Fossil Hunting

[flagpole]

So, I'm planning a few days out with a friend and we thought we'd go fossil hunting. He's been to Robin Hoods Bay and apart from finding me some lovely pebbles there were no fossils.

Does anyone know of any really good places we could visit?

Thanks

[kar999]

Lyme Bay Dorest (aka The Jurassic Coast) is well known for fossil hunting.

http://www.ukfossils.co.uk/dorset.htm

You might even find the remains of a few chavs who died in the search for washed up BMW bikes on Branscombe Beach.

[flagpole]

Thanks for the link Keith! It has locations listed by county which is what I was after

[pottyprof]

I can recommend Charmouth. Plenty of fossils just laying around. Seatown is a great base, Lyme Regis too but thats getting over-commercialised.

[SnowBear]

http://www.yorkshirecoastfossils.co.uk/scu...rpe_fossils.htm

Had to look up where Lindum Colonia was and it looks like Lincoln! So a quick look around for fossil locations up that way came up with that shop above with fossils apparently found along the Yorks coast. Maybe contact that shop and ask where the best spots to find fossils along that way are?

[Bobby]

There's an old quarry near me that is absolutely full of fossils. Some good ones on the beaches down the gower too, seen some trilobites. There are even some dinosaur footprints down there, fossilised in the rock bed.

[rhip]

Have a good time! I went fossil hunting in Folkestone with the kids yesterday, we had a lovely time. Once I got used to what I was looking for they were all over the beach. The prize find was a lovely nautilus fossil, still with some of the shell visible. (Mind you I think I had more fun than the kids!)

[pottyprof]

There's an old quarry near me that is absolutely full of fossils.

There's a big old house around the corner from me that's the same....

[saint]

i dont get fossil hunting what is the point of it can anyone explain why people do it

[pottyprof]

It's an excuse to go skinny dipping.. Well one of em..

[saint]

It's an excuse to go skinny dipping.. Well one of em..

that is very funny thanks for the explenation of why they go

saint

[Crepuscular Ray]

Yes, Charmouth/Lyme are brilliant for fossil-spotting (finding an 18-inch ammonite when you're only about three feet tall - I was only about five at the time, before OOn starts - is absolutely amazing), but bear in mind that the whole area is now a World Heritage Site and fossil digging is an absolute no-no, although I don't know about picking up those that are already loose - does anyone know what the rules are?

[soggy wales]

Lavernock Point Vale of Glamorgan is a good site- it was shown on tv not so long back.

[Gray-Wolf]

Did you try splitting any of the 'nice pebbles' your pal fetched you?? plenty of amonites inside the roundy flat ones from that area of coastline. A little further south of Robin hoods bay is Filey and you have the glacial overdrift out along Filey Brigg (for the amonites) but head south out towards Bridlington (the stretch from Filey to the lighthouse) and you have most of the Jurassic laid out including a clay bed (nearly vertical) full of belemnites (like a .22 bullet.....unless your lucky enough to find one with it's guard still on).

Plenty of info for that stretch of coast as the Chalk cliff at Bridlington are the start of the cretaceous sequence (white cliffs of Dover an' all that) that outcrop only there in the north of England.

Seeing as the Jurassic/cretaceous are the real 'Dino times' who knows what lies awaiting your beady eye?

[Rustynailer]

There are plenty on the beaches around here if you know what to look for and we have a newish museum too.

http://www.dinosaurisle.com/dinosaurs.aspx They even have Dinosaur dung for the children to smell :o (he he he I happen to know that its from next door but one:- the Zoo, Tiger pooh )

Regards,

Russ