Vale of Glamorgan · Wales
Fossil hunting at Llantwit Major
Lias limestone ledges and shingle on the Glamorgan coast, with ammonites and bivalves.
Representative photography of this stretch of coast, not a photograph of the site on a particular day.
What can you find?
- AmmonitesCoiled shells of extinct marine molluscs, the classic British fossil.Identify →
- BivalvesFossil shellfish with two matching valves, common on most marine sites.Identify →
- BrachiopodsTwo-shelled marine animals, abundant in limestone and chalk.Identify →
- CrinoidsSea lilies, usually found as circular stem segments in limestone.Identify →
About the site
Llantwit Major beach exposes the same Blue Lias sequence as Dunraven, with flat limestone ledges running out to sea. Ammonites and bivalves are found in loose blocks and shingle, and the bedded cliffs are impressive.
The beach is popular with walkers and surfers and has a car park and café, making it an easy stop on the Glamorgan coast.
Planning a visit
- Geological period
- Early Jurassic (Blue Lias), around 200–195 million years old
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Suitable for children
- Yes, with supervision and attention to the tide and cliffs.
- Best time to go
- Low tide after storms.
- Tides
- Large tidal range; the ledges flood quickly. Work a falling tide.
- Access
- Car park close to the beach; the foreshore is pebble and rock.
- Parking
- Pay and display car park at Llantwit Major beach (Cwm Col-huw).
- Walking and terrain
- Short walk from car park to beach.
- Location type
- Beach, Cliff
- Collecting
- Loose material only; do not hammer the cliffs.
Safety
- Rockfall from bedded cliffs.
- Fast incoming tide over flat ledges.
- Slippery rock.
What to bring
- Boots
- Tide table
- Bag
Nearby fossil locations
- 01Dunraven Bay, SoutherndownVale of Glamorgan · WalesAmmonites · Bivalves · Brachiopods · BelemnitesEasyFamily friendlyBeach, Cliff, Geological siteExplore location →
- 02PenarthVale of Glamorgan · WalesBivalves · Shark teeth · Ammonites · BrachiopodsModerateFamily friendlyBeach, Cliff, Geological siteExplore location →