Looking for an exciting family adventure or individual experience? Our guided fossil hunts introduce the skills used to discover evidence of life that existed millions of years ago. Whether it's your first time fossil hunting or you're looking to expand your subject knowledge, our fossil hunts provide an enjoyable and educational experience for all. Depending on our availability we can organise fossil hunts to anywhere in the UK (inc locations a short distance from London).

Each fossil hunt is designed to suit the individual or group's needs and level of experience and includes: an opportunity to see and handle real fossils, an introduction to the geology of the chosen area, printed handouts and tools (on request), followed by a guided fossil hunt with Roy and/or Robert.

Guided fossil hunts start from £150 per day (per group) for up to 10 people. Please contact Roy Shepherd using the link at the top of the page to discuss your requirements or ask a question.

Recent fossil hunt photos

Left: A giant ammonite discovered at Quantoxhead. Right: A flint echinoid discovered at Beachy Head.

Left: The impression of an ammonite on the surface of a chalk boulder, discovered at Beachy Head. Right: A class of children discover fossils at Peacehaven.

Left: Roy illustrates to a class of children how prehistoric life might have looked at Peacehaven. Right: Lucinda discovers a fossilised crab at Warden Point.

Left: David Bone introduces the local geology at a large Discovering Fossils event at Bracklesham Bay. Right: Digging for nodules at the Cotswold Water Park.

Left: A fossil hunt participant discovers a fossilised piece of wood at Herne Bay. Right: Roy demonstrates how to use a geologist's hammer at Seatown.

Left: The end of a successful fossil hunt at Folkestone. Left: A bag full of interesting finds including ammonites, belemnites and shark teeth from Folkestone.

Your feedback

Caroline Woods: 'I just wanted to send a BIG thank you for the wonderful day on Tuesday. The children loved it – and  can’t stop talking about it! They are also very proud of their fossils, and by the sound of it will be taking their parents back down there in half term! So thank you very much for all you patience, expertise and enthusiasm. It was a wonderful day and really brought history alive for them.'

Corey Fowler: 'Am currently in Edinburgh and the poor fellow who took me to the airport yesterday had to listen to me yammering on about fossil hunting... gosh, it is so much fun...wish I had been able to do it my whole life... Anyway, thanks a million for taking us.  You are such a wealth of information and don't act bored at all even though you must be tired of talking about it at times!'

Helen Short: 'A very belated thank you for a wonderful day. We all had a great time, and have been looking at, and talking about all the fossils that were collected. All the kids were inspired, and I am sure that we will do it again soon.  Please let me know if you would like any contributions from the children for your website. We would definitely recommend it.'

Nathalie Mineau: 'I wanted to thank you for the lovely day the children spend with you yesterday. My son Lucas came back from the trip yesterday with a box full of shells and great memories. Thank you again. Their teacher Caroline was full of praise for all the hard work you have put into it and your ability to make their whole experience fun. I am very sad I could not make it but am sure Lucas will want to take me back to the beach very soon.'

Jane Gaines: 'Thanks for a wonderful day yesterday. It was  so interesting and fun; I can't say I'm tired of ammonites yet, and  I'm so thrilled with what I was able to find yesterday.'

Sam Lucas: 'Just a quick thank you for such a great day. When you know what to look for and why a day on the beach is so much more interesting. The verdict from my son and his friend was “as good as Diggerland” which is high praise indeed.'

Timothy Byard-Jones: 'Just wanted to say thanks for running such an enjoyable fossil hunt on Saturday - my daughter and I both enjoyed it immensely. It was great having such a knowledgeable and approachable expert on hand to help point out locations and identify finds.'

Clare Blades: 'I just wanted to thank you for a fantastic day fossil hunting. Our party included a wide range of ages – from four to mid-60s – and everyone commented on what a great time they had had.  The day was well-organised and very informative. We were delighted with the fossils we found and the enthusiasm with which you taught us about them.'

Julie Constain: 'Thank you so much Roy, we had a brilliant time on our fossil hunt. Aeden has proudly shown friends and family the new additions to his collection. Thank you also for your offer of assistance with the project and we may have taken you up on that but the deadline was close and we had almost finished anyway. We handed it in yesterday and it has been very well received by all, I'll let you know what mark he gets!  Your assistance on our fossil hunt was integral to the section on 'how to find a fossil' so you actually did help already. Thanks again for a great day, best wishes.'

Annie Honjo: 'I want to say thank you for such a great day. It was a superb kick-off to my five days in Dorset, definitely a holiday to remember. I have spent hundreds of pounds flying to exotic locations where I have admittedly also had a good time, but this short break has been truly memorable. Thank you once again, for a great day that I will not forget in a hurry. I am determined to do another fossil-hunting day sometime in the future, perhaps in a different location.'

Sarah Caffyn: 'I wanted to get in touch with you to thank you for the most interesting and inspiring hours that Tom and I had with you last Sunday - you gave us both a wonderful insight into a completely new field and judging from the tapping and chipping that has been going on in the kitchen ever since, a new area of inquiry and intrigue has come into our home. Thank you too for bringing down all your specimens - a very useful way of consolidating what we had learnt and found - still hard to believe that we have such a rich source of interest so close by!'

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