Fossils on the beach

Fossils are the remains of animals and plants that have been preserved in stone.  They are the raw material for the science of palaeontology, and provide direct evidence of past life on Earth and the way in which it has been changed over millions of years.  The rocks that make up the cliffs at Charmouth are rich in fossils of animals that swam in the Jurassic seas.  The coast erodes rapidly resulting in thousands of fossils being fed onto the beaches from the landslides in the surrounding cliffs, especially after winter storms.  The remains that have been found here since the eighteenth century represent one of the richest slices of life in Jurassic times anywhere in the world. 

Finding Fossils

Charmouth is the best and safest place to look for fossils in the World Heritage Site.  Sharp eyes are the best tools for fossil hunting and it is recommended to look carefully amongst the rocks and pebbles on the beach when the tide is falling.  Common finds are ammonites, belemnites, or possibly a fragment of ichthyosaur bone.  The Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre is an essential part of any visit, and provides displays, information and advice on safe collection.

Spectacular preservation

Exceptionally important finds of fossils have been made in Charmouth.  One of the reasons that the fossils are so important is that many have been preserved in superb detail.

Tools of Time

Geologists are able to use fossils to help them identify rocks of similar age.  Rocks which are hundreds of miles apart can be recognised as being of the same age due to the fossils they contain.  Ammonites are especially good for the purpose as many evolved and changed rapidly (in geological terms), producing different species with distinctive shell forms.  The Jurassic has been divided into a series of zones based on the appearance and disappearance of different ammonites.  At Charmouth, rocks from 12 of these different ammonite zones can be found.