Fossils at Beachy Head

Dave with his bivalve and sea urchin

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I drove through rain to Beachy Head this morning to meet detecting club members for a fossil hunting outing with Roy Shepherd who runs Discovering Fossils. This was my second outing with Roy, last time was at Peacehaven last October. I think everyone found fossils, some more exciting than others, such as Dave's triptic (he broke open a rock to release an urchin and found two more inside) and Richard and Nick both found ammonites. We were very lucky with the weather - no rain during the four hours of our hunt, but as soon as we got back to the car park it rained and hasn't stopped since. Roy's fossil excursions are excellent, he gives an outline of the geology of the area and shows the types of fossils you can find, some of which are unique to the site.

Nick with monster crab that was returned to its rock pool

Pecten bivalve

Pecten bivalve

Ammonite

Sea Kale Crambe maritima

Roy Shepherd on left with some of the gang

Viper’s bugloss Echium vulgare

My fossils

1. inoceramid bivalve

2. inoceramid bivalve

3. unidentified

4. inoceramid bivalve

5. inoceramid bivalve

6. sponge

7. inoceramid bivalve

8. sponge

9. trace fossil? lobster burrow?

10. Holaster(?) echinoid

11. inoceramid bivalve

12. Holaster(?) echinoid

Thanks to Roy Shepherd for the ids.

More info on Beachy Head fossils at 

www.discoveringfossils.co.uk/beachy_head_fossils.htm