The Jurassic Coast: Fossil Hunting Without the Fuss

Mary Anning found the first complete ichthyosaur skeleton in the shale cliffs above Black Ven, east of Lyme Regis, in 1811-1812. She was 12 years old. The fossils she collected and sold built her scientific reputation and contributed directly to several foundational debates in 19th-century palaeontology, while the scientific establishment of the time largely failed to credit her. There is now a statue of her in Lyme Regis and her work is much better documented and recognised – but visiting the beach where she worked, finding ammonites after a storm, still carries a specific weight if you know the history.

The Jurassic Coast runs 155 kilometres from Exmouth in Devon to Studland Bay in Dorset, its cliff faces exposing 185 million years of geological time as a continuous sequence. The eastern end near Charmouth and Lyme Regis exposes Jurassic shales. The western Dorset end has Cretaceous chalk, Portland limestone, and the architecturally dramatic formations. You can walk the full length in 5-7 days on the South West Coast Path, or pick sections. Lyme Regis is the base for fossil hunting; Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove are the day trips.

Fossil Hunting

Fossils wash out of the cliffs above Black Ven after storms and rain. Go at low tide, scan the base of the cliffs and the large shale boulders that fall from them, and look for ammonites (coiled cephalopods) and belemnites (elongated cylindrical fragments). Bring a small geological hammer if you’re serious – the shale boulders are the most productive source. The beach is accessible from Lyme Regis harbour.

The Lyme Regis Museum (£6.50 entry, formerly Dinosaur Land) has excellent specimens and genuine context for what you’re looking at on the beach.

Fossil dealers on Coombe Street in Lyme Regis sell specimens ranging from small ammonites at £5-15 to commercial-quality ichthyosaur pieces for hundreds of pounds. The street shops are more reputable than the market stalls.

Key Sites

Durdle Door is the limestone arch west of Lulworth, accessible via a 15-minute cliff-top walk from the Durdle Door Holiday Park car park (£6 to park). The arch is not legally swimmable beneath – landslip risk is genuine – but the adjacent beaches are open. Extremely crowded on summer weekends; arrive before 9am or after 5pm.

Lulworth Cove is 10 minutes east of Durdle Door and has better swimming. The circular cove formed where hard Portland limestone created a nearly enclosed harbour; the visitor centre has unusually good free geological interpretation of what you’re seeing.

Kimmeridge Bay is less visited and has excellent rock pooling at low tide, with Jurassic shale ledges containing visible ammonites in situ. The Purbeck Marine Wildlife Reserve runs snorkelling and rock pool tours (around £15 per person).

Portland Bill at the tip of the Portland peninsula has dramatic cliff geology and some of the best bird migration watching on the south coast in September and October.

Staying and Getting There

Lyme Regis has a good range of B&Bs at £80-120 per night in season. The Alexandra Hotel above the town has sea views and a good restaurant.

Lyme Regis is not on the rail network; the nearest station is Axminster (6 kilometres), served from London Waterloo (about 2.5 hours). A car is genuinely useful for moving between sites. The South West Coast Path sections between Lyme Regis, Charmouth, and West Bay are among the more rewarding short walks on the route.