The Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site is one of the most famous and most popular Jurassic locations in the world, yielding plenty of fossils for the thousands that come collecting every year. And Charmouth is at the heart of it all. This geological guide features both the cliffs of Black Ven and Stonebarrow, and information on the local area of Charmouth.

Lyme Regis is the most commercial fossil town in the UK, with fossil shops, museums, fossil tours and much, much more - there is no other town like it. The famous beach of Lyme Regis yields large numbers of fossils and people flock here by their thousands to try their luck. The town has a number of fossil shops and includes a museum. There are regular trips, showing you where to find fossils and providing general information. The town has had a lot of money spend on making it one of the most beautiful towns in Dorset. Even the lamp posts in Lyme Regis are shaped like ammonites.

During scouring tides, Seatown turns into an 'ammonite kingdom'. They can simply be picked up along the foreshore and, therefore, the location is ideal for children. There is also a superb pub with views of Golden Cap. Fossils can be found all year round, as can microfossils and minerals.

Thorncombe Beacon yields everything from several different species of ammonites, shells (including brachiopods and bivalves), some superb starfish specimens, crinoids, belemnites and much, much more. However you often have to work hard to find them.

Locals wait months for 'Burton to fall', and when she does, her rich ammonite beds yield superb finds, with bags to bring home. Cliff falls occur every two to three years, and fossils can then be collected from the rocks on the foreshore or from any of the scree slopes. As well as ammonites, many other fossils can be found, including echinoids, shark fins, bivalves and brachiopods.

If you are intending to use Kimmeridge Bay as the start of a trip to get to other nearby sites, this can be one of the most dangerous locations for fossil hunting. The tides have cut many people off in the past. Kimmeridge Bay and the adjacent cliffs and foreshore are rich in ammonites, reptiles and shells, but the best collecting sites to the east are a long walk if you are planning to look for fossils along the coastline from Kimmeridge Bay to Chapman’s Pool.

Chapman’s Pool is rich in Upper Jurassic ammonites, reptiles and shells. It is a very long walk down to the beach, but the fossils are often rewarding. It is best to visit during summer months when the sea is not so rough.

There are similar zones at Chippel Bay to the Lias of Church Cliffs. Ammonites and reptile remains can be found on the foreshore, but you need a good scour to find any decent fossils.

If you are interested in microfossils, tiny mammal remains, turtle shell and crocodile skin fragments, and fish remains, Durlston Bay is ideal. It is also a good location to take samples for wet sieving. Don't forget your field lens when visiting.

Continuing from Seatown, what used to be known as the Dorset Junction Bed (now known as the Beacon Limestone) at Eype yields plenty of ammonites, but will require some hard work with a large geological hammer. Many of the fossils are also poorly preserved, but decent specimens do turn up, if you look hard enough.

Ringstead Bay only has a small amount of Jurassic Kimmeridge Clay from the Upper Jurassic, but it is rich in fossils. This location is also just a short walk away from other good sites and makes for an ideal day trip.

Where else do you get to collect fossils from what used to be known as the Upper, Middle and Lower Chalk, and the Greensand within just a few metres? This location is superb for its geology, but also for its cretaceous ammonites and other fossils.

The Oxford Clay at Bowleaze Cove yields ammonites and is rich in reptile remains. Giant fossil oyster shells are also plentiful. This location is best visited after scouring tides, although during these times, you will need wellington boots.

Lulworth Cove is a popular tourist location and its famous 'Fossil Forest' can be visited at low tide. It is ideal for children and makes for a great whole day out. However, fossils are less common than at other Dorset locations nearby.

This is another Jurassic location where ammonites can be found. The ammonites from Osmington Mills can be quite worn and hard work is required to get them out of the rocks. However, sometimes if you are lucky, you can find one lying on the foreshore.

Wyke Regis offers two locations which are rich in fossils from the Kimmeridge clay of the Upper Jurassic. To the west, you can collect along the East Fleet, which is behind Chisel Beach. To the east, you can collect along the banks of Portland Harbour. Giant oysters similar to those found at Bowleaze Cove can be found. Plentiful shells and reptile remains can also be collected.

West Weare is the best location in Portland for fossil hunting. Whilst most of the island is Portland Stone, this location is Kimmeridge Clay. Most of the Kimmeridge Clay on Portland is covered up, but here, the clay can be found slipped between the quarry debris.

Watton Cliff, part of West Cliff at West Bay and is an excellent location for collecting microfossils. While the site is also very rich in other fossils (such as brachiopods, crinoids, fish, sharks’ teeth, crocodiles, amphibians and plants), this guide concentrates more on the microfossils, including small mammals, fish, reptiles and ostracods, which are well preserved and abundant.

Poxwell Quarries are a couple of old, very overgrown quarries, but a small outcrop in the second quarry still reveals the productive Purbeck beds that contain well-documented insect remains. You can also find fishes, ostracods and small shells. However, you will need a microscope for viewing your finds.

The famous plant beds from the Poole Formation used to be found at Bournemouth, but, after the sea defence was constructed, this bed gradually became obscured and today it can hardly be seen. However, the Poole Formation can be found at Studland Bay, which also yields some plant remains.

This Cretaceous site represents an alternative to the many Jurassic sites of Dorset. It yields fossils from the chalk, including echinoids, bivalves, brachiopods and ammonites. However, fossils here are, less common than other chalk locations in Dorset.

Hengistbury Head is at the most easterly end of Dorset and is a popular area for hikers. The cliffs are tall, but surrounded by water, with Christchurch Harbour just 400m round the corner to the east. These are Barton Age and are rich in fossil seeds. Therefore, this is an ideal location for the microfossil collector.

Dancing Ledge used to be a coastal quarry. The views from here are stunning, even if the fossils are poorly preserved and uncommon. You can stand on Dancing Ledge watching the waves crashing into the cliff. This is a location worth a visit just for the views.

West Bay continues from Burton Bradstock, but is much less productive because the Inferior Oolite beds are much thinner and cliff falls are uncommon. Fossil shells and poorly preserved ammonites can be found in the Bridport Sands.

The Oxford Clay and Corallian Beds at Weymouth (Furzy Cliff and Redcliff Point) yield ammonites and the clay is particularly rich in reptile remains. Giant fossil oyster shells are also plentiful. These locations are best after scouring tides and/or rain, but, at these times, you will need wellington boots.

This working quarry (Perryfield Quarry) on Portland has a giant ammonite (Titanites) at its gates. Ammonites like this can be found here, but most quarries sell these and so do not allow collectors to remove these finds. However, trace fossils and molluscs can be seen in the Basal Shell Bed.

Freshwater Bay is the best place on the Isle of Portland to access the Portland Stone. Here, molluscs and ammonites can be found (although the latter are not common), along with trace fossils. You can collect from the cliff-top quarry or from the foreshore.

The Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site is one of the most famous and most popular Jurassic locations in the world, yielding plenty of fossils for the thousands that come collecting every year. And Charmouth is at the heart of it all. This geological guide features both the cliffs of Black Ven and Stonebarrow, and information on the local area of Charmouth.

Portland Bill is the island’s main attraction and has rocks scattered around that contain fossils. They are not very well preserved and only oysters and bivalves can be found, along with trace fossils. However, it is a nice location for a short visit.

Horn Park Quarry was one of the best locations for Inferior Oolite fossils. Today, you can view the once, productive beds as a small outcrop, but collecting is not permitted. Large ammonites were once very common and in excellent condition.