Bowleaze Cove - What fossils can be found and where to look

At Redcliff Point, a vast amount of Oxford Clay is well exposed on the foreshore, this extends just east of this point. Hundreds of Giant Oysters and Gryphea can be seen scattered everywhere along the foreshore (mostly common ones are Gryphaea dilatata and Lopha). (Beach conditions permitting). Ammonites can also be found here (Cardioceras) with a range of other shells. There are a number of red coloured nodules which contain very well preserved fossils including large ammonites, however these ammonites are rarely complete.

Some very large mussel shells can further be found by digging into the clay, these are extremely fragile. Occasionally, Oysters can develop around an ammonite and you either see a very clear pattern of an ammonite mould on the oyster or the ammonite is actually still attached, these ammonites can be quite large and of good condition.

Most of the large ammonites are rusted, decomposed and will simply crumble, however smaller ammonites can still be found. In the past Crocodile and Crustacean remains along with Ichthyosaurus bones have been recorded here.

At Bowleaze Cove just west of Osmington Mills, the Kimmeridge clay is well exposed at the foreshore during winter months. Many flat worn ammonites can be found along with a few shells. During beach scouring, a wider range of fossils can be found including many whole ammonites.

At Bowleaze Cove, Lower Corallian blocks yield many trace fossils especially in the Preston Grit with the burrows of Rhizocorallium and Thalassinoides. Traces of Asterosoma, Pleuromya, and Diplocraterion have been found. Shells, ammonites are also common from the Osmington Oolite but quite poorly preserved. Larger ammonites tend to be better preserved than smaller sized ones.

At Bowleaze Cove just west of Osmington Mills, the Kimmeridge clay is well exposed at the foreshore during winter months, this is the best place to collect fossils, but it is not always exposed. If the clay is exposed, then fossils can be found simply by searching around the foreshore.

Further west, large Lower Corallian blocks yield fossils. These you will need a good heavy hammer for as they will need splitting