Chippel Bay fossils and fossil collecting
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Medium
Chippel Bay, famous for its highly fossilferious cliffs but unlike Charmouth and Lyme Regis, relies more on the right tidal and beach conditions.
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Suitable for children
Recommended for children , they can sit on the beach, or walk along the foreshore and pick up ammonites etc. |
Very Good Access
The car park is very close by and has toilets, cafe, Excellent for children and families. |
Cliff and Foreshore
Fossils are mostly found on the foreshore but can also be found at the bottom of scree slopes, slippages and occasionally the cliff. Please note that hammering the cliff is not permitted since Chippel Bay is part of the Jurassic Heritage Coastline. You are far more likely to find fossils from the foreshore. |
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
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 the tide times should always be noted. Care should be especially taken at Chippel Bay headlands, the sea will reaches tghis head at high tide, if you venture past this point, return in good time. Care must also be taken of falling rocks, these are frequent due to the alternating Hard Limestone and Shale of the Blue Lias. |
Chippel Bay
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
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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: |
2008 |
| Written by: |
Alister and Alison Cruickshanks |
 
Geological Tools
Collecting from the soft clays would be best done with a knife / pick and small spade. Collecting via splitting rocks especially nodules would ideally need a good hammer and possibly chisels .Please DO NOT dig in the cliff both for safety reasons and because you have a much greater chance of finding fossils on the foreshore. ...[more]
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Locations similar to Chippel Bay
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There are many locations in the UK which can be seen to be similar to Chippel bay. apart from those in the nearby proximity such as Lyme Regis , Seatown (Golden Cap), Thorncombe Beacon and Charmouth,
in South Wales, you can also try Llantwit Major, and Lavernock. There are plenty of good locations along the Yorkshire Coast too, such as Staithes, Saltwick Bay, Port Mulgrave, Kettleness, Whitby, Ravenscar, Runswick Bay, Sandsend, and many more. In Somerset there are also many locations such as Watchet, Quantoxhead, Kilve, Doniford Bay, St Audries Bay, Lilstock, and Hinkley Point.
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Fossils are mostly found during scouring conditions, high tides, cliff falls or after intense heavy rainfall. Most of the fossils are found on the foreshore exposed in a scoured platform. You should search these clay ledges and keep an eye open for bones.
Harder Boulders and Limestones can contain Ammonites , traces of these along with larger broken pieces can be seen all over the beach. Although these are highly sought after, if you are at the right place and the right time, you could find a complete specimen. They fall from the beds higher in the cliff. Some fossils can be found at the base of the cliff in the scree slopes and fallen clay, fish remains are quite common from the shale here but it is best to search the scree...[more]
Searching the foreshore for fossils at Chippel Bay
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Jurassic, 200mya |
The Blue Lias at Chippel Bay are an excellent chance to view the full succession. The upper Blue Lias beds from the Brick Ledge to the Table Ledge are not exposed at the centre of Chippel Bay, these are further inland, only beds H1-H9 are exposed due to the large landslide. Below the table ledge, the fish bed follows approximately 6 bands of Limestone), below this the Glass Bottle bed can be seen only during extreme scouring.
Shales with Beef and the Black Ven Marls can also be seen above the Blue Lias. The Gault is mostly covered up.
The beach is also littered with Cretaceous with the Albian, Upper Greensand. Blocks of Chert can be seen as in the photo above, these blocks contain trace fossils, worm tubes and a range of other worn fossils. The Cretaceous continues at Pinhay with the Upper, Middle and Lower Chalk above the Lias. If you look at the beach, it seems impossible to work out where these blocks have come from, there appears to be no such beds in the cliffs themselves, and it would be impossible for them to be exposed below the Lias at the foreshore. Instead these blocks have come from a massive landslip inland. The Lias cliffs have actually slipped and the Cretaceous beds which would normally be lying on top of the Lias are not present. The Cliffs are much higher inland...[more]
Geologial Succession of Chippel Bay
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Bones of Ichthyosaurus and other reptiles can be found along the foreshore. These are fairly rare and beach scouring is often needed. The bed is beneath beach level, so these will not be found by directly digging into the cliffs. The hard limestone from the Blue Lias contains many Ammonites and very large complete nautilus, Ammonites and nautilus here can reach over 0.5m in diameter. Some of the largest best Blue Lias finds have come from Chippel Bay. The bed is extremely hard and a cliff fall is required. Traces and worn parts of Ammonites scatter the beach, (Psiloceras and Coroniceras).Within the Limestone, Brachiopods of Calcirhynchia calcarea and Gryphaea arcuata are found.
From the centre of Chippel Bay up to Pinhay Bay, the fish shale bed is well exposed at the base. There are several beds with fish remains in, however only one of these beds contains whole fish. Most of the shale here is packed with fish scales. The bed can be difficult to find due to the rapid change in beach conditions. Flat Ammonites and shells can also be found. Occasional lumps of Chert can be seen, these contain various fossils and trace fossils including worn tubes.
Ichthyosaurus Vertebrae
Ammonite from Chippel Bay
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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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Drive through Lyme Regis (From Charmouth). You will climb a very steep hill as you exit the town centre, this hill will also veer left. 
