Warnings for Fossil Hunters at Lyme Regis
The cliffs that surround the picturesque town of Lyme Regis in Dorset on England’s famous “Jurassic Coast” are very treacherous. Rockfalls and landslips are a relatively common occurrence and team members at Everything Dinosaur, have done much to help inform and to warn visitors to the area of the potential hazards. Fossil collecting or simply exploring the beaches can be a lot of fun, but the recent cliff fortification and shore stability measures put in place by the local council will not solve the problem of the unstable geology of the area.
Fresh Rockfalls
The cliffs are composed of relatively loose sediment, that when saturated after heavy rain or somewhat dried out after a prolonged spell without too much precipitation, are prone to rockfalls. It is always advisable to stay well away from the base of the cliffs, fossil collecting on a falling tide helps, as this gives an increasing distance between the sea and the cliffs.
Dangerous Cliffs at Lyme Regis
Good idea to go fossil collecting on a falling tide and to keep away from the steep cliffs. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
Recently, we were sent some photographs by Lyme Regis fossil expert, Brandon Lennon. The photographs showed fresh rockfalls that had taken place on Monmouth beach (to the west of Lyme Regis). Brandon explained that he had observed a number of cliff falls this year and that he expected more to occur as the autumn weather sets in. This particular rockfall had occurred on that area of the beach famous for its extensive ammonite and nautiloid fossils preserved within the blue lias limestones – an area known as the “Ammonite Pavement” or the “Ammonite Graveyard”.
Recent Rockfall at Monmouth Beach
Rockfall onto the Ammonite Pavement on Monmouth Beach.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
A supervised, fossil collecting walk is one of the best ways to explore the beaches around Lyme Regis, for further information on such tours: Fossil Walks in the Lyme Regis Area.
Perhaps if you are lucky enough to go on a field trip with Brandon to Monmouth beach, you might be able to hear the theories that have been proposed to help explain why so many large ammonite fossils are found together at this spot.
Everything Dinosaur was sent a beautiful piece of fossilised wood from nearby Portland. The specimen still had the bark preserved on it and when polished in section, growth rings could still be made out. We think that the fossil represents an Araucaria spp. (monkey puzzle tree). This fossilised wood dates from the Upper Jurassic. Fossil wood can occasionally be found on the beaches of Lyme Regis and nearby Charmouth, but this is usually much older dating mainly from the Lower Jurassic.
A Polished Section of Fossilised Wood
A polished section of fossilised wood. Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur.
Picture credit: Everything Dinosaur
Remember if fossil collecting, be careful out there.
For replicas of iconic animals from the “Dorset Coast”: Models of Fossils and Learning Materials.
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