Fossil Hunting at Lyme Regis: A Practical Guide for Beginners

The beaches between Lyme Regis and Charmouth are among the most productive fossil hunting sites in Britain, accessible to anyone who arrives at the right time with reasonable expectations. Here is what you need to know before you go.

The cliffs east of Lyme Regis are made of rock laid down on the floor of a warm shallow sea roughly 180 to 200 million years ago, during the Early Jurassic period. As those cliffs erode — and they erode constantly, particularly after winter storms and heavy rain — they release the fossils preserved within them onto the beaches below. For a visitor with a sharp eye and a willingness to walk slowly with their gaze on the ground, this means there is a genuine chance of finding something remarkable. It has been happening on this stretch of shore since long before Mary Anning made it famous in the early nineteenth century, and it continues today.

This guide is aimed at first-time visitors and families. It covers where to go, when to go, what to bring, what you are likely to find, and a few important points about safety and the law that are worth understanding before you set out.

Where to look

The two main beaches for fossil hunting in this area are Monmouth Beach, which lies west of the Cobb in Lyme Regis, and the beach at Charmouth, roughly three miles east of the town. Both are good, and experienced hunters disagree about which is better on any given day.

Monmouth Beach is known particularly for its ammonites, the coiled cephalopod shells that are the most commonly found Jurassic fossil in this area. At the western end of the beach, large flat slabs of limestone exposed at low tide contain ammonites up to several inches across, sometimes whole and sometimes as exposed cross-sections. These specimens are in situ in the rock and cannot be removed, but they are extraordinary to find and worth seeking out for that reason alone.

Charmouth beach is arguably more productive for loose specimens that can be collected. The cliff material that falls onto the beach here includes nodules — rounded lumps of rock that may contain fossils within them — as well as loose ammonites, belemnites (which look like small stone bullets or cigars), and occasional vertebrae and bone fragments from the large marine reptiles that lived in this sea. The Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre at the eastern end of the village is an excellent resource for visitors and runs guided fossil walks throughout the summer led by experienced volunteers.

When to go

Timing matters considerably. The best conditions for finding fossils are shortly after a storm or period of heavy rain has brought fresh material down from the cliffs, ideally at low tide so that the maximum area of beach is exposed. A calm summer day at high tide on a beach that has been heavily visited for several weeks is not a productive combination.

Low tide times can be checked in advance and are published in local information centres and on the Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre website. Winter and early spring are often the most productive seasons because the cliffs erode more in wet and cold conditions, and there are fewer other collectors competing for fresh material. However, the beach is accessible and worthwhile at any time of year. If you are visiting in summer, try to be on the beach as early in the morning as possible to get ahead of the crowds.

What to bring

No specialist equipment is required to begin. The most important things to bring are waterproof boots or shoes that you do not mind getting wet, a bag to carry finds, and enough layers to stay comfortable if the weather turns. A small trowel or old kitchen knife can be useful for turning pebbles and digging into beach material, though hammering at the cliff faces themselves is discouraged and in places illegal (see below).

A hand lens or magnifying glass is useful for examining small details that distinguish a genuine fossil from an interesting-shaped stone. A field guide to Jurassic fossils, available in local bookshops and museum shops, will help you identify what you find. The Lyme Regis Museum and the Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre both sell reasonably priced identification guides aimed at non-specialists.

What you are likely to find

The most commonly found fossils in this area are ammonites, belemnites, and bivalve shells. Ammonites vary from small examples the size of a coin to large specimens several inches across. They are recognisable by their characteristic coiled spiral shape, which may appear as a raised spiral on a flat rock surface or as a three-dimensional coiled shell. Belemnites are the internal shells of squid-like animals and tend to be small, cylindrical, and pointed at one end; they are abundant and easy to find.

More unusual finds include vertebrae from ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs — the large marine reptiles whose remains are found here occasionally — and pieces of fossil wood. If you find something that looks like bone rather than shell, the museum at Charmouth or Lyme Regis can help with identification. Significant vertebrate specimens are covered by specific legal provisions (see below) and should be reported.

Safety and legal considerations

The cliffs between Lyme Regis and Charmouth are actively unstable. They should not be approached closely, climbed, or sat beneath. Rockfalls happen without warning and have caused fatalities on this stretch of coast. The safe practice is to search the beach material only, staying away from the base of the cliffs and being aware of your position relative to the tide.

In terms of the law, collecting loose material from the beach is generally permitted and has always been part of the tradition of fossil hunting on this coast. However, hammering at the cliff faces or digging into them is prohibited in many areas, as the cliffs form part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a Site of Special Scientific Interest. Significant vertebrate fossils found in situ in the rock are subject to the Treasure Act and may need to be reported to the landowner and local authority. If in doubt, ask at the Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre or the Lyme Regis Museum.

Making the most of your visit

Guided fossil walks are by far the most effective way to spend a first visit. The volunteers and guides who lead these walks know the beach intimately, understand the current conditions, and can point you to the most productive areas on the day. The Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre runs walks throughout the summer and into autumn; the Lyme Regis Museum also arranges guided walks from time to time. Booking in advance is recommended in peak season.

Even without a guide, a couple of hours on the beach between Lyme Regis and Charmouth at a reasonable low tide is almost always rewarding for attentive visitors. The cliffs have been giving up their contents for a very long time, and they show no sign of stopping.