Dorset · Dorset
Fossil hunting at Lyme Regis
The most famous fossil town in Britain, where Mary Anning worked. Ammonites and belemnites on the foreshore in quantity.
Representative photography of this stretch of coast, not a photograph of the site on a particular day.
What can you find?
- AmmonitesCoiled shells of extinct marine molluscs, the classic British fossil.Identify →
- BelemnitesBullet-shaped internal guards of squid-like Jurassic and Cretaceous animals.Identify →
- BivalvesFossil shellfish with two matching valves, common on most marine sites.Identify →
- Marine reptile remainsIchthyosaur and plesiosaur vertebrae, teeth and bone fragments.Identify →
- GastropodsFossil snails, coiled into a cone rather than a flat spiral.Identify →
- Fossilised woodDriftwood and tree remains replaced by minerals, sometimes as jet or lignite.Identify →
About the site
Lyme Regis sits at the western end of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site, where Lower Jurassic clays and limestones of the Blue Lias meet the sea. Mary Anning collected here in the early nineteenth century, and the beaches still produce the same material: ammonites, belemnites, bivalves and, occasionally, marine reptile bone.
The beaches either side of the town both repay a visit. Monmouth Beach to the west leads to the ammonite pavement, a bedding plane crowded with large ammonites that must be left in place. East of the Cobb the foreshore towards Charmouth is the more productive ground for loose finds.
Lyme is a good place to begin because the town supports fossil hunting properly — there is a museum, shops that will identify finds, and regular guided walks that teach you what the material looks like before you search on your own.
Planning a visit
- Geological period
- Early Jurassic (Blue Lias), around 200–195 million years old
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Suitable for children
- Yes, with supervision and attention to the tide and cliffs.
- Best time to go
- Winter and early spring, after storms and rough seas have brought fresh material down. A falling tide at any time of year is workable.
- Tides
- Go out on a falling tide and turn back well before low water. Check a local tide table on the day and allow time to return.
- Access
- The seafront and Cobb are level and surfaced. The beaches themselves are shingle and rock with slipway access, which is difficult for wheelchairs and pushchairs.
- Parking
- Several pay and display car parks in the town, including Holmbush and Monmouth Beach.
- Walking and terrain
- Beach access within a few minutes of the car parks; the walk east towards Charmouth is about 1.5 km each way.
- Location type
- Beach, Cliff
- Collecting
- The West Dorset coast operates a fossil collecting code agreed between landowners, the local authority and museums. Collect loose material from the foreshore, leave fossils in place in the cliffs and bedrock, and report scientifically important finds to the Lyme Regis Museum or Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre.
Safety
- The cliffs are actively unstable and mudflows occur, particularly after rain. Stay well away from the cliff base.
- Never dig into or climb the cliffs.
- Do not become cut off by a rising tide — the foreshore narrows quickly east of the town.
What to bring
- Sturdy boots with grip for wet rock
- A tide table for the day
- A small bag or box and newspaper for wrapping finds
- Waterproofs — this coast is exposed
Nearby fossil locations
- 01CharmouthDorset · DorsetAmmonites · Belemnites · Bivalves · Fossilised woodBeginnerFamily friendlyBeach, CliffExplore location →
- 02SeatownDorset · DorsetAmmonites · Belemnites · Bivalves · Fossilised woodEasyFamily friendlyBeach, CliffExplore location →
- 03BranscombeDevon · DevonSea urchins · Bivalves · Brachiopods · BelemnitesEasyFamily friendlyBeach, CliffExplore location →
- 04Beer BeachDevon · DevonSea urchins · Belemnites · Bivalves · BrachiopodsEasyFamily friendlyBeach, CliffExplore location →