Fossil Hunting Tips Please

karlpeg
karlpeg Forum Participant Posts: 33
edited July 2018 in Your Hobbies #1

Been inspired by the BBC fossil hunting (beach live) programme that was on recently. We have a CL site booked for a couple of weeks near Alnwick, Northumberland. Any fossil hunting tips for a newbie would be appreciated, such as tools required and times to hit the coast line. 

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  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited July 2018 #2

    Hunting at low tide is always best and safer and watch out for unstable cliffs and incoming tides.

    Where we live not far from the Dorset "Jurassic" coast we often find fossils just by looking on the beach, ammonites and belemnites are easily spotted. Cracking open quite small stones can produce results. A small hammer and a fossil book might be useful. Read any signs regarding removing fossils.  Some places are protected and ask you not to damage the area etc. Happy hunting. smile

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,299 ✭✭✭
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    edited July 2018 #3

    Brue gives very sound advice. I would also add to it that a square profile, brickies type hammer is preferable. Plus to watch your eyes, flying shards can be a real danger.

    The rocks on the foreshore about Alnwick are a bit older than those of the Jurassic coast, being of the middling part of the Carboniferous, about 330 or so million years ago. So no dinosaurs😂. You will however find, fossilised Braciopod shells, crinoids and corals, plus a few plants if your lucky.

    However, besides the fossils to hunt for, there is the actual geology of the coast to look at. In this area molten magma was injected into the limestones, shales and sandstone, some 300 million years ago (Whin Sill) and now due to its hard nature forms promontories.

    I found this leaflet on the web, for a trail on the coast just north of Alnwick. LINK HERE You may find it useful.

  • Takethedogalong
    Takethedogalong Forum Participant Posts: 17,031 ✭✭✭
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    edited July 2018 #4

    That's very interesting Steve, we haven't walked that bit of the coast. Might be up there a bit later in year, so could be an interesting walk. Thanks!

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited August 2018 #5

    If you're interested in UK fossil hunting this is a good web site. HERE I'm not so much a hunter but I love looking at geology and what's around in different places. When we took our van to the IOW I went to Yaverland near Sandown and had a great time rootling around on the beach where dinosaurs roamed. I found several coprolites, fossilised dinosaur dung. smile

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