Pinhay Bay fossils and fossil collecting
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echinoids, ammonites, brachiopods,
bivalves, crinoids, belemnites |
What makes Pinhay Bay so geologically interesting is the range of fossils that can be found, from the Jurassic Lias, Fish, Ammonites, Shells, Belemnites and from the Cretaceous Chalk, Echinoid's, Shells, Sea Urchin Spines. |
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Medium
The variety of geology at Pinhay Bay means you never know what you might find. Echinoids are the most common find, but ammonites from the blue lias can also be found.
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Older Children
This location has a long walk, and therefore it is only suitable for older children. |
Fairly Good Access
This location is quite a walk. You park at Monmouth (just West of Lyme Regis), and walk along the beach. Please check tide times. |
Cliffs, Foreshore
Most fossils are found in the fallen blocks which can be found on the foreshore, or at the bottom of the cliffs in the scree. During scouring conditions, the lias are exposed as ledges on the foreshore and these yield ammonites. |
SSSI
Pinhay Bay is part of the Jurassic World Heritage Coastline. However there are no restrictions other than following our code of conduct below. |
Common sense when collecting at all locations should be taken and knowledge of tide times should always be noted. Care should be taken of tides at all locations. The two headlands at Pinhay bay and the headland between Pinhay and Chippel often are hit by the tide. Ensure you can return in adequate time to pass these points. The second caution is the falling rocks and mudslides along the high cliffs here. If using a hammer please stay away from the cliff face as sound vibrations can cause cliff falls, especially in this kind of curved bay. |
Pinhay 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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| Last updated: |
2008 |
| last visited: |
2002 |
| Written by: |
Alister and Alison Cruickshanks |
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Geological Tools
TOOLS: Due to the range of both soft and hard layers at Pinhay, it is best to take both hammer, chisel and pick. A lump hammer may come in useful as there are a number of large chalk boulders which can be split. CONTAINERS: For the lower, harder chalk, small bags are fine, fossils in the Upper Chalk and lias can be much more fragile so these should be well wrapped and placed in containers or individual bags.
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Other Locations similar to Pinhay
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The middle chalk at Pinhay Bay can also be found at Beer, and Hookend Cliff. You can also find this chalk at Hunstanton in Norfolk.
If you like this location, you could also try Seaton, nearby which also has chalk and greensand, or Eastbourne and Peaceheven in Sussex further east along the south coast.
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It is more difficult to find fossils in the Lias here than Chippel Bay, the beds are higher up. However past cliff falls have yielded large ammonites and large nautilus. Many fossils can be collected from the chalk at Pinhay. The chalk here ranges from upper, middle and lower. Echinoids, Shells, Crinoids have all been collected. A range of fossils can also be found from the Upper Greensand Chert beds, though these are very poorly preserved.
West of Seven Rock Point, higher and younger rocks field the ammonite Psiloceras, these also occurs at the base of the Jurassicc. At the head of Pinhay Bay, Triassic beds exposed on the foreshore can yield a range of bivalves.
The cliffs at Pinhay Bay are constantly slipping
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Mesozoic, 85-210mya |
The head of Pinhay Bay exposes Triassic rocks of the Penarth on the foreshore, the Contorta Shales from the Westbury Formation make up 5m here and crop out. A range of bivalves including Rhaotavicula contorta, Chlamys valonensis and Protocardia rhaetica can all be found.
The White Lias Langport member follows this, around 8m clearly seen in the cliff by its pale green or gray limestones. Walking West of Seven Rock Point, the higher and younger rocks can be seen. These overlying 19m of Blue Lias. The lowest beds are from the Penarth, this is only around 0.3m and are excluded from the Lias. At the base of the Jurassic, ammonites can be found....[more]
Geological succession at Pinhay 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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