Charmouth Fossil Beach
Charmouth
Britain's best beach for families to hunt for fossils, where ammonites and belemnites can be found everywhere. The Heritage Coast Centre is right next door.
Behind Charmouth beach are the constantly crumbling Black Ven cliffs. Jurassic mudstone keeps delivering fossils onto the shore, and at low tide you can find ammonites and belemnites among the pebbles. The Heritage Coast Centre on the beach is free to enter. It displays local fossils and runs guided fossil walks that teach safe collecting rules. Only collect fossils loose on the beach, never dig into the cliffs, and keep away from the base of the cliffs to avoid falling rocks.
Opening hours
All day; center approx. 10:30–16:30
Nearby sights
- Lyme Regis & The Cobb
- Golden Cap
- West Bay
- Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens
- Abbotsbury Swannery
- Chesil Beach
- Maiden Castle
- Cerne Abbas Giant