Osmington Mills fossils and fossil collecting
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Medium
Fossils at Osmington Mills can often be found but you will have to work for your finds. A heavy lump hammer may come in handy. Occasionally you can find ammonites washed out along the foreshore.
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Not for Children
Osmington Mills is very rocky and therefore we do not recommend children. |
Good Access
Osmington Mills is a fairly easy location to access, although it can be hard going over the rocky foreshore. |
Foreshore, Cliffs
Most fossils are found in the large boulders along the foreshore, but fossils can also be found washed out of these rocks on the foreshore or within the cliff face. |
No Hammering Cliff
This site is part of the Jurassic World Heritage Coastline. Please follow the Fossil Code of Conduct. Access is permitted SSSI -
NO HAMMERING THE CLIFF
This is 'Private Land', Access for digging is strictly forbidden.
Damage has already been caused to this heritage site by people using power tools. This is strictly against SSSI rules and any attempt to ignore these rules may result in prosecution. |
Common sense when collecting at all locations should be taken and knowledge of tide times should always be noted. Care should be especially taken at Osmington Mills of tide times as often the sea will cut you off. Access down to Osmington can also be dangerous after heavy rain as mud slippages can make the path slippery. |
Osmington Mills
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 |
Accommodation
Higher Spence
Farm Cottage, beautiful location 3 miles Charmouth. Double and Family rooms En Suite.
Contact: Christine Nutkins
Tel: UK (01297) 560556
Tel: International +441297 560556 Address: Higher Spence, Wootton, Fitzpaine, Charmouth, Dorset.
Email: higherspence@eurolink.ltd.net Website: (Typing "Higher Spence into your search engine)
Dorset coastal cottages
We are a holiday agent for 120 carefully selected and inspected cottages within 10 miles of Dorset's spectacular World Heritage Coast and Path. All are old, many are beamy and thatched, most have open fires or logburners plus central heating. Rents include electricity, gas etc. and all linen/towels.
Rentable by the week or 3 day Short Break all year round!!
Please call: 0800 9804070 for a Brochure or visit our website on www.dorsetcoastalcottages.com
Jennifer Owens Direct:
01305 851033 jen.o@dorsetcoastalcottages.com
If you would like to advertise on this page, please 'contact us'.
£10/Year or 'FREE' for return links from accommodation website pages. |
Last updated:
last visited:
Written by: |
28/05/08
2000
Alister and Alison Cruickshanks
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The best fossils are found in the boulders along the foreshore. These can be split using a large hammer or fossils removed using a chisel and crack hammer. The material is quite hard, and so you will have to work for your finds. Occasionally, fresh cliff falls yield ammonites which fall out of the blocks.
At low tide, check the foreshore exposures as these can also contain good fossils, ones which the sea has washed out of the rocks for you!
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Jurassic, 155mya |
The cliffs at Osmington are well known for their excellent sections of Corallian beds and Kimmeridge Clay. Landslips of the Cretaceous Cenomanian Basement bed are often seen. West of Osmington Mills the upper part of the Corallian and the lower Kimmeridge clay is more frequent and at Black head, a full sequence of Kimmeridge Clay from the basal beds to levels above the White Stone Band can be observed.
East of the slipway from the car park at Osmington Mills, Northe Grit forms the lower cliffs.
At the lowest cliff point, a waterfall over the Preston Grit is quite famously landmarked.
Walking East, the Qualicosta Bed forms a ledge west of Bran Point, from here, a fault brings the Middle White Oolite bed against the Pisolite. Still walking East, the Trigonia beds can be seen in the cliffs which dip to beach level....[more]
Bran Point, showing separation of Bencliff Grit and Osmington Oolite
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The exceptional section of Corallian here contains many fossils, mostly trace fossils including Spongeliomorpha. Concretion blocks which are derived from the Upper Greensand and Gault, contain oysters, serpulids and echinoids, the ammonite Hoplites and other derived fossils. These are mainly along the beach below Black Head.
Walking East, once the Preston Grit is reached, bivalves of pleuromya, Gryphaea and Myophorella hudlestoni can be found. This is near to the small waterfall. Occasionally trace fossil Diplocraterion parallelum can be found.
The Middle White Oolite is crowded with the trace fossil Arenicolites variabilis which leads onto the Trigonia beds. Many fallen blocks contain the shell, Myophorella clavellata.
Trigonia Clavellata Formation, The Red Beds.
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The material at Osmington is very hard and therefore heavy duty hammers and chisels should be taken. Ideally goggles should be worn when hitting rock and hard suitable walking shoes. CONTAINERS: Fossils are quite hard and therefore single wrapped and placement into a bag is appropriate....[more] |
Other Locations similar to Osmington Mills
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Osmington Mills is a location where you will need a good strong hammer and you will have to work for your finds. Along the dorset coast, other similar locations are Eype and Thorncombe Beacon.
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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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Our International Rock
and Fossil Magazine |
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Osmington Mills can be accessed by parking at the bottom of the road at Osmington Mills, off the A353. 
