North Yorkshire · Yorkshire and the North East coast
Fossil hunting at Port Mulgrave
A remote abandoned harbour below Jurassic shales, known for pyritised ammonites in nodules.
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 →
- BelemnitesBullet-shaped internal guards of squid-like Jurassic and Cretaceous animals.Identify →
- BivalvesFossil shellfish with two matching valves, common on most marine sites.Identify →
- JetFossilised monkey puzzle wood from the Yorkshire coast, black and very light.Identify →
- Fossilised woodDriftwood and tree remains replaced by minerals, sometimes as jet or lignite.Identify →
About the site
Port Mulgrave is the remains of a nineteenth-century ironstone harbour reached by a steep path down the cliff. The foreshore below exposes the Whitby Mudstone, and nodules on the beach commonly contain well-preserved ammonites, some pyritised.
It is a quiet, atmospheric site but a committing one: the descent is steep, the beach is remote and the tide covers it.
Planning a visit
- Geological period
- Early Jurassic (Whitby Mudstone Formation), around 183–174 million years old
- Difficulty
- Experienced
- Suitable for children
- Not recommended for young children at this site.
- Best time to go
- Low tide after winter storms.
- Tides
- The beach is cut off at high tide with a single steep escape route. Plan around low water.
- Access
- Steep, eroded cliff path with steps and slippery sections. Not suitable for children or limited mobility.
- Parking
- Limited roadside parking at Port Mulgrave village — park considerately.
- Walking and terrain
- About 500 m including a steep, rough descent of roughly 50 m.
- Location type
- Beach, Cliff
- Collecting
- Loose nodules from the foreshore. Do not dig into the cliffs.
Safety
- The cliff path is eroded and can be dangerous in wet weather.
- Rockfall from unstable shale cliffs.
- Tidal cut-off with limited escape — this is not a beginner's site.
What to bring
- Boots
- Tide table
- Hard hat
- A companion
Nearby fossil locations
- 01StaithesNorth Yorkshire · Yorkshire and the North East coastAmmonites · Belemnites · Bivalves · BrachiopodsModerateBeach, CliffExplore location →
- 02Runswick BayNorth Yorkshire · Yorkshire and the North East coastAmmonites · Belemnites · Bivalves · Fossilised woodEasyFamily friendlyBeach, CliffExplore location →
- 03WhitbyNorth Yorkshire · Yorkshire and the North East coastAmmonites · Belemnites · Jet · BivalvesEasyFamily friendlyBeach, CliffExplore location →