Thorncombe Beacon fossils and fossil collecting |
Older Children Only
This location is suitable for family trips but not for young children, although you can find fossils on the foreshore, most have to be worked for. The foreshore is also very rocky. |
Easy Access
Accessibility is excellent, a car park practically sits on the beach with toilets and pub next to it. However it can be a difficult walk when the beach between Seatown and Thorncombe Beacon Cliff is built up with Pebbles. |
Foreshore, Cliffs This is a foreshore and cliff location, so fossils can be found in both. The vast majority of fossils are found in rocks on the foreshore or by smashing Dorset Junction Blocks. |
No Hammering Cliff
This site is part of the Jurassic World Heritage Coastline. Please follow the Fossil Code of Conduct. Access is permitted SSSI -
NO HAMMERING THE CLIFF
This is 'Private Land', Access for digging is strictly forbidden.
Damage has already been caused to this heritage site by people using power tools. This is strictly against SSSI rules and any attempt to ignore these rules may result in prosecution. |
Common sense when collecting at all locations should be taken and knowledge of tide times should always be noted. Care should be taken of tides at all locations and at Thorncombe Beacon, the tide often reaches the base of the cliff. It is easy to get cut off from the tide, once past the headland at Thorncombe at both ends, you cannot tell how high the sea is at Seatown beach. For this reason, please take note of tide times and return at the turn of tide. |
Thorncombe Beacon
Tide Times
UK Tidal data is owned by Crown Copyright, and therefore sadly we are not allowed to display tide times without paying expensive annual contracts. However we sell them via our store, including FREE POSTAGE
Click here to buy a tide table |
Accommodation
Higher Spence
Farm Cottage, beautiful location 3 miles Charmouth. Double and Family rooms En Suite.
Contact: Christine Nutkins
Tel: UK (01297) 560556
Tel: International +441297 560556 Address: Higher Spence, Wootton, Fitzpaine, Charmouth, Dorset.
Email: higherspence@eurolink.ltd.net Website: (Typing "Higher Spence into your search engine)
Dorset coastal cottages
We are a holiday agent for 120 carefully selected and inspected cottages within 10 miles of Dorset's spectacular World Heritage Coast and Path. All are old, many are beamy and thatched, most have open fires or logburners plus central heating. Rents include electricity, gas etc. and all linen/towels.
Rentable by the week or 3 day Short Break all year round!!
Please call: 0800 9804070 for a Brochure or visit our website on www.dorsetcoastalcottages.com
Jennifer Owens Direct:
01305 851033 jen.o@dorsetcoastalcottages.com
If you would like to advertise on this page, please 'contact us'.
£10/Year or 'FREE' for return links from accommodation website pages. |
| Last updated: |
2008 |
| last visited: |
2004 |
| Written by: |
Alister and Alison Cruickshanks |
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You need to look out for blocks of 'Dorset Junction Bed', for information on what these look like and how to spot them, look at our 'Fossil Collecting' page. Search the rocks around the foreshore, look out for the layered colours unique to the Junction Bed and smash these open with a heavy lump hammer, then fine split using normal splitting hammers. The are usually packed full of Ammonites, shells and many other finds.
Keep an eye on the surface of weathered rocks, most of the starfish are found simply in rocks around the foreshore. There is plenty of fossils to be found, so keep an eye open on all the rocks.
If you are lucky, sometimes Greensand can slip and be exposed on the foreshore. If the Greensand has recently slipped it can be in the soft form, until it later turns hard when it is exposed to air. Fossils shells can be found in this, and in its soft form is very easy to collect from....[more]
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Jurassic, 180-195mya |
The Dorset Junction Bed contains all of the North Yorkshire Geology in one Boulder. At Thorncombe Beacon mouth, the Thorncombe Beacon Clay forms the base of the cliff with the Thorncombe Beacon Nodule Bed running along from Thorncombe Beacon. Above this the Down Cliff Sands with the Starfish Bed lying between the two. Above this, the Thorncombe sands with the Junction Bed resting on its top. At West Cliff, West of Thorncombe Beacon Mouth, a major fault (the Fault Corner) marks the change in formation, here Frome Clay and Forest Marble are present with the Thorncombe formation missing. ...[more]
Eype Clay at Thorncombe Beacon
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You need to look for layered yellow rocks, split these open, or if they are too big, initially smash using lump hammers. They are normally full of fossils.
There is plenty of finds to be made. Starfish are commonly found, a wide species of ammonites, belemnites, crinoids, brachiopods, bivalves and gastropods and much more. It is best to search all the rocks rather than try and split everything you see....[more]
An ammonite from Thorncombe Beacon....[more]
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Thorncombe Beacon is a location where you have to work for your finds, take good strong heavy hammers to crack the Dorset Junction Bed rocks. Some people also take diamond cutting equipment to slice rocks that contain any starfish, although this is a little above the average collector....[more] |
Other Locations similar to Thorncombe Beacon
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Thorncombe Beacon is in a class of its own, the whole of the North Yorkshire Coast can be sumiarised in the rocks, technically most ammonites found in Yorkshire can be found here. The beds continue to Eype. If you enjoy this type of location, you could try nearby Osmington Mills.
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Stone Tumblers |
Microscopes |
Test Sieves for Microfossils |
If you are interested in fossil collecting, then you may also be interested in a stone tumbler (Lapidary). You can polish stones and rocks from the beach which
will look fantastic polished using a stone tumbler.
You can polish rough rock and beach glass whilst collecting fossils, on those days where you come back empty handed.
These are all high quality machines to give a professional finish to your samples. They can even be used for amber and fossils. |
At most locations, you can find microfossils. You only need a small sample of the sand. You then need to wash it in water and sieve using a test sieve. Once the sand is processed, you can then view the contents using a microscope.
We have a wide range of microscopes for sale, you will need a Stereomicroscope for viewing microfossils. The best one we sell is the IMXZ, but a basic microscope will be fine. Once you have found microfossils, you will need to store these microfossils.
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Test Sieves are used when searching for microfossils. Microfossils can be found in many locations, and all you need is a small amount of sample such as clays, sands and shales, or if you have acid, limestone, oolite or chalk.
Our UKGE Store sells Endecotts Test Sieves, which are the highest in accuracy and extremely durable and long lasting. These Test Sieves are fantastic for microfossils. Endecotts Test Sieves come in a variety of sizes, frame material and types, they are certificated to EU Standards. |
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Our International Rock
and Fossil Magazine |
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Thorncombe Beacon can be reached by following a narrow shore road just opposite the Castle Inn in Childeock. There is a small car park at Thorncombe, highly recommended. Thorncombe Beacon is on your left from the car park.
