Fossil Hunting in Sussex
The county of Sussex has some of the best locations for Cretaceous and Eocene fossils. From the famous chalk cliffs of the Seven Sisters to the Eocene London Clay of Bracklesham Bay. Some of the best sites in Sussex to collect fossils are Eastbourne for its echinoids and chalk ammonites, and Bracklesham Bay for shark teeth. You can also find dinosaur bones at Hastings and Fairlight. Many of the locations are foreshore collecting, ideal for families.
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There are nearly always people collecting at Bracklesham Bay. Fossils can simply be picked up, washed up on top of the sand, you can normally come back with bags full of decent finds. During scouring tides the formation is exposed and the beach is covered in shark and ray teeth, and bivalve shells. |
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Highly fossilferious chalk, packed with ammonites, nautili, echinoids, brachiopods, bivalves and crinoids. This is one of the best chalk locations in the UK and is full of surprises. Recommended to all keen chalk fossil hunters. |
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World famous site for its highly fossilferious chalk, packed with a wide range of different echinoid species, brachiopods, bivalves and crinoids. This is one of the best chalk locations in the UK for zonal variety. Recommended to all keen chalk fossil hunters. |
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Hastings is one of the only places outside the Isle of Wight where Dinosaur bones can be found. This popular and important site has yielded some important finds over the years. Fish, shark, plant, reptile remains and bivalve and gastropod shells can also be collected. Keep a look out for dinosaur footprints. |
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Continuing from Hastings, this popular and important site has yielded some important finds over the years. Fish, shark, plant, reptile remains and shells can also be collected. This site is exceptional for small mammal and fish remains. Crocodile teeth also turn up. |
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Many echinoids can be found at Newhaven, in particular Offaster pilula which occurs in abundance - certain chalk blocks can be split to yield numerous specimens of this small species. Also abundant but often incomplete are Echinocorys. If you walk far enough, to Peacehaven, you may be lucky enough to spot giant ammonites in the wave-cut platform. |
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Sometimes Bognor can be a stony beach, and a other times a long golden sandy coastline; during scouring tides it can be a muddy heaven for fossil hunters. Rich in bivalve and gastropod shells, insects and plant material. It’s either returning with nothing or bags full! |
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Some lovely echinoids can be found at Peacehaven. including some superb large Echinocorys cincta. This locality is also good for fish remains which can be found on the foreshore |
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This classic British Chalk location is a must for experienced fossil hunters. Over just a few hundred metres, fossils can be collected from the Lower, Middle and Upper Chalk. |
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A famous location since the storms of November 2000 exposed dinosaur trackways on the foreshore. Other finds during scouring conditions include fish, crocodile, turtle and dinosaur remains. |
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The foreshore is often green with algae which makes collecting very difficult. This can be a good location to collect from, but much depends on the foreshore conditions and time of the year you collect. |
 Cliff |
Fossils collected direct from cliff face |
 Foreshore |
Fossils collected from the foreshore |
 Cliff/Foreshore |
Fossils collected from the cliff and foreshore |
 Quarry |
Location is a quarry or pit |
 Stream |
Fossils collected from a stream or river bed, |
 Field |
Fossils collected from a farm field |
 Cutting |
Fossils collected from road or railway cutting. |
 Scree Slope |
Fossils collected from hill or mountain scree slope. |
 Rock Outcrop |
Fossils collected from rock outcrops. |
 Lake / Reservoir |
Fossils collected from lake or reservoir banks. |
 Microfossils |
Samples taken back for processing microfossils. |
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Fossils are common |
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Fossils often found |
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Fossils are not common |
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Fossils rarely found |
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Site protected, no collecting permitted, or no access to beach |
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Quaternary
Neogene
Palaeogene
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Cretaceous
Jurassic
Triassic |
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Permian
Carboniferous
Devonian
Silurian
Ordovician
Cambrian / Pre Cambrian |

The Chalk of Sussex
and Kent
Superb Geological Field guide by the Geologists' Association. This book takes you through Folkestone, Dover, Isle of Thanet, Seaford Head, Newhaven, Seven Sisters, The Lewes, Beachy Head, Eastbourne and many other areas. It has 140 pages and takes you on a step by step walk.
UKGE CODE: BK0730
£15.00 (FREE DELIVERY)

Early Cretaceous Environments of the Weald
Location guide including access information, What to see and what to collect, Covers detailed information on the following locations; Hastings, Fairlight, Folkstone & many more. 80 pages.
UKGE CODE: BK0166
£15.99 (FREE DELIVERY) |



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