Hinkley Point is a productive coastal site where fish and reptile remains, including ichthyosaur vertebrae, are commonly found loose along the foreshore. The beach also yields ammonites and marine shells, often exposed after erosion, making it a rewarding location for collectors searching for vertebrate material.Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
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Lilstock is a productive coastal site where reptile remains and loose bones can often be found along the foreshore, alongside Jurassic ammonites, bivalves and fish remains. At the eastern end of the bay, the Triassic Lilstock Formation yields blocks rich in fish, shark and reptile material, as well as microfossils from the sandstones, offering a varied collecting experience across two geological periods. Triassic, Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
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Barton-on-Sea is one of the UK’s most famous Eocene fossil sites, with the Barton Clay yielding hundreds of species of shells, particularly gastropods. The foreshore regularly produces shark teeth, fish remains and occasional mammal fossils, often found loose after erosion. With abundant material and easy collecting, it is an excellent location for both beginners and experienced collectors alike.Eocene, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
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Latchmoor Brook, usually spelt Latchmore in geological literature, exposes the Bracklesham–Barton transition in the New Forest’s Studley Wood stream sections. Shells, nummulites and fish remains make it scientifically important, but this is an observation-only locality for ordinary visits. Incised banks and soft ground need care throughout the year. Eocene, Stream, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
The shore from Pett Level and Cliff End towards Fairlight Cove records Early Cretaceous rivers and muddy environments. Its Cliff End Bone Bed is important for fish, reptile and rare mammal remains. Fossils may occur in loose material, but unstable cliffs, soft ground and rapid tidal cut-off demand particular care. Cretaceous, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
Peacehaven’s Late Cretaceous chalk yields echinoids, molluscs and occasional fish remains, with beach scour controlling exposure. Fossils occur on the rocky foreshore and in loose blocks, while flint bands and marl seams reveal how the beds change between Bastion Steps and Friars Bay. Cretaceous, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
Ramsholt is one of the best fossil sites in Suffolk, exposing a diverse range of deposits from the London Clay, Red Crag and Coralline Crag. The foreshore yields shark teeth, shells, corals and echinoids, along with more exceptional finds such as complete crabs, lobster remains and fish material from the basement bed. With multiple fossil-bearing layers present, it offers a varied and highly rewarding collecting experience, particularly after favourable tides and erosion.Eocene, Pliocene, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
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Maer Cliff, south of Northcott Mouth, exposes steeply tilted Carboniferous sandstone and shale. Careful searching may reveal plant fragments, fish remains and traces of animal activity, while concretion-bearing black shales and contrasting sedimentary structures make this an instructive geological shore. The rocky route is tide-dependent and requires more care than the main beach. Carboniferous, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
Between Bude and Widemouth Bay, Upton Cross exposes steep sandstone ribs and dark shale with fossil-bearing concretions. The late Carboniferous Bude Formation has yielded fragmentary fish, burrows and arthropod traces, although finds are uncommon. This is a tide-dependent rocky shore, and the present beach approach must be checked before visiting. Carboniferous, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦
