10 best places to go fossil hunting in the UK

The UK has some of the world's most accessible fossil-hunting coastlines, where eroding cliffs and beaches expose material laid down over hundreds of millions of years. From ammonites and belemnites on the Jurassic Coast to shark teeth in Essex and Kent and dinosaur remains on the Isle of Wight, there are sites across England and Wales suited to beginners, families and experienced collectors.

The best places to look are generally coastal, because erosion continually renews the supply. Fossils are usually found loose on the beach, particularly after tides and storms have shifted the sediment. If you are planning a trip, these ten locations are worth putting on the list.

• Lyme Regis and Charmouth, Dorset — ammonites, belemnites, marine fossils
• Walton-on-the-Naze, Essex — shark teeth, shells, fossil wood
• Compton Bay and the Isle of Wight — dinosaur bone, teeth, footprint casts, fossil wood
• Warden Point, Isle of Sheppey, Kent — shark teeth, fish remains, molluscs
• Herne Bay to Reculver, Kent — shark teeth and Eocene shells
• Hunstanton, Norfolk — ammonites, belemnites, brachiopods, bivalves
• Whitby and the North Yorkshire coast — ammonites, belemnites, jet
• Seatown and Ringstead Bay, Dorset — ammonites, belemnites, crinoids, molluscs
• Birling Gap, East Sussex — Cretaceous chalk and fossiliferous flint
• Filey Brigg, Port Mulgrave and Saltburn — Jurassic ammonites and belemnites

Best for ammonites, belemnites and Jurassic marine fossils. Lyme Regis and neighbouring Charmouth are the best-known fossil towns in Britain and form part of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site.

The Lower Jurassic rocks here record an ancient sea floor. Beachcombers find ammonites, belemnites, fossil shells and other marine fossils, and rarer discoveries have included the remains of marine reptiles such as ichthyosaurs. Erosion keeps the shingle restocked, which is why this stretch stays productive year after year.

For a first visit, search loose material on the beach rather than attempting to work the cliffs. They are unstable and rockfalls happen without warning. The Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre sits on the beach and will identify what you find.

Best for shark teeth and Eocene material. The Naze exposes London Clay overlain by the Red Crag, and produces fossilised shark teeth, shells, plant remains and fossil wood within a short walk of the car park.

It is also a good place to understand how coastal erosion feeds fossil hunting: as the cliff retreats, buried material works its way down onto the beach. Concentrate on the loose shingle rather than approaching the cliff face, which is soft and undercut.

Best for dinosaur fossils, footprint casts and fossilised wood. The island is the most productive place in Britain for dinosaur remains, and its south-west coast around Compton Bay and Hanover Point is the classic ground.

Fossil hunters may find dinosaur bone, teeth and fossilised wood among loose beach material, and three-toed footprint casts are visible on the foreshore at low tide. Other parts of the island expose entirely different environments, so the geology repays a longer stay.

Search freshly exposed loose material rather than digging into the cliffs — the National Trust specifically advises against hammering here because of cliff instability.

Best for shark teeth and Eocene fossils. Sheppey's London Clay is famous among collectors for fossilised shark teeth, fish remains, molluscs and pyritised material representing life in a warm Eocene sea.

As elsewhere, erosion does the work. Look carefully among loose beach material on a falling tide and keep well away from the soft, slipping cliffs.

Best for shark teeth and Eocene shells. This stretch of the north Kent coast is the most accessible serious fossil ground for anyone travelling from London.

Shark teeth here are often small, so the work is in examining gravel and pebbles patiently rather than scanning for large specimens. Slowing down and inspecting individual stones makes a substantial difference to what you take home.

Best for ammonites, belemnites and marine fossils. Hunstanton is known for its striped cliffs of white chalk over red chalk, which are worth the trip on their own.

The beach can produce ammonites, belemnites, brachiopods, bivalves and fossil sponges. Look among loose material for distinctive shapes and textures, keep clear of the cliff base and check the tide before setting out.

Best for Jurassic ammonites and belemnites. The North Yorkshire coast is Britain's other great fossil coastline, with Lower Jurassic shales running from Staithes down to Filey.

Whitby is particularly associated with ammonites and with jet, the fossilised wood worked in the town for centuries. Robin Hood's Bay opens vast rock scars at low tide, and Runswick Bay is sheltered, sandy and full of nodules.

Because the sites sit within an hour of each other, a weekend can easily take in several beaches rather than one.

Best for ammonites, belemnites and Jurassic fossils away from the crowds. The Dorset coast holds far more than Lyme Regis and Charmouth.

Seatown lies below Golden Cap and produces ammonites, belemnites and bivalves with far fewer people searching. Ringstead Bay exposes Upper Jurassic beds and a different fossil assemblage again. Conditions change along the coast, which makes Dorset a good region for a multi-site trip.

Best for Cretaceous fossils and fossiliferous flint. Birling Gap forms part of the Seven Sisters, where chalk cliffs are eroding continually and exposing material from the Cretaceous sea floor.

Chalk and flint make for a slightly different search: not every odd-looking stone is a fossil, and learning the common shapes — sea urchins, sponges, shell casts — makes the beach far more productive.

Stay well clear of the chalk cliffs. This coastline is actively eroding and cliff falls occur.

Best for Jurassic fossils on the wider Yorkshire and North East coast. Filey Brigg is a long rock promontory with Jurassic beds exposed at low water; Port Mulgrave is a quieter walk-in site known for ammonite nodules; Saltburn offers easy access and a broad beach.

Rather than fixing on one particular fossil, take time over loose stones and freshly exposed material. Different beaches along this coast produce different types and sizes depending on the local geology.

There is no single best site for every fossil hunter. The right choice depends on what you want to find.

• Dinosaur fossils — the Isle of Wight
• Ammonites — the Jurassic Coast and North Yorkshire
• Belemnites — the Jurassic Coast and Yorkshire
• Shark teeth — Essex and Kent
• Jurassic marine fossils — Dorset and North Yorkshire
• Family trips — beaches with easy access and facilities such as Charmouth, Runswick Bay and Hunstanton
• Beginners — well-known beaches where fossils are found loose on the foreshore

Choosing by fossil type is usually more useful than looking for one best beach.

Fossil hunting works throughout the year, but tide state and recent erosion matter far more than the season. Low water exposes ground that has just been under the sea, and storms move sediment and deliver new material.

• Check the tide times for the specific beach
• Allow plenty of time to return before the tide rises
• Check the weather forecast
• Look for local access or collecting restrictions
• Stay away from unstable cliffs
• Search loose beach material rather than digging into cliffs

Coastal fossil hunting carries genuine hazards. Never climb unstable cliffs or stand directly beneath them; they can collapse without warning.

• Never let an incoming tide cut off your route back
• Be especially cautious after storms or heavy rain
• Wear footwear with real grip — wet rock and weed cause most injuries
• Check local collecting rules before removing anything
• Leave significant or unusual specimens in place and report them

Our guide to beach fossil hunting safety covers tide planning, cliffs, weather and the equipment worth carrying.

You do not have to cross the country to start. Fossil-bearing coastlines run through Dorset, Devon, Somerset, Sussex, Kent, Essex, Suffolk, Norfolk, Yorkshire, the North East and Wales.

Use the UK map to explore by region, browse by fossil type, or search for a town. If you are after one particular fossil, start with the fossil and work back to the locations where it has been recorded.

Where can I find ammonites in the UK? Chiefly along the Jurassic Coast in Dorset and on the North Yorkshire coast, with Somerset and the Glamorgan coast as quieter alternatives.

Where can I find dinosaur fossils in the UK? The Isle of Wight, particularly Compton Bay and Brook Bay, where bone, teeth and footprint casts occur.

Where can I find shark teeth in the UK? Walton-on-the-Naze in Essex and the north Kent coast at Herne Bay and Sheppey are the most reliable, with Bracklesham Bay in Sussex and Barton in Hampshire close behind.

Can you take fossils home from UK beaches? Usually yes for loose material on a public foreshore, but rules vary by site and some areas operate formal collecting codes. Check locally, and report anything significant to a museum.

What should I take? Boots with grip, a tide table, waterproofs, a bag and something to wrap fragile finds. Specialist equipment is not needed to start.