Best places to find fossils

A child's hands cup a collection of belemnites, bullet-shaped sandy-coloured fossils — Belemnite fossils can be found along the Jurassic Coast | © National Trust Images/Rob Coleman

Some of the coastal spots in our care are well known for their ancient finds, from ammonites to dinosaur bones. Discover the best places we look after in the UK to find fossils.

Birling Gap, East Sussex: Birling Gap, near Eastbourne, is part of the world-famous Seven Sisters chalk cliffs, one of the longest undeveloped stretches on the south coast. These cliffs, which are on the South Downs, are continually eroding, making it a top spot for finding fossils from the Cretaceous era.Visit Birling Gap

Compton Bay, Isle of Wight: Sometimes referred to as ‘Dinosaur Island’, the Isle of Wight is a rich source of fossils. Compton Bay is a good place to start your hunt, particularly at low tide. See what you can spot among the loose gravel and stones. Just east of Compton Bay car park at Hanover Point, there's a footprint cast of a three-toed iguanodon at the base of the cliffs.Visit Compton Bay
White Park Bay, County Antrim: Secluded and sandy, the beach here forms a white arc between two headlands on the North Antrim Coast. Faults, landslips and raised areas have revealed fossils such as belemnites, ammonites and gryphaea for visitors to find. Look out for Elephant Rock – said to be a woolly mammoth that tried to escape a volcanic eruption.Visit White Park Bay
Yorkshire Coast: Rocks from the Jurassic period are visible in the dramatic cliffs and bays on the Yorkshire Coast. Staithes, Runswick, Robin Hood’s Bay, Boggle Hole and Saltburn are all good places to go hunting for fossils.Visit the Yorkshire Coast

Two visitors walk along the coastal path at the White Cliffs of Dover, with the man carrying a young child on their back. They're wrapped up in winter coats and the ocean can be seen behind them in the background.

Coast and beaches

From wild cliffs and open seas to tranquil beaches and hidden coves, there are endless beautiful places along the coastline we look after to explore.

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Visitors on the beach at Compton Bay and Downs, Isle of Wight

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