Penarth fossils and fossil collecting

Head towards the seafront, and along this road, you will see the pier.
There is plenty of parking along the Esplanade, and access to the shore is very easy and quick.
Start from Penarth Pier and walk along the beach towards Cardiff Barrage. You can get all the way to the barrage along the beach. Fossils can be found right along this stretch.
For people who don't have cars, you can get to the village of Penarth via train or bus.

GRID REF: 51.43447°N, 3.16628°W

Gastropods, bivalves, brachiopods, ammonites, belemnites,
reptile remains, fish, corals

Penarth is the most popular location in Wales for fossil collectors. This is down to both the site being very rich in fossils, together being a major built up area. This site can be over collected but you still should come home with some finds.

High

There are plenty of fossils to be found at Penarth, and indeed, this is one of Wales most popular fossil location! Because of this, it can be a little over-collected, but still well worth the visit.

Suitable for Children

Penarth is suitable for family trips and children. Toilets, food and drink can all be found here. There is also plenty to do for children. Please keep children away from the cliffs as these are dangerous.

Very Good Access

Car parking along the sea front with toilets, cafe etc, and a very short walk to the beach. Penarth has very good access, and the pier does food such as fish and chips.

Cliffs, Foreshore

Fossils are mostly found in the rocks along the foreshore but can also be found in the cliff face and also in the scree slopes. The cliffs are too dangerious to collect from, so please stick to the foreshore boulders and shale.

No Restrictions

There are no restrictions at this site, hammering and collecting is permitted. However we ask that you follow our fossil code of conduct which can be found in the link below.

Common sense when collecting at all locations should be taken and knowledge of tide times should always be noted. The cliffs at Penarth are extremely high and cliff falls are frequently occurring along this coast. The cliffs are constantly crumbling, so please keep WELL AWAY! Please keep clear of the cliffs and if you are searching below the cliffs, ensure that you wear a hard hat.

Last updated:
last visited:

Written by:

08/08/09
2009

Jo and Keith Edkins

Geological Tools

It is recommended that you take a hammer and chisel since many of the fossils are in large boulders and slabs on the foreshore. However it is not essential since fossils can simply be picked up off the foreshore without any tools at all.

Other Locations similar to Penarth

The blue liass at Penarth is similar to Watchet, Quantoxhead, Kilve, Lilstock, Hinkley Point, Doniford Bay, and St Audries Bay, in Somertset. You can also collect Blue Lias fossils from nearby Lavernock, Llantwit Major, and Gileston,


Penarth is one of the most popular locations in Wales for collecting, this is because the beds here are rich in fossils, and the constant erosion of the cliffs, scatteres fossils along the foreshore. Being a major tourist location, it is also not surprising why so many people collect here, and perhaps the site is a little over collected. However, what is nice about Penarth, is that you can stroll the foreshore and collect fossil shells such as bivalves, gastropods and brachiopods, and also collect ammonites. With easy parking and easy access, this site is ideal for all the family. You don't need any tools, all you need is a good eye. Search the pebbles and boulders along the foreshore.

Jurassic, 200mya

Red Boulder form the Triassic Mercia Mudstone Group

The Jurassic rocks at Penarth are lower lias similar to those of Watchet which of course it just across the Bristol Channel. These are early blue lias, but the fossils differ from those of Watchet with a higher number of gastropods, bivalves and brachiopods dominating the rocks, and being of a larger size. The ammonites tend to be smaller and less common than across the Bristol Channel at Watchet.

The Triassic red cliffs are mostly the Mercia Mudstone Group of the Sully Beds and are unfossilferous. At the top of this bed and below the Jurassic lower lias, is the Rhaetian Penarth Group. This bed is recognised by Grey to black mudstones with subordinate limestones and sandstones; predominantly marine in origin...[more]


Gryphea shell ...[more]

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.

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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