Fossil hunting guidelines
Meet the team
Discovering Fossils is a non-commercial public resource dedicated to showcasing palaeontology.
Written and designed by Roy Shepherd, scientific guidance by Robert Randell. ©2009
Fossil locations
Written and designed by Roy Shepherd, scientific guidance by Robert Randell. ©2009
Fossil locations
Geological map
Please select an area of the country you wish to explore. The map is divided into a number of regions which contain locations where fossils can be found. Please note Discovering Fossils is an ongoing project to document the country and you may find some areas are not yet included.
Alternatively you can select the location of interest from the list alongside the map.
Map adapted from the British Geological Survey mapping. Maps are available to purchase from the BGS website.
Geologic time scale (detailed)
Click to view
Please select an area of the country you wish to explore. The map is divided into a number of regions which contain locations where fossils can be found. Please note Discovering Fossils is an ongoing project to document the country and you may find some areas are not yet included.
Alternatively you can select the location of interest from the list alongside the map.
Map adapted from the British Geological Survey mapping. Maps are available to purchase from the BGS website.
Geologic time scale (detailed)
Click to view
Featured locations
The following locations have been selected to represent a cross section of UK geology.
We only include locations suitable for public fossil collecting. The volume of finds may vary throughout the year.
Palaeogene - Quaternary 65 mya
Alum
Bay (Isle of Wight)
Barton-on-Sea
(Hampshire)
Bouldnor
(Isle of Wight)
Bracklesham
Bay (West Sussex)
Herne
Bay (Kent)
Isle
of Sheppey (Kent)
Walton-on-the-Naze
(Essex)
Cretaceous 145-65 mya
Beachy Head
(East Sussex)
Dover
(Kent)
Durlston
Bay (Dorset)
Fairlight
(East Sussex)
Folkestone
(Kent)
Hanover
Point (Isle of Wight)
Hastings
(East Sussex)
Hunstanton
(Norfolk)
Lulworth
Cove (Dorset)
Peacehaven
(East Sussex)
Seaford
Head
(East Sussex)
Seven
Sisters (East Sussex)
Jurassic 200-145 mya
Bearreraig
Bay (Isle of Skye)
Brora
river (Sutherland)
Burton
Bradstock (Dorset)
Chapman's
Pool (Dorset)
Charmouth
(Dorset)
Dunrobin
(Sutherland)
Kimmeridge
(Dorset)
Llantwit
Major (Glamorgan)
Lyme
Regis (Dorset)
Osmington
Mills (Dorset)
Port
Mulgrave (Yorkshire)
Quantoxhead
(Somerset)
Seatown
(Dorset)
Triassic and Permian 299-200 mya
Aust
(Avon)
Blue
Anchor (Somerset)
Carboniferous 359-299 mya
Crail
(Fife)
East
Wemyss (Fife)
Kingsbarns
(Fife)
Whitehaven
(Cumbria)
Silurian and Devonian 444-359 mya
Marloes
Sands (Pembrokeshire)
Other fossil attractions
Family fossil hunts (National)
Natural History Museum (London)
mya = millions of years ago
The following locations have been selected to represent a cross section of UK geology.
We only include locations suitable for public fossil collecting. The volume of finds may vary throughout the year.
Palaeogene - Quaternary 65 mya
Alum
Bay (Isle of Wight)Barton-on-Sea
(Hampshire)Bouldnor
(Isle of Wight)Bracklesham
Bay (West Sussex)Herne
Bay (Kent)Isle
of Sheppey (Kent)Walton-on-the-Naze
(Essex)Cretaceous 145-65 mya
Beachy Head
(East Sussex)Dover
(Kent)Durlston
Bay (Dorset)Fairlight
(East Sussex)Folkestone
(Kent)Hanover
Point (Isle of Wight)Hastings
(East Sussex)Hunstanton
(Norfolk)Lulworth
Cove (Dorset) Peacehaven
(East Sussex)Seaford
Head
(East Sussex)Seven
Sisters (East Sussex)Jurassic 200-145 mya
Bearreraig
Bay (Isle of Skye)Brora
river (Sutherland)Burton
Bradstock (Dorset)Chapman's
Pool (Dorset)Charmouth
(Dorset)Dunrobin
(Sutherland)Kimmeridge
(Dorset)Llantwit
Major (Glamorgan)Lyme
Regis (Dorset)Osmington
Mills (Dorset)Port
Mulgrave (Yorkshire)Quantoxhead
(Somerset)Seatown
(Dorset)Triassic and Permian 299-200 mya
Aust
(Avon)Blue
Anchor (Somerset)Carboniferous 359-299 mya
Crail
(Fife)East
Wemyss (Fife)Kingsbarns
(Fife)Whitehaven
(Cumbria)Silurian and Devonian 444-359 mya
Marloes
Sands (Pembrokeshire)Other fossil attractions
Family fossil hunts (National)
Natural History Museum (London)
mya = millions of years ago