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: ♦♦
The low cliffs at Stutton Ness preserve Middle Pleistocene river and estuary deposits with scientifically important mammal remains and shells. Older marine clay occurs separately farther west. Fossil finds are occasional, and visitors should approach on public paths, respect estate land and keep clear of soft tidal ground. Pleistocene, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦
The Orwell shore towards Levington offers a quiet search for small fossils released from Eocene marine deposits. Shark teeth, shell fragments and other remains may occur among the shingle, while cementstone bands and changing clay exposures reveal the geology. Tides, soft mud and protected estuary wildlife need careful attention. Eocene, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦
At Nacton Shore, low estuary cliffs reveal early Eocene clay and volcanic-ash layers of the Harwich Formation. Small teeth and shell fragments may occur in the shingle, alongside much older fossils in reworked flint. This is a gentle-paced search on a tidal shore where firm ground and a safe return route matter. Eocene, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦
At Covehithe, rapidly eroding cliffs reveal Early Pleistocene marine sands and clays, with cold-water shells in beds that appear as beach cover changes. Older fossils also occur in loose flint pebbles. The ruined church provides a memorable starting point, but safe access follows current public paths rather than the severed coastal road. Erratics (Cretaceous), Pliocene, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦
The coast around Benacre Broad brings together eroding Crag cliffs, a shifting shingle barrier and younger wetland deposits. Occasional fossils in flint and other transported stones reward a careful search, while the changing shoreline and important wildlife make this a place to explore with care. Erratics (Cretaceous), Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦
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: ♦♦♦
Neutral Farm Pit near Butley exposes shelly Red Crag that records changing conditions in an early Pleistocene sea. Cross-bedded sands pass upwards into finer burrowed layers, with a small transported freshwater and land-shell component. This private geological site requires prior permission for entry and any collecting. Pliocene, Disused Pit, Rating: ♦♦♦
Alderton’s Buckanay Farm Pit preserves shell-rich Red Crag with striking cross-bedding formed by ancient tidal sandwaves. Its marine shells and sedimentary structures make it scientifically important. This is a private inland pit: arrange permission and the practical details of a visit before travelling. Pliocene, Disused Pit, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
Saltburn’s Lower Jurassic cliffs and rocky foreshore yield belemnites, bivalves, brachiopods and ammonites. Search the loose beach material east of the beck, where fossils weather from several different rock units beneath Hunt Cliff; the harder sandstone and ironstone blocks can be difficult to prepare. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦
Redcar’s shingle beach at Millclose Howles, beside the Stray between Redcar and Marske-by-the-Sea, offers an accessible introduction to fossil hunting. Look for rolled ammonite fragments and bivalves among loose pebbles. The fossils have been reworked, so individual finds need careful identification; this is a tidal beach, and children need supervision even beside the easily reached shore. Jurassic, Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
At Blast Beach, south of Seaham, waves rework old colliery spoil beneath pale Permian cliffs. The shale and sandstone brought up during mining contain Carboniferous plant fossils, including leafy fragments, stems and pieces of larger trunks, making this a distinctive place to explore the area’s coal-mining past. Carboniferous, Spoil, Cliffs, Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
Skinningrove’s rocky shore is a useful place to examine Jurassic shell beds, animal burrows and rippled sandstone. The collecting area lies east of the beck, where hard fossiliferous blocks cover parts of the foreshore. Observation and photography are often more rewarding than trying to extract fossils, and the difficult, tidal route needs careful planning. Jurassic, 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 beach south of Hornsea offers a changing mixture of fossil-bearing glacial erratics. Jurassic shells and ammonites, Cretaceous Chalk fossils and Carboniferous material may occur together because ice transported their parent rocks here long after the fossils formed. Erratics (Jurassic, Carboniferous, Cretaceous), Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦
Danes Dyke’s flintless Chalk is known for sponges and beautifully preserved crinoid plates. The shore on either side of the wooded ravine crosses different parts of the Late Cretaceous succession, making loose beach blocks rewarding to examine when tides and conditions are suitable. Cretaceous, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
Bridlington’s North Beach becomes increasingly rocky towards Sewerby, where fossil-bearing Chalk blocks occur among the shingle. Sponges, shells and echinoids are the main attractions, while glacially transported material adds a different part of the area’s geological story. Cretaceous, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦
Easington’s glacial cliffs and foreshore yield fossil-bearing erratics of several ages, with Jurassic shells and Carboniferous corals among the recorded finds. The shore also has scientifically important Pleistocene sediments, but beach cover, erosion and a muddy descent make both exposure and access changeable. Erratics (Jurassic, Carboniferous, Cretaceous), Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
Withernsea’s beaches offer a mixture of fossil-bearing stones released from the glacial deposits of Holderness. Ammonites, oysters and corals occur as older fossils in transported rocks. The town provides practical beach access, although sea defences, changing sand levels and unstable cliffs make the collecting conditions very different from an exposed bedrock shore. Erratics (Jurassic, Carboniferous, Cretaceous), Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
Tunstall and Sand-le-Mere are known for fossil-bearing glacial erratics, including material much older than the cliffs that contain it. The coast also records a complex Ice Age history, but erosion has seriously affected beach access; do not rely on the former route described in older guides. Erratics (Jurassic, Carboniferous, Cretaceous), Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
Ulrome’s eroding clay coast releases a mixture of fossil-bearing glacial erratics, including rocks much older than the Ice Age deposits that contain them. Access is changeable: establish a safe, permitted route before visiting this exposed stretch near Skipsea. Erratics (Jurassic, Carboniferous, Cretaceous), Cliffs and 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: ♦♦♦♦♦
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: ♦♦♦♦
Top Grange Quarry, the old geological trail at Ketton in Rutland, records changing Middle Jurassic seas and coastal wetlands. Ooidal limestone, rooted mudstone and fossil-rich Blisworth Limestone preserve contrasting environments, with shells and other marine remains historically reported from loose quarry material. Jurassic, Disused Quarry, Rating: ♦♦♦
Anderby Creek is a broad sandy beach where occasional loose fossil-bearing stones can be found when tides uncover pebbly patches. Beneath the sand, Holocene peats and clays have preserved woodland plants, wetland remains and small shells, recording a changing coast long after the older fossils formed. Erratics (Jurassic, Cretaceous, Carboniferous), Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦
Chapel Point, beside the North Sea Observatory at the northern end of Chapel St Leonards, offers occasional ammonites, belemnites and other fossils in loose beach stones. Beneath the shifting sand, a much younger peat-and-clay succession records former woodland, saltmarsh and tidal channels. These protected Holocene deposits tell a different story from the older, transported fossils. Erratics (Jurassic, Cretaceous, Carboniferous), Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦
West Runton brings together two very different fossil worlds: Cretaceous chalk on the shore and the much younger West Runton Freshwater Bed at the foot of the cliffs. The latter preserved a river-valley community of mammals, fish, freshwater shells and plants, including the celebrated steppe mammoth Mammuthus trogontherii. When sand has been washed away, the chalk platform reveals flints and marine fossils. Search loose beach material carefully, keep a record of each find and treat these scientifically important exposures with care. Tides, shifting sand and unstable cliffs determine what can safely be seen. Pleistocene, Cretaceous, Cliffs and Foreshore, 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: ♦♦♦♦♦
Weybourne brings together Cretaceous Chalk, shell-rich Early Pleistocene sediments and glacial deposits in a compact but changeable coastal section. Belemnites and sea urchins occur in the chalk, while the overlying Wroxham Crag preserves marine shells and much smaller traces of land mammals washed into an ancient sea. The contrast makes this a rewarding place to study different fossil communities and the long gaps between them. Collecting is best approached as a patient search of loose beach material: the steep shingle shore, tides and unstable cliffs make access demanding, and high ledges must be left alone. Pleistocene, Cretaceous, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
At East Runton, ancient mammal remains occur beside evidence of powerful Ice Age deformation. Shelly Early Pleistocene deposits appear on the foreshore when sand is stripped away, while enormous glacially displaced chalk rafts rise within the cliffs towards Wood Hill. Loose belemnites, echinoids, bone fragments and occasional teeth make careful beach searching worthwhile, although exposure and preservation vary greatly. This is a different fossil assemblage from the famous Freshwater Bed at West Runton. Keep a precise record of where each specimen was found and explore only while the tide leaves a safe route back to East Runton Gap. Pleistocene, Cretaceous, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
Overstrand’s shore is best explored for loose Chalk fossils and the changing exposures revealed when sand is washed away. Echinoids, belemnites, brachiopods and sponge remains occur in chalk and flint, while rarer mammal fossils record a much younger Pleistocene landscape. The cliffs also contain chalk rafts displaced by ice, an important reminder that the visible rocks are not always in their original order. Fossils may show both ancient features and much younger marine borings. Access is affected by coastal works and erosion, so check the current route before travelling and leave ample time to return on the falling-tide beach. Pleistocene, Cretaceous, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
Sheringham’s western foreshore is a condition-dependent fossil locality, where waves sometimes uncover Cretaceous chalk beneath the beach near the lifeboat station. Echinoids, brachiopods, oysters and occasional fish remains have been reported, but sand, shingle and seaweed can hide the rock for long periods. The shoreline also reveals how much younger sediments and glacial activity have modified an older chalk landscape. A visit works best as a careful search of loose material during suitable low-tide conditions, with realistic expectations and time to return safely. Keep the lifeboat access clear and leave unstable cliffs and attached rock undisturbed. Cretaceous, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦
Sidestrand’s folded glacial cliffs and displaced chalk masses preserve several very different chapters of Norfolk’s past. Loose Chalk fossils and fossil-bearing erratic pebbles can be found on the shore, while much older marine Crag and younger freshwater beds have yielded scientifically important small mammals, shells and insects. The Sidestrand Unio-bed is especially valuable for understanding the climate before the great Anglian glaciation. This is a remote, tide-dependent collecting coast rather than an easy family beach. Search only accessible loose material, keep well away from the unstable cliffs and plan the return route before walking away from an established access. Erratics (Jurassic, Cretaceous), Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦
Trimingham is noted for some of the youngest Chalk exposed onshore in Britain, brought within reach when Ice Age glaciers displaced and folded large masses of bedrock. Near Little Marl Point, soft Lower Maastrichtian chalk contains small oysters, belemnites and other marine fossils, while more extensive foreshore sections appear only when beach conditions allow. The familiar oyster-rich beds are just one part of a much richer historical succession. Visit for careful loose-beach collecting and geological observation, rather than excavation of the fragile exposures. Access, sand cover, tides and active cliff movement can all change what is safely visible. Cretaceous, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
Mundesley combines a family seaside beach with a significant Pleistocene fossil record. Today, casual collectors are most likely to find echinoids and sponges preserved in flint, reworked onto the shore from much older deposits. The Cromer Forest-bed succession has also yielded important elephant remains and evidence of cold-climate plants, although such beds are not continuously exposed and mammal finds are uncommon. Sea defences, sand cover and changing beach levels strongly influence what can be seen. Search loose foreshore stones at a suitable low tide, enjoy the geology from a safe distance and leave protected exposures undisturbed. Pleistocene, Cretaceous, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦
Mortimer Forest, near Ludlow, preserves an internationally important record of Silurian seas in wooded quarries, stream banks and trackside cuttings. Brachiopods, corals, trilobites and graptolites accompany changes from limestone to mudstone and siltstone. The numbered geological trail, measured research sections and older informal collecting circuit are distinct routes, with access and sampling conditions to check before visiting. Silurian, Cuttings, 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: ♦♦♦
The Onny Trail, near Craven Arms, follows river and old railway exposures through an important Ordovician succession. Brachiopods, trilobites and other marine fossils accompany two very different geological contacts: Silurian strata above Ordovician rocks and, farther along the route, Ordovician grit above ancient Longmyndian basement. The historic five-area walk requires current access and safety checks. Silurian, Ordovician, Cuttings, Stream, and Disused Quarry, Rating: ♦♦♦
Hope, near the nature reserve on the A488, has small stream-bank shale exposures where trilobites and graptolites have occasionally been found. The wider valley preserves a much richer scientific record, including volcanic ash, fossil type localities and a younger Silurian sandstone succession. Those named research sites are distinct from the short stream visit described here. Ordovician, Stream Embankment, Rating: ♦
Upper Millichope is a scientifically important stream section through fossil-rich Silurian mudstones and siltstones. Brachiopods, trilobites and graptolites record the Middle Elton marine environment, with corals and other fossils historically found among loose stream material. The protected section is sensitive to damage: arrange access and any sampling with the landowner before visiting. Silurian, Stream, Rating: ♦♦♦
Vinnels, in Mortimer Forest near Ludlow, is a small stream-bank locality known for trilobite fragments and graptolites in Silurian mudstone. The documented trail-stop horizon belongs to the Middle Elton Formation. Historic collecting has left fragile, undercut banks, so enjoy the geological evidence from a safe position and obtain permission before removing material. Silurian, Stream and Cuttings, 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: ♦♦♦
Whitehaven’s northern coast preserves Carboniferous plant fossils beneath the Countess Pit Sandstone. Access update, October 2026: foreshore access has been reported closed. The precise extent of the restriction and any reopening remain unconfirmed. Do not rely on the former tunnel-access directions or enter closed areas; confirm current authorised access with Cumberland Council before planning a collecting visit. Carboniferous, Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
Parton Bay, just north of Whitehaven, has Carboniferous fossils in loose beach stones, including plant remains in shale and corals in limestone. The shore also contains sea glass and other reminders of its industrial past. Reach the village beach through the public railway underpass, check tides and conditions, and leave coastal defences and archaeological remains untouched. Carboniferous, Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦
Stockdale Beck in Longsleddale is known for Silurian graptolite-bearing mudstones. The small exposure described near the old barn and bridge is separate from the more extensive Browgill reference section upstream. This protected beck requires care: arrange access and collecting permission, leave banks and bedrock untouched, and avoid high water or unsafe footing. Silurian, Stream, 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: ♦♦
Clints Quarry is a Carboniferous limestone nature reserve near Egremont, where corals and crinoid fragments can be seen in weathered rock. Its fossil-rich beds and ancient solution hollows record changing conditions on a shallow tropical shelf. Visit to observe and photograph the geology, leaving fossils and the protected quarry undisturbed. Carboniferous, Disused Quarry, Rating: ♦♦
