A landslide on a Dorset beach has attracted dozens of fossil hunters in search of relics.
Some 200 enthusiasts combed the beach in the village of Charmouth, on the fossil-rich Jurassic Coast, collecting scores of ammonite fossils.
The majority are said to have picked up ammonites, extinct sea molluscs prized for their intricate spiral shells, which measure from 0.8in to 2ft and were washed out of the mud and shale by the sea.
More than 320ft or 1,000 tons of cliff fell down a week before Christmas and the crowds of souvenir-hunters have increased as word has spread.
Fossil hunters flock to Jurassic Coast after cliff fall
Bad weather washed part of the cliff in Charmouth, Dorset, into the sea, attracting scores of enthusiasts in search of souvenirs
Ammonite fossils found by Lizzie Hingle Photo: Richard Austin
By Victoria Ward
9 Dec 2015
The Telegraph
A landslide on a Dorset beach has attracted dozens of fossil hunters in search of relics.
Some 200 enthusiasts combed the beach in the village of Charmouth, on the fossil-rich Jurassic Coast, collecting scores of ammonite fossils.
The majority are said to have picked up ammonites, extinct sea molluscs prized for their intricate spiral shells, which measure from 0.8in to 2ft and were washed out of the mud and shale by the sea.
Fossil hunters search the beach after the landslide at the Jurassic cliffs at Charmouth in Dorset Photo: Richard Austin
More than 320ft or 1,000 tons of cliff fell down a week before Christmas and the crowds of souvenir-hunters have increased as word has spread.
Most of the ammonites being found range between a fraction of an inch and five or six inches
Tony Gill, who runs Charmouth Fossil Shop, said: "We've been here about 20 years and we have not seen anything on this scale before. Everyone is managing to find one.
"It's the biggest fall I've seen down here for years, if not the biggest. But finding a big fossil is like one in a thousand."
Stretching for 96 miles from Orcombe Point near Exmouth in Devon to Old Harry Rocks near Swanage in Dorset, the fossil-rich Jurassic Coast is a Unesco World Heritage Site. It is where 12-year old Mary Anning, who became a renowned fossil hunter and palaeontologist, found the world's first icthyosaur skeleton in 1811
Mr Gill said it would take years before the larger blocks of mud and shale were eroded by the sea.
Walkers have been warned not to climb the cliff as it is still unstable.
Fossil hunters have also been warned to wear appropriate footwear and check the weather forecast before setting out.
Joanne Groenenberg, from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, said: "With recent significant rainfall, some cliffs and cliff edges have become crumbly and unstable."
They are also asked to notify the Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre of significant finds.
Fossil hunters flock to Jurassic coast after cliff fall - Telegraph
Some 200 enthusiasts combed the beach in the village of Charmouth, on the fossil-rich Jurassic Coast, collecting scores of ammonite fossils.
The majority are said to have picked up ammonites, extinct sea molluscs prized for their intricate spiral shells, which measure from 0.8in to 2ft and were washed out of the mud and shale by the sea.
More than 320ft or 1,000 tons of cliff fell down a week before Christmas and the crowds of souvenir-hunters have increased as word has spread.
Fossil hunters flock to Jurassic Coast after cliff fall
Bad weather washed part of the cliff in Charmouth, Dorset, into the sea, attracting scores of enthusiasts in search of souvenirs
Ammonite fossils found by Lizzie Hingle Photo: Richard Austin
By Victoria Ward
9 Dec 2015
The Telegraph
A landslide on a Dorset beach has attracted dozens of fossil hunters in search of relics.
Some 200 enthusiasts combed the beach in the village of Charmouth, on the fossil-rich Jurassic Coast, collecting scores of ammonite fossils.
The majority are said to have picked up ammonites, extinct sea molluscs prized for their intricate spiral shells, which measure from 0.8in to 2ft and were washed out of the mud and shale by the sea.
Fossil hunters search the beach after the landslide at the Jurassic cliffs at Charmouth in Dorset Photo: Richard Austin
More than 320ft or 1,000 tons of cliff fell down a week before Christmas and the crowds of souvenir-hunters have increased as word has spread.
Most of the ammonites being found range between a fraction of an inch and five or six inches
Tony Gill, who runs Charmouth Fossil Shop, said: "We've been here about 20 years and we have not seen anything on this scale before. Everyone is managing to find one.
"It's the biggest fall I've seen down here for years, if not the biggest. But finding a big fossil is like one in a thousand."
Stretching for 96 miles from Orcombe Point near Exmouth in Devon to Old Harry Rocks near Swanage in Dorset, the fossil-rich Jurassic Coast is a Unesco World Heritage Site. It is where 12-year old Mary Anning, who became a renowned fossil hunter and palaeontologist, found the world's first icthyosaur skeleton in 1811
Mr Gill said it would take years before the larger blocks of mud and shale were eroded by the sea.
Walkers have been warned not to climb the cliff as it is still unstable.
Fossil hunters have also been warned to wear appropriate footwear and check the weather forecast before setting out.
Joanne Groenenberg, from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, said: "With recent significant rainfall, some cliffs and cliff edges have become crumbly and unstable."
They are also asked to notify the Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre of significant finds.
Fossil hunters flock to Jurassic coast after cliff fall - Telegraph
