Beauty realm

Understanding Fossils

Fossils are basically the preserved remains of ancient life, they can be found in certain location up and down the united kingdom they are usually millions of years old. New species are still being discovered by fossil hunters. Understanding what you are looking for will give you the best chance of finding something special. Familiarise yourself with different fossil types such as dinosaur bones, belemnites etc.

Types of fossils are : Footprints and trackways, Body Fossils, Petrification Fossils, Molds and casts, Coprolites.

Cast Fossils can contain teeth, leaves, embryos or leaves etc.

Essential Fossil Hunting Tools

Basic fossil hunting can be done with minimal equipment but if you want the best chances of discovering something special you need to get a small kit together !

You may need a chisel to help extract fossils from rock, a notepad and pen ( record finds locations etc) Time/Tides app ( check foe low tide for coastal hunting ) Bags and containers ( obviously for transporting your finds safely ) Geological Hammer to break open rocks. Safety glasses would be a good thing for flying debris.

A Camera/Phone to photograph trackways or dinosaur footprints etc. You dont need to collect anything while fossil hunting you can simply photograph what you find especially if it is on the ground or on a huge rock.

Follow Safety Guidelines

Super important to stay safe outdoors especially when climbing over rocks and hills etc. Be aware of changing tides! Look for signs at your locations and do not enter any areas that are blocked off or signage says do not enter. Do not try to remove very large rocks from the beach or cliff areas, and be respectful to nature. Don’t leave behind a mess.

Permits

Some areas are marked ( sites of specific scientific interest ) and its against the law to remove items or fossils from these areas because ongoing scientific research is ongoing! Please always double check your location before visiting because you may need a permit. They are usually only £5 to £10. Generally its free for amateur fossil hunters to pick up fossils along the sea shore but there are guidelines such as the ” fossil collectors code ” you must follow.

Reporting Significant Finds

If you believe you have found something significant then you can report your find to geological societies or local museums so they can figure out if any research needs to be done and give you guidance on how to handle your find. Who knows maybe something you will find will end up on display in a museum one day !

Join A Local Fossil Hunting Club

Look for a group/club that’s pretty local to where you live to make friends and socialise while fossil hunting, this is a great way to get knowledge from people who are already skilled fossil hunters and to shadow them. Groups always organise getaways that can be really fun. Simply look for groups on Facebook or meetup and ask to join.

This is your reminder that giant beasts used to roam the earth “dinosaurs” but where can you walk alongside their footprints ? I have put together this handy guide of places you can get up close and even put your own foot or hand into the prints. Simply print out this page if your going to do a dinosaur day out as I have put together a great itinerary for each location.

ISLE OF SKYE

A few destinations on Skye offer a chance to touch and see dinosaur prints, always best at low tide this website is pretty cool to check tide times ! there is also a small museum on the island where you can enquire about guided tours of the areas covered here.

An Corran Beach – Tides and weather can vary so best to plan a visit at low tide to see the prints! The prints are embedded in sandstone rocks. You can park at the beach car park and walk down to the shore. This is the most popular tourist attraction on Skye for footprints.

Brothers Point – Sauropod( four toed prints ) & Theropod ( three toed prints )Dinosaur prints were more recently discovered here dating back to the middle Jurassic period ( 170 million years ago ) the brothers point is not that accessible as other areas of island such as corran beach and again you must visit at low tide to see the prints.

The staffin dinosaur museum – This museum only operates from april to october, This museum makes learning about dinosaurs as a family a fun day out, family tickets cost only £10. The museum houses internationally recognised dinosaur fossils such as :

Stegosaurus

Megalosaurus

Cetiosaurus

Hadrosaurus

Coelophysis

You can also ask about guided tours and more information while at the museum, A replica of the smallest dinosaur footprint in the world is on display here at the museum as the real one is in the hunterian museum in Glasgow.

Score bay – Located near Duntulm Castle, This bay has tracks of prints mostly from sauropods. You can find really big prints here. You can park near duntulm castle and walk across the field to the bay area, look on the rocks and you will find well preserved prints, of course visit when its low tide.

ISLE OF WIGHT

The isle of wight is known as the “ the dinosaur capital of Britain ” as it regularly yields dinosaur bones and fossils ! A 4 year old called Daisy Morris discovered a new species of dinosaur on a beach, who knows your child could be the next daisy morris. You can search for your own fossils on isle of wights beaches, two hotspots for fossils are compton bay and yaverland. How fun does that sound right ?

Hanover Point – Find large Iguanodon tracks in sandstone formations which have three toes at this site, this area is very popular with tourists.

Compton bay – Popular for fossil hunters looking for a find, you can also find dinosaur bones here, who knows what you may find.

The dinosaur isle museum – the first custom built dinosaur museum in Europe this is an dinosaur enthusiasts dream, situated in sandown it houses significant collections of dinosaur fossils nearly as many as the natural history museum in London. they also have lots of life size replicas of dinosaurs, interactive exhibitions etc. Toilets and a cafe. plenty of facilities! Sadly its not free admission but all the bays and beaches are on the isle.

DEVON & DORSET ( JURASSIC COAST )

This coastline in Devon is a UNESCO world heritage site, 3 iconic landmarks you will find here are the durdle door which is a natural limestone arch ( popular with bloggers and photographers) Lulworth cave a beautiful horseshoe formed cove formed by erosion and the old harry rocks! The coast has had remarkable fossil discoveries over the years and there are mnay cool places in devon and dorest to see prints or look for fossils.

The spyway dinosaur footprints ( purbeck, dorset ) – Found at keates quarry near the jurrasic coast you can visit the well preserved dinosaur tracks. You can access the area by walking along a scenic route ” priests way” starting from Worth Matravers.

Guided walks to the spyway dinosaur prints are organised by the Jurassic coast trust, knowledgeable ambassadors can help you navigate the terrain. the tours are for any age and can last up to two hours or so.

The Jurassic coast trust have an amazing website check it out here ! it has ideas on places to stay overnight, lots of food places and information on tours etc all in one place.

Sidmouth Beach – In February 2024, Dr rob coram ( fossil hunter ) found a dinosaur footprint believed to be around 250 million years old on Sidmouth beach. You can find many fossils on this coast of fish, reptiles etc. Although the footprint dr coram found is not visible anymore due to erosion experts say because of changes with natural erosion there are opportunities in this area for more discoveries.