Exploring England #4
Like many people, we visited Dorset’s spectacular Jurassic Coast for one reason. Well-trod paths over dramatic cliffs lead to pretty coastal villages but we weren’t looking up. With heads down and eyes on the ground we had one goal – to find fossils.
The 154 km stretch of coast between Exmouth and Studland Bay is a UNESCO World Heritage area, with geology spanning the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods. Millions of ancient creatures and plants are preserved in the sedimentary layers of the cliffs, waiting to be revealed when the cliffs crumble away during wild weather.
At the Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre we saw huge ammonites dating from the Jurassic Period. With high hopes we joined the crowds on Charmouth beach and, although we found many tiny treasures, there were no 185 million year old fossils lying around waiting to be discovered.
Continuing our search, we travelled west to Lyme Regis, a very busy town with very narrow streets. Avoiding the congestion and costly parking, we left the car at Charmouth Road car park. From the top of the cliffs it was a gentle downhill walk to the foreshore where a wide wall, built to protect the cliffs from erosion by the sea, doubles as a walking route into town. It was only 400 metres but we took our time, enjoying wonderful views of the English Channel, the Jurassic limestone cliffs and the stony beach connecting Charmouth and Lyme Regis .
Evidence of fossils was everywhere in Lyme Regis.
The Lyme Regis Museum houses a vast collection. Some fossils were collected by Mary Anning, who made her living finding and selling them in the first half of the 19th century, while others have been found by modern enthusiasts. Along with more beautiful ammonites, there were fossilised plesiosaurs and ichthyosaurs, sea creatures whose descendants include whales and dolphins.
Fossils are still sold in Lyme Regis but we didn’t want to find our first fossil in a shop. The best way to achieve our aim was to join one of the museum’s guided walks, led by paleontologists Chris, Paddy and Tom.
We met the our group outside the museum and, after a short explanation about the geology of the coast, our guides led the way to the beach, where early morning wanderers were already scouring the shore.
Paddy showed us how to look for signs of fossils in the stones and demonstrated safe techniques for breaking them apart.
Armed with a little knowledge and much anticipation the group spread out, and before long fossils were turning up everywhere.
Our guides made sure everyone ended the walk with a handful of history. Ours included a tiny ammonite encased in mudstone and two belemnites, distant relatives of today’s cuttlefish.
With our goal accomplished and our walk completed, our perspective changed. It was time to look at more than just the beach!
See more walks all around the world at Jo’s Monday Walks.
Lyme Regis Museum is currently closed for refurbishment but daily fossil walks are still taking place. Check the timetable for costs, dates and times.
Looks absolutely fascinating. What a great way to spend a day.
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It was wonderful. We’ve seen many television programs featuring the Jurassic Coast and we were excited to finally go there. The fossil walk was a real treat.
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It’s a bit of a sombre landscape, isn’t it, Carole? I don’t think I’ve ever seen it in sunshine. It’s all French Lieutenant’s Woman 🙂 🙂 But those fossils are incredible. Thanks so much for sharing. You did make the most of your trip, didn’t you? How’s your daughter settling in? Hope she’s enjoying it.
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Every other day we were in Dorset was glorious, Jo. This was the only cold, damp day but our walk was already booked so off we went regardless. Just wait until you see my next couple of posts with beautiful sunshine.
Melissa arrived in Vancouver the Wednesday before last, drove to Kelowna on Saturday and moved into her new accommodation, and by Wednesday she had a job. She’ll be working in a restaurant and starts this week. Her photos of the Rockies and all the snow are amazing.
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Glad it’s going well. The scenery is spectacular. You’ll be planning to visit her… saving up?
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Maybe, but not next year. We’re planning a couple of caravan trips.
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I’m sorry- I’ve taken to adding an e to your name. Not sure how or why. I know several Carols, most with an e. Apologies 🙂
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That’s okay. You’re not the only one! It’s quite common. At work I get called Cheryl often. At least you had the right name. 🙂 🙂
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How wonderful! I have never been to Charmouth or gone fossil hunting – your photos look amazing. I have been to Lyme Regis though and love it. I’m thinking that another Dorset holiday may be on the cards.
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Jude, you should go. It’s not that far for you and it is so beautiful. We loved Lyme Regis too, but the first time we went we took the car all the way down Church St and then paid a small fortune for parking. It was a nightmare. We learned that lesson and started looking for park and rides everywhere. So much easier.
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I wasn’t aware of a park ‘n ride at LR – we park at the top of Hill Road. Steep hill walk on exiting car park.
However, this is the nicest route to town and the seaside as you can go along by the river and visit the interesting shops tucked away!
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The Charmouth Road car park is on the left at the top of the hill before it becomes Church Road.
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I shall bear that in mind if we return.
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There is also one further away before you get to town, up at the top of the hill. It’s in a farmer’s field. We liked this one because we could walk on the sea wall.
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Beautiful coastline. A little sunshine and I would be thinking of visiting England. Your photos are great and finding fossils sounds exciting. Thanks for sharing more about England.
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This was one of our few overcast days. We were in England for five weeks and only had two heavy downpours of rain. We like to go in September because we usually get great weather.
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What a wonderful way to see a bit of the coastline and find out a bit about the science and art of paleontology – I’d just bet there are some fabulous finds waiting for the right bit of cliff to crumble into the sea!
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It’s hard to believe there could be anything left but according to the experts there is still more buried. After a big storm is the best time to go fossil hunting apparently.
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What a fascinating walk! I’m sure it must be really great to find some fossils for yourself.
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It was exciting and I can only imagine what it would be like to find a really big one.
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Aren’t fossils pure magic?
Have you read Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier? It is set in the area near Lyme Regis. http://www.tchevalier.com/remarkablecreatures/
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I looked it up and bought it on my Kindle. It is the story of Mary Anning. Even though she was acclaimed for her remarkable knowledge and collection, she was refused entry to the scientific organisations of the time because she was a woman. Thanks for recommending the book. I’m looking forward to reading it.
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What wonderful photos you got! It’s amazing what we can see from fossils. I wonder what they’ll find in 1000 years time from the present time?
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And I wonder if they’ll have to guess what it might have been used for, or will all our information still be recorded.
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Love all those pictures! The rock that looks like veins and arteries running in a kidney is oddly enough my favorite!
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All the white parts are indications that something exciting might be inside.
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Very interesting. It’s amazing that fossils are still turning up after x 100 years of y millions of people searching for them, isn’t it. Let’s hope the area gives fossil hunters many more years of fun.
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I thought that too. They said there are millions more still hidden underground. I suppose one day they will run out.
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Amazing seems like the right word for this adventure. I also love those wide walkways near the water and the light posts. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
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The light posts were lovely. They went right along the seafront.
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Oh, you took us back down memory lane! We visited Lyme Regis 23 years ago and found so many fossils on the beach we had to carefully choose only a few to take home on the plane. What treasures and what a wonderful place!
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How lucky were you. They weren’t plentiful the day we were there. We heard the best days are in the middle of winter after a storm. Brrrr!
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What an amazing place. An absolutely beautiful and interesting way to spend a day (and at the beach no-less!) 😀
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It might have been at the beach Dianne, but we wouldn’t have considered swimming. The water was freezing. There were some hardy souls in the water, but with my weak QLD constitution I just wouldn’t consider it.
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Lyme Regis…sounds like something movie stars would name their kid. Never heard of this place! So thanks for the intro! Were you wearing thongs, or was it too cold? I love that old brick building, and I would LOVE to have one of those nautilus shells. Oh wait, I do, it’s inside a rock and comes from…get this…the mountains above Katmandu!!
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Lucky you! That’s very exotic. It was way too cold that day to be wearing thongs and later it poured rain on us so I would have been squelching along in thongs. They are not made for walking in the rain. That old brick building is the museum…careful, you might enter by mistake. It was actually very good and not too large. Even I managed to read almost everything! Of course, Mr ET took much longer than I did. Free wifi to the rescue again!
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HA! exotic, indeed. you gotta be careful wearing thongs, especially in the rain and cold. I might just go in a tiny museum!!
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Tiny is good!
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Great to know there are places one can still spend hours looking for fossils. Terrific post. Love your finds and the description and pgotos of the ehole process! What a fun read.
Peta
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I’m glad you enjoyed our walk. It was one of my favourite days in England.
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Oops excuse the typos. This thing has a life of its own and switches things up.
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Predictive text has a lot to answer for 🙂
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Pingback: Jo’s Monday walk : Querenca to Fonte de Benemola | restlessjo
Thought your shot of the cliff shrouded in cloud but the beach crowded fossil hunters was so very English – love it!
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Thank you Becky. Never let the weather get in the way of a walk!
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ah yes . . . .have to admit I am being very un-English today and letting it get in the way this morning in the hope we might have sunshine by this afternoon!
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I just saw on the world weather forecast it’s 2 to 4 degrees C in London. Yuk! Here, it’s been a gorgeous 29 C today. Perfect summer weather.
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A wonderful post. We were just beginning to explore geology in Australia – western Victoria and south coast of NSW – when a year in Warsaw intervened. Good to be reminded of pleasures in store on our return: nothing like the part of the world you showed so beautifully, but we did find ripples fossilised in a cutting near home.
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Thank you. This area is so pretty but we do have some wonderful landscapes in Australia too. The area my family comes from is famous for its wonderful petrified wood.
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Where is that?
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Chinchilla, in western Queensland
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I am glad that You showed these photos, they are great. Totally unknown to me.
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I’m happy to share something new with you and pleased you enjoyed it. The Jurassic Coast is well worth a visit.
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What a wonderful experience the fossil hunting must have been. I was in Lyme Regis for the afternoon many years ago but at that time had no idea about it’s fossil connections. Somewhere else for my list…
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It was such a fun day. We spent four days here but a week would be even better.
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Fascinating. I am also amazed that with such a number of fossil hunters that the area hasn’t run out of fossils.
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We thought that too. The fossils have been collected for hundreds of years and there are still major finds happening. I think they’re not so easy to find these days though.
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Wow! This post was a great read! Excellent story!
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Thank you Agness. I’m glad you enjoyed it as much as we did.
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