Kimmeridge treasures from the past.

During half term we had our first ever trip to Kimmeridge Bay in Dorset and we were treated to an amazing display of fossils from this part of the country. We visited Steve Etches a local expert on Kimmeridge fossils from the late Jurassic period and he showed us fossil remains that included plesiosuars, pliosaurs, pterosaurs and ichthyosaurs as well as some beautiful ammonites and other more common fossils (see photograph).
His collection has taken 25 years to assemble and will hopefully soon make up the bulk of a wonderful fossil museum that is planned for the area.
After seeing what had been found by the experts we ventured down onto the beach and enjoyed an afternoons’ fossil hunting. We met Sebastian Gunner and his Dad down there and together searched the area exposed by the falling tide. We found plenty of the flattened ammonites this area is known for and one large ammonite we took a picture of  as it was well and truly embedded in the wave cut platform.(see photograph)
Of our finds the most unusual were a tooth of some kind found by Oliver Rockall, a superb fish scale from an armoured fish found by Jonathan Reading and a complete ammonite found by James Vance. All three boys received prizes from Mr Barry Gardiner in our find of the day competition.
We all enjoyed the trip to this outstanding part of Dorset and look forward to returning there some time soon.
D.J.Archer