Walton-on-the-Naze combines early Eocene teeth, wood and rare vertebrate remains with the abundant marine shells of the much younger Red Crag. Tides and erosion continually change the beach, making some visits far more productive than others. Search loose material with care, keep away from the unstable cliffs and plan around the restricted tidal access. Pliocene, Eocene, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦♦♦
Wrabness offers early Eocene fossils along the tidal shore of the River Stour. Teeth, fossil wood and small fruits or seeds can occur among weathered beach material, while the cliffs reveal volcanic ash layers in the Harwich Formation beneath the lowest London Clay. Beach cover changes with the tides, and soft mud and unstable cliffs require care. Pliocene, Eocene, Cliffs and Foreshore, Rating: ♦♦♦
At East Lane, Bawdsey, coastal erosion exposes Eocene marine clay beneath shell-rich Red Crag. Loose beach material can include mineralised wood, shells and occasional teeth, together with older fossils reworked into the Crag. Changing beach levels and damaged access routes make conditions important to every visit. Eocene, Pliocene, 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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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: ♦♦♦♦♦
