Where to Go… to Try Fossil Hunting

Fossil hunting is a bit like treasure hunting – you know roughly where to go but you are never sure exactly what you will to find.

Sometimes you spot fossils quickly and other times you look for ages. When suddenly you do find one, you are looking at something that has been hidden away for millions and millions of years and you are probably the first human ever to see it!

Fossil hunting is one of our favourite pastimes and below are some of the places you can try it for yourself.

Find Fossils and a World-Class Sunset at Bracklesham Bay

Ashford Hangers National Nature Reserve, Steep, Near Petersfield, Hampshire

Bracklesham Bay is probably the place we love to visit the most. As the tide falls, a huge stretch of sand opens up and you can find fossils just lying on the beach, including shark teeth.

With spectacular views, stretches of sand and clay full of fossils, it’s not hard to understand why we love Highcliffe beach. Along the beach you can spot small, grey fossil shells and also shark teeth.

Shoulder of Mutton Hill, Edward Thomas Stone, Ashford Hangers National Nature Reserve, Steep, Near Petersfield, Hampshire

Lepe Country Park is one of those rare places where you can fill an entire day with everything or nothing!

Not only does it have a dinosaur footprint but it is also possible to find fossils of shells, plants and mammal bones, including mammoth bones.

Wheatham Hill in the Ashford Hangers National Nature Reserve, Steep, Petersfield

Littlehampton West Beach feels wild – an uninterrupted stretch of sand extending as far as the eye can see, flanked by sand dunes and turquoise waters.

You can find fossils amongst the pebbles. Many of the most complete fossils, can be found at the end of the beach nearest the car park – no long walks required!

Dinosaur Footprints, Keates Quarry, Spyway, Langton Matravers, Swanage, Dorset

No one believed me when I announced we were going on a mission to discover dinosaur footprints at a place called Spyway.

Our mission took us through puddles, past a quarry and into some serious mud, finally ending at dinosaur footprints so enormous we could stand in them.

I love everything about Kimmeridge Bay – the picturesque drive from the main road, the views out across the bay, the fossils hidden in the cliffs and along the beach, the rockpools and sea life revealed at low tide, the nature trail you snorkel around and The Etches Collection fossil museum that you can visit during high tide.

150 million years ago, the Dorset coast was a shallow, tropical sea patrolled by huge marine reptiles, predators and fish.

All that remains today are fossils, which can be found on Kimmeridge Bay beach or seen on display at the nearby Etches Collection Museum of Jurassic Marine Life.

Latchmoor Brook is a shallow stream on the edge of the New Forest where you can picnic, paddle, see ponies and hunt for fossils.

You can find (but not take) fossils along the stream and are most likely to find fossilised shells but, if you are very lucky, you may find fish remains and shark teeth.

The tide retreats remarkably quickly at West Beach, transforming it from a stone covered slope into a flat, sandy beach peppered with rocks containing fossils.

We spotted a few tiny fossils (1 or 2mm wide) that were embedded in the hard rocks.

Let’s have an adventure…

Before taking part in any activities or visiting any places listed, you should make appropriate checks to ensure high quality provision, a safe environment is provided and to check all these details are up to date before you visit and/or take part. We accept no liability (to the fullest extent permitted by law) for the quality of the activities provided or places listed or for the accuracy of any information given.