West Beach at Charmouth is one of the most accessible and productive fossil hunting locations in the UK, attracting collectors of all levels throughout the year. Situated at the heart of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site, this area is especially well known for its abundance of marine reptile remains, coprolites and a wide range of Jurassic fossils, many of which can be found loose on the foreshore after storms.Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
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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: ♦♦♦♦
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Seatown is one of Dorset’s classic fossil-hunting locations, offering rich Jurassic material set against some of the most dramatic coastal scenery on the south coast. However, it can be more dangerous than many nearby localities due to the exceptionally high and unstable cliffs, so care is always required. Fossils are commonly found loose along the foreshore, with some of the finest specimens—particularly ammonites—preserved within hard nodules that require careful preparation. During periods of strong coastal scouring, belemnites can occur in abundance across the beach.Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
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Just west of Seatown, the quieter stretch of Eype exposes the fossil-rich Beacon Limestone Formation. The foreshore is scattered with fallen limestone blocks, many containing ammonites and other Jurassic fossils. Collecting here can be challenging, as specimens are often locked within hard rock, but with patience and the right conditions—especially after storms—well-preserved finds can still be made. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦
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Burton Cliff combines towering Bridport Sand cliffs with a thin but exceptionally fossiliferous cap of Inferior Oolite limestone. Detached limestone can contain ammonites, sponges, echinoids and shells, but the cliffs are dangerously unstable: their geological interest is best appreciated from well outside the rockfall zone. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
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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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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Ringstead Bay is a wonderful location, with rocks and fossils from the Corallian, Kimmeridge Clay, Purbeck Beds and Portland Beds to be found. The site consists mostly of Kimmeridge Clay from the Upper Jurassic. It is rich in fossils and with easy parking, toilets and refreshments nearby; it’s an ideal, safe location for the family. The site is productive in either direction from the access point. This location is also just a short walk away from other good sites and makes for an ideal day trip. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦
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Wyke Regis (West), along the sheltered shoreline of the East Fleet lagoon behind Chesil Beach, is a productive Upper Jurassic site exposing the Kimmeridge Clay Formation. The foreshore and low cliffs can yield a wide range of fossils, including ammonites, bivalves and large oysters, along with occasional reptile remains. With relatively easy access and regular fresh material from erosion, it is a rewarding location for careful searching under the right conditions.Jurassic, Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
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Osmington Mills, west of Ringstead Bay, reveals a varied Upper Jurassic Corallian succession of sandstone, clay, marl and limestone. Bivalves, ammonites, echinoids and distinctive burrows and ooidal beds help explain changing shallow seas, although the rocky foreshore and unstable cliffs demand care. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
From the Zig Zag path to Durlston Head, the western half of Durlston Bay reveals some of the finest and most complete exposures of the Purbeck Limestone Group in the UK. This section is more rugged and challenging, with steep cliffs, ledges and active rockfall zones, but it is also the most productive for serious collectors. The beds here are famous for yielding tiny mammal remains, reptile material, fish fossils and dinosaur traces, offering a rare glimpse into life in the lagoonal and coastal environments that existed at the end of the Jurassic period. While conditions can be difficult, this part of the bay is one of the most scientifically significant fossil localities on the Dorset coast. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
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Chapman’s Pool is a remote cove beneath Upper Jurassic Kimmeridge Clay and younger cliff-capping rocks. Ammonites, shells and trace fossils record the changing sea, but a long descent, unstable cliffs and tidal headlands make this a demanding locality best approached for observation rather than an extended shore traverse. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦
Bowleaze Cove exposes both the famous Oxford Clay Formation and the overlying Corallian Group, making it one of the most geologically interesting locations around Weymouth. While the historic Oxford Clay exposures that once produced abundant marine reptile remains are now much reduced, the foreshore east of the main beach continues to yield a wide variety of fossils, including ammonites, belemnites, bivalves and trace fossils. The best collecting is generally found beyond the sandy beach beneath Ham Cliff, where fallen Corallian blocks and material washed from the cliffs can provide rewarding finds. The terrain is rough and uneven, consisting of boulders, shingle and fallen rock, so sturdy footwear is essential.Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
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Redcliff Point is one of Dorset’s most rewarding Upper Jurassic fossil localities, exposing both the fossil-rich Oxford Clay Formation and the overlying Corallian Group within a spectacular coastal setting. The foreshore yields a diverse range of fossils, including ammonites, belemnites, large bivalves, trace fossils and occasional vertebrate remains, while the Oxford Clay has historically produced marine reptiles and giant oysters such as Gryphaea dilatata. Fresh erosion, heavy rain and scouring tides regularly expose new material, making this an excellent destination for the dedicated fossil collector.
Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦
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Kimmeridge Bay’s dark Jurassic mudstones and resistant limestone ledges reveal a detailed marine succession. Ammonites and other shells can be seen in suitable exposures, and loose foreshore fossils may be collected under the local estate code, which prohibits hammering, digging and breaking rocks or nodules. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
Pirates Cove, near Wyke Regis, is a small but highly productive section of Corallian cliffs, offering a rich and varied fossil assemblage. The easily accessible foreshore, when conditions allow, yields abundant gastropods, bivalves and echinoids, often weathering out from the soft limestones and clays. While compact in size, the diversity of fossils and regular fresh exposure make it a rewarding stop, especially when combined with nearby fossil hunting locations along this stretch of coast.Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
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Lulworth Cove’s shape reveals the contrast between resistant Portland limestone and softer inland strata, backed by folded and faulted Chalk. Shells, lagoonal beds and the separately accessed Fossil Forest tell a varied geological story; follow the estate’s code and leave rocks, stones and fixed features in place. Jurassic, Cretaceous, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
West Weare on Portland exposes Kimmeridge Clay and the Portland succession among landslipped ground and old quarry waste. Shells and ammonite fragments are recorded, but mixed blocks, slippery clay and difficult terrain make provenance and a cautious, permission-led approach especially important. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
West Bay’s East Cliff is a striking exposure of yellow Bridport Sand, where harder sandstone bands stand out against softer sand. Belemnites, occasional ammonite moulds and burrows and shell remains reward close observation of safely accessible material, although fossils are generally less plentiful than at nearby Burton Bradstock. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦
Watton Cliff is one of Britain’s most important Middle Jurassic microfossil localities, exposing the fossil-rich Forest Marble Formation above the Frome Clay. While larger fossils such as brachiopods, crinoids, sharks’ teeth and reptile remains can be found, the site is best known for its remarkable microvertebrate fauna, including some of the oldest mammal remains discovered in the UK. Careful collection and processing of samples can reveal an extraordinary range of tiny fossils hidden within the sediments. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦
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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: ♦♦♦
Studland’s South Beach and Redend Point bring together Upper Cretaceous Chalk and Eocene sands and clays. Marine shells occur in the Chalk, while plant debris and occasional leaves characterise part of the younger succession; tidal headlands and fragile exposures require careful observation and respect for conservation rules. Eocene, Cretaceous, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
Pinhay Bay is a remote and geologically complex stretch of the East Devon coast, exposing rocks from the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous within a single location. Less visited than nearby Lyme Regis, the bay can reward determined collectors with a wide range of fossils, including Blue Lias ammonites, Triassic bivalves, fish remains and Chalk echinoids, all scattered amongst landslips, fallen blocks and the rugged foreshore.Triassic, Jurassic, Cretaceous, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦
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Charton Bay is a remote and rewarding East Devon location, reached via a long walk from Lyme Regis, exposing a mix of Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous deposits along a largely undisturbed stretch of coastline. This quiet beach yields a surprising range of fossils, including Blue Lias ammonites, Langport Member bivalves such as Plagiostoma, and Cretaceous echinoids, making it a fascinating spot for collectors willing to make the effort and explore beyond the more popular sites.Triassic, Jurassic, Cretaceous, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
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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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Blue Anchor exposes a thin but highly productive Rhaetian bone bed within the Penarth Group, yielding abundant reptile, shark and fish remains, similar to the famous Aust site on the Severn Estuary. The foreshore is scattered with blocks ideal for splitting, while the overlying Jurassic beds also produce ammonites and occasional reptile material, making this a varied and rewarding location.Triassic, Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦
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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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Kilve’s limestone reefs and dark Jurassic shale reveal ammonites, changing seafloor conditions and remarkable ancient methane-seep structures. The shore east of Kilve Pill is the main route described here, with loose fossil material and exposed pavements to examine carefully on a falling tide while protecting the cliffs and embedded finds. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
St Audries Bay is a quieter stretch of the Somerset Jurassic Coast, where Blue Lias cliffs and wave-cut platforms expose fossil-bearing beds. The foreshore can yield ammonites, reptile remains and marine shells, particularly after erosion, and although less productive than nearby sites, its lower footfall makes it an appealing location for collectors seeking a more peaceful experience.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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The ploughed fields around Kingstone and Moolham can reveal ammonites weathered from Lower Jurassic limestone. Dactylioceras, Harpoceras and Hildoceras are recorded in the local collecting account, but visibility depends on cultivation and crop cover, and landowner permission is needed before collecting from these working fields. Jurassic, Fields, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
Brown’s Folly’s old Bath Stone quarries reveal a varied Middle Jurassic seafloor, from mobile ooid sands to coral growth and shell-rich mud. Corals, brachiopods, bivalves and crinoids make this wooded Avon Wildlife Trust reserve rewarding for a careful geological walk, with fossils and quarry features best studied without disturbing the protected exposures. Jurassic, Disused Quarry, Rating: ♦♦
Whitby is one of the most iconic fossil localities on the Yorkshire coast, renowned for its rich Jurassic heritage and dramatic cliff scenery. While access to parts of the foreshore is tide-dependent and requires careful planning, the rewards can be considerable. The area is celebrated for its abundant ammonites, marine reptile remains and diverse shell beds, as well as for jet — fossilised wood from ancient conifer-like trees that became highly prized in Victorian jewellery. Its reputation means it is rarely quiet, but with patience and good timing.Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
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Saltwick Bay is one of the most productive sites on the Yorkshire Coast, well known for its abundant ammonites, reptile remains and marine fossils. The foreshore is rich in fossiliferous nodules, often easy to split and frequently yielding well-preserved specimens. The bay is also famous for jet, a form of lignite historically used in jewellery, adding to its geological and historical significance.Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
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Port Mulgrave is one of the most productive fossil sites on the Yorkshire Coast, famed for its abundant ammonites and rich Jurassic marine fauna. Once a thriving ironstone mining harbour, the foreshore now yields a wide range of fossils, including reptile remains, belemnites and nodules packed with ammonites, often exposed after cliff falls and erosion. With its combination of historical interest and exceptional fossil potential, it remains a must-visit location for serious collectors.Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
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Kettleness is one of the most productive fossil sites on the Yorkshire Coast, especially renowned for its abundant reptile remains, often found loose or within nodules along the foreshore. The site is also highly regarded for its ammonites, similar to those found at nearby Port Mulgrave, making it a top location for collectors seeking both vertebrate and invertebrate fossils.Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
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Staithes is a popular and accessible Yorkshire Coast locality, well known for its abundant and easily prepared ammonites. These are commonly found within nodules along the foreshore or weathering out from ledges, often requiring only minimal effort to collect. While productive and close to access points, the foreshore near the beach entrance can be extremely slippery, so care is needed when conditions are wet.Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
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Robin Hood’s Bay is one of the most geologically important sites on the Yorkshire Coast, known for its diverse ammonite fauna and extensive Jurassic exposures. While much of the central bay is covered by boulder clay, the foreshore and reefs to either side can be highly productive. Success here depends on conditions and experience, but with careful searching, a wide range of ammonites and other marine fossils can be found.Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
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Runswick Bay is a highly regarded Yorkshire Coast locality, known for its diverse ammonite fauna and productive foreshore exposures. Under the right conditions, the bay can yield a wide range of ammonite species along with bivalves and other marine fossils, often found loose or within nodules. With its broad beach and regular fresh material from erosion, it can be a very rewarding site for collectors.Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
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Reighton Gap is a useful stop along the Yorkshire coast, offering a mix of Kimmeridge Clay fossils and glacial erratics. When exposed, the clay can yield ammonites and marine shells, although productive layers are often covered and depend on scouring tides. The overlying boulder clay is particularly interesting, producing erratic fossils from Jurassic, Cretaceous and even Carboniferous rocks, giving a wide variety of finds in one location.Jurassic, Erratics (Jurassic, Cretaceous, Carboniferous), Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
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Hayburn Wyke is one of Yorkshire’s most important and rewarding plant fossil localities. This site exposes Middle Jurassic rocks that have yielded an exceptional diversity of fossil flora. The fine-grained sediments here preserve delicate leaf impressions in remarkable detail, offering a rare glimpse into the lush, humid landscapes that bordered the Jurassic sea around 170 million years ago. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
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Speeton Cliffs are one of the most important Lower Cretaceous sites in the UK, with the highly productive Speeton Clay yielding ammonites, fish, shells and crustaceans. Often compared to the famous Folkestone Beds, the foreshore can be very rewarding under the right conditions. It is also a great location for families, although the clay can become extremely sticky and difficult underfoot in wetter months.Cretaceous, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦
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Cayton Bay exposes a varied, faulted Jurassic coast where ammonites, bivalves, gastropods and brachiopods occur in several different rock units. Its famous Tenants’ Cliff concretions preserve remarkable shells, while sand cover, landslips and tidal exposure make both fossil finding and safe access highly changeable. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
Gristhorpe is renowned for delicate Jurassic plant fossils from the classic bed north of Yons Nab. The wider bay also exposes younger marine rocks with ammonites and shells, making precise locality and matrix records essential when interpreting finds from its varied shore. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
Filey Brigg’s rocky promontory reveals Jurassic shell beds and striking fossil burrows in sandstone and limestone. Bivalves, brachiopods and occasional ammonites reward close observation, but tidal gullies, slippery platforms and unstable cliffs require a carefully planned visit. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
Scalby Ness is known for Middle Jurassic plant fossils, including ginkgoalean foliage, in the Long Nab Member. Shale slabs and channel sandstones preserve different parts of this ancient vegetation, while tidal channels and rough wet rocks make careful shore planning essential. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
The coast north of Sandsend exposes Lower Jurassic shale, ammonites and named concretion bands beneath cliffs altered by historic alum working. Marine-reptile remains are documented but exceptional, while slippery rocks, tidal cut-off and unstable cliffs make the northern shore demanding. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦
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: ♦♦
The striking red and white cliffs at Aust, on the Severn Estuary, expose the Rhaetian Penarth Group, home to one of the most famous bone beds in the UK. This thin but highly productive layer is packed with teeth, fish remains and reptile material, making Aust the richest Triassic fossil site in Britain. Under the right conditions, the foreshore can yield a wide variety of microfossils, rewarding careful searching and sieving. Triassic, Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
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Hock Cliff near Fretherne exposes an early Sinemurian succession of limestone, shale and mudstone beside the Severn. Ammonites, curved oysters and echinoderm remains record a varied Jurassic sea floor, while the tidal shore, slippery rocks and changing path conditions require careful planning and permission checks. Jurassic, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
