Fossil hunting on the Jurassic Coast is one of the genuinely surprising things you can do on a Devon holiday. With a couple of hours, almost no equipment and a small amount of practical knowledge, you can pick up a 195-million-year-old ammonite from the shoreline and take it home — legally, with no special permission. This is the beginner's guide.

Why the Jurassic Coast is the world's most famous fossil hunting site

The Jurassic Coast is the 95-mile stretch of coastline from Exmouth in East Devon to Old Harry Rocks in Dorset. It was designated England's first natural UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001 because of its geology — the cliffs along this coast expose a continuous sequence of rocks spanning 185 million years of Earth's history, from the Triassic at Exmouth to the Cretaceous at Old Harry.

The fossil-rich layers — mostly Lower Jurassic, around 195 million years old — are exposed in cliffs at Charmouth and Lyme Regis on the Dorset side of the border. Constant erosion by the sea releases new fossils every winter. By the time most have been spotted by visitors, hundreds will have been quietly washed back into the bay. It is genuinely impossible to "use up" a fossil-hunting beach.

Where to go

The two best fossil-hunting beaches are both about 25 minutes' drive from Hole Mill:

Charmouth Beach (the best for beginners)

The most beginner-friendly fossil beach on the entire coast. Easy parking, a sand-and-shingle beach, lots of fossils, gentle slopes onto the foreshore, and the brilliant Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre with free expert advice and an excellent guided walk programme. Most of the fossils you find here are ammonites (curled cephalopod shells) and belemnites (cigar-shaped, looks like a stone bullet) — both genuinely 195 million years old.

Lyme Regis (Monmouth Beach)

West of the Cobb at Lyme Regis. The famous Ammonite Pavement is here — fossilised ammonites lying flat in the rock at sea level, only accessible at low tide. Larger and more dramatic ammonites are found here than at Charmouth, but the beach is rockier and harder to walk; better for slightly more experienced hunters. Free, but check tides — Monmouth Beach is only safe a few hours either side of low water.

What you can find

The most common finds for beginners:

  • Ammonites: spiral-shelled cephalopods (think a curled-up snail). The most iconic Jurassic Coast fossil. You will probably find at least one.
  • Belemnites: the internal skeletons of squid-like creatures. Cigar-shaped, smooth, often dark grey. Very common.
  • Pyritised wood: ancient driftwood replaced by gold-coloured iron pyrites. Looks like a small piece of golden coral.
  • Crinoid stems: circular discs that look like fossilised polo mints — the segments of stalked sea lilies.
  • Shark teeth and fish vertebrae: rarer, but turn up regularly. Black, glossy, often only a few millimetres long.

You will not find dinosaurs at Charmouth or Lyme Regis (or, almost certainly, anywhere else in your fossil-hunting career). What you will find is small, beautiful evidence of a tropical sea that covered this part of the world 195 million years ago.

What you can legally take home

The rule, simply stated: anything that has already washed out of the cliffs and is loose on the beach below the high-water mark is yours to take. You do not need a permit. You do not need to ask anyone.

What you cannot do:

  • Hammer fossils out of the cliff. This is dangerous (the cliffs are unstable) and damages the geological record. It is also discouraged by the local fossil collecting code.
  • Dig into the foreshore with tools unless you know what you are doing.
  • Take large or scientifically important specimens without informing the Heritage Centre. The voluntary Code of Conduct asks finders of significant specimens to report them; in practice, almost nothing a beginner finds will fall into this category.
  • Take fossils from designated SSSI areas without permission.

In practice, for beginners walking the foreshore at Charmouth or Lyme Regis at low tide, picking up small loose fossils is entirely lawful and encouraged.

When to go

The single most important factor is the tide. You want to arrive about two hours before low water, hunt for the two hours either side of low water, and leave before the tide comes back. Check tide times at BBC Tide Tables for Lyme Regis or Charmouth — they are essentially identical for both beaches.

The best time of year is late winter and early spring (January-April), after winter storms have eroded fresh material out of the cliffs. The week after a big storm is one of the most productive times. Summer is busier and the foreshore has been picked over more thoroughly.

What to bring

  • Sturdy footwear. The shingle is loose and the rocks are slippery.
  • Waterproofs. It is the British coast.
  • A small bag to carry your finds. A used plastic shopping bag is fine; an old sock for protecting fragile pieces is even better.
  • A piece of paper and a pen to record where you found anything notable.
  • A field guide if you are keen — _Fossils of the Jurassic Coast_ by Steve Etches is the standard.

You do not need a hammer, chisel, or specialist tools. Beginners using these tend to break what they find.

The guided walk option

If it is your first time, book a guided fossil walk. They are excellent value, run by experienced local fossil hunters, last about two hours, cost around £10-£15 per adult, and dramatically improve your chances of finding something. The two operators we recommend:

  • Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre: runs guided walks daily in season. Family-friendly, brilliantly led. Book at charmouth.org.
  • Lyme Regis Museum: runs walks year-round; check current programme at lymeregismuseum.co.uk.

Safety

  • The cliffs are dangerous. They are actively eroding and rockfalls are common. Stay at least 10 metres from the base of the cliff.
  • Watch the tide. Both Charmouth and Monmouth Beach have sections that are cut off as the tide rises. Know your route back.
  • Do not climb the cliffs. They are unstable. Several people are killed on this coast every decade by cliff falls.
  • Wear sun cream. Even on overcast days the reflection off the foreshore is significant.

When you get home

Wash the fossils gently with a soft toothbrush and warm soapy water. Air-dry. Many fossils benefit from a thin coat of clear PVA (white craft glue) diluted with water — this stabilises pyrite-rich pieces that can otherwise crumble after a few months. Display them somewhere dry; pyrite specimens slowly oxidise in damp conditions.

Combining a fossil hunt with the rest of your day

Lyme Regis is 25 minutes from Hole Mill; Charmouth is 30 minutes. A typical fossil-hunting day looks like this:

  • 9 am: drive to Charmouth.
  • 10 am - 12 pm: join a guided walk at low tide.
  • 12.30 pm: lunch at the Heritage Coast Centre café or at The Anchor Inn in nearby Seatown.
  • 2 pm: drive 15 minutes to Lyme Regis for the Cobb and the Lyme Regis Museum.
  • 5 pm: back to Hole Mill in time for the hot tub.

A genuinely brilliant Devon day.

Fossil hunting is one of the genuinely unique things you can do from Hole Mill — a 195-million-year experience, available to anyone with two hours and a tide table. Check our availability for your dates, or read our other Jurassic Coast guides.