Next 48 hours
Next days
The 7-day forecast, hourly plan and an alert for this place are in pre-sale.
See the pre-saleWhere to look
Start from the beach car park and the Heritage Coast Centre, then walk east towards Stonebarrow or west towards Black Ven. Search the shingle and the flat patches of sand near the water line, best on a falling tide after a storm. The Heritage Coast Centre runs guided fossil walks and helps identify finds.
What you can find
ammonites, belemnites, crinoids, marine reptile bones (rare)
Best wind: S, SW, SE
Rules and safety
The West Dorset Fossil Collecting Code of Conduct applies: collect loose fossils from the beach and do not dig into the cliff without permission. Record scientifically important finds at the Heritage Coast Centre. The cliffs and mudslides are dangerous and the tide can cut off your way back, so check tide times before you go.
About the cliff
Charmouth sits in the middle of the Jurassic Coast, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its cliffs of Jurassic clays and marls slump every winter, and the waves spread the material across the beach. That makes it one of the most productive fossil beaches in Europe.
Do not miss the next window
The best windows last a few hours: after a storm, after rain, on a clear night with an active Sun. Sign up and we will email you when the index at your spots goes above 60.