well-preserved Jurassic fossils. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦
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Dorset by UK Fossils (UKGE Group)
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Thorncombe Beacon

Thorncombe Beacon is a highly productive Jurassic location, yielding a wide range of fossils including ammonites, bivalves, brachiopods, belemnites, crinoids and occasional starfish specimens. The foreshore is scattered with fallen blocks from the cliffs above, many of which contain well-preserved fossils. However, the rock here is extremely hard, meaning extraction can be challenging and often requires patience and effort, particularly when working freshly fallen material after storms.Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦
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Somerset by UK Fossils (UKGE Group)
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Watchet

Watchet is a highly productive Jurassic location, well known for its reptile remains and abundant ammonites. The foreshore also reveals impressive geological features, including spectacular faulting and large ammonite casts, making it both scientifically important and visually striking. With regular fresh material exposed by erosion, it is a must-visit site for fossil collectors exploring this part of the Somerset coast.Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
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Somerset by UK Fossils (UKGE Group)
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Quantoxhead

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: ♦♦♦♦♦
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Somerset by UK Fossils (UKGE Group)
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Portishead

Portishead offers two contrasting fossil-hunting areas on the Severn Estuary. At Portishead Point, also known as Battery Point, Early Carboniferous marine limestones contain corals, crinoids and brachiopods. South-west along Woodhill Bay, the Late Devonian Portishead Subgroup includes the historic Woodhill Bay Fish Bed, with scales, teeth and pieces of armoured fish. Fish remains are rare, but regularly found. Tilted beds, river deposits and an ancient unconformity make this a rewarding geological coast, but powerful tides, soft mud and protected exposures require careful planning.Carboniferous, Devonian, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
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Sussex by UK Fossils (UKGE Group)
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Eastbourne

The shore from Holywell towards Cow Gap exposes fossiliferous Cretaceous chalk and an important Cenomanian–Turonian boundary section. Ammonites, bivalves and brachiopods occur in the rocks, but fossils in loose blocks may have fallen from higher beds. Tides, slippery ground and unstable cliffs make careful planning essential. Cretaceous, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦

Sussex by UK Fossils (UKGE Group)
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Seven Sisters

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: ♦♦♦♦

Shropshire by UK Fossils (UKGE Group)
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Wenlock Edge

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: ♦♦♦♦♦

Shropshire by UK Fossils (UKGE Group)
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Wenlock Quarry

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: ♦♦♦

Cambridgeshire by UK Fossils (UKGE Group)
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Yaxley (Hampton Vale)

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: ♦♦♦♦♦

Cambridgeshire by UK Fossils (UKGE Group)
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King’s Dyke Pit

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: ♦♦

Cornwall by UK Fossils (UKGE Group)
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Rusey Cliff

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: ♦♦♦

Derbyshire by UK Fossils (UKGE Group)
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Parkhouse Hill

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: ♦♦♦

Derbyshire by UK Fossils (UKGE Group)
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West Quarry

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: ♦♦♦♦

Wales - Southwest by UK Fossils (UKGE Group)
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Freshwater East

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: ♦♦♦

Wales - Southwest by UK Fossils (UKGE Group)
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Limestone cliffs and coves at Lydstep Headland.

Lydstep Point

Corals in Carboniferous limestone are the main attraction at Lydstep, where weathered boulders and sea-washed stones reveal the remains of an ancient tropical sea. The small cove below the headland is especially rewarding for observing fossils, while steeply tilted beds and younger limestone breccias add to the geological interest. Carboniferous, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦

Wales - Southwest by UK Fossils (UKGE Group)
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West Angle Bay

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: ♦♦♦♦♦

Wales - North by UK Fossils (UKGE Group)
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Red Wharf Bay

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: ♦♦

Scotland - Central by UK Fossils (UKGE Group)
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Tilted rock layers and rock pools on the foreshore at St Monans, Fife

St Monans

The shore east of St Monans harbour combines fossil-rich limestone, sandstone surfaces patterned by trace fossils, and the sharply folded beds of the St Monans Syncline. An observation-led walk towards the bathing pool, windmill and Pathhead reveals changing Carboniferous environments and much younger raised beaches. Carboniferous, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦

Scotland - Central by UK Fossils (UKGE Group)
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Seafield Tower

To the south of Seafield Tower, which is a sixteenth century castle ruin built of local red sandstone, is a highly fossiliferous section of Carboniferous Limestone. The limestone is packed with beautifully preserved crinoids, bryozoans, corals, shells and, if you are lucky, sharks’ teeth. These are exposed on the foreshore platforms.
Carboniferous, Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦

Scotland - South by UK Fossils (UKGE Group)
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Craigielaw Point

To the north of the sandy Gosford Bay beach is an outcrop that is incredibly rich in Carboniferous marine fossils. Corals, bryozoans, crinoids and brachiopods are all very common. They are easy to collect and the location is ideal for children, especially for finding the tumbled coral pebbles. The sandy beach is full of pools of water, making a fun family day out, especially in the summer.
Carboniferous, Foreshore Outcrops, Rating: ♦♦♦♦

Scotland - South by UK Fossils (UKGE Group)
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Haddington

The River Tyne is a long and beautiful river. Its tributaries wind their way down from the glacially eroded Lammermoor and Pentland Hills. The river gains volume as it crosses the alluvial plain, cutting through the carboniferous country rock, transporting minerals and fossils along the way. Carboniferous, River Section, Rating: ♦♦♦

Northumberland by UK Fossils (UKGE Group)
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Beadnell

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: ♦♦♦

Northumberland by UK Fossils (UKGE Group)
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Howick

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: ♦♦♦♦

N.Ireland and Ireland by UK Fossils (UKGE Group)
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Portmarnock Beach (Non-UK)

North of Portmarnock, the Robswalls rocky shore exposes fossil-rich Lower Carboniferous limestone beside Coast Road. Between the coast south-east of Malahide and the Carrickhill Martello tower, weathered platforms reveal corals, crinoids, bryozoans and shells. Faults and folds repeat parts of the succession, making this a rewarding place to study fossils in their original rock. Carboniferous, Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦

N.Ireland and Ireland by UK Fossils (UKGE Group)
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Malahide Beach (Non-UK)

East of Malahide town centre, the small bay beside the village green offers a close look at fossil-bearing limestone pebbles. Crinoids, bryozoans, shells and corals record the Lower Carboniferous seas of the surrounding coast. This guide covers the loose beach material beside the slipway and tennis club, a different experience from the rocky platforms farther towards Portmarnock. Carboniferous, Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦

N.Ireland and Ireland by UK Fossils (UKGE Group)
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Hook Head (Non-UK)

The rocky shore beside Hook Lighthouse, in County Wexford, exposes fossil-rich Carboniferous limestone. Crinoids, brachiopods, corals and delicate bryozoan colonies can be seen weathering from its bedding surfaces. This is an exposed Atlantic headland and a protected shore: enjoy the fossils in place, with photography and careful observation at the centre of your visit. Carboniferous, Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦