FOSSIL HUNTS
at Bracklesham, West Sussex
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Bracklesham fossil hunts are an exciting activity for both children and adults. Sunshine or rain, weather does not hold us back but the tides can. A low tide is absolutely essential, and the lower the tide the better. Unfortunately, the best low tides at Bracklesham occur fortnightly in the late afternoon / early evening. Trips can be successful at other times, but are not so reliable.
We meet up in the seafront car park at Bracklesham (National Grid Reference SZ 805963) about 1½ hours before low tide (note that car park charges apply at certain times). There, we start with an introductory talk and I show some of the more common fossils that might be found, as well as giving a simple explanation of the geology.
Following the tide as it falls, we then go on to the beach and immediately start looking for fossils whilst walking slowly south-eastwards in the direction of Selsey. For about 1 mile (1.5 km), it is possible to find fossils washed up on the beach even if there are no exposures of the underlying fossil beds. There are a few tricks to increasing your chances of finding fossils (which are explained), but even under the worst conditions it is usually possible to find a selection of 45 million year old fossil shells and sharks' teeth.
We head along the beach in anticipation of reaching the main fossil beds about 1 mile away at low tide, just in case conditions on the day have exposed any of the fantastic fossil shell beds that occur in this area. We then head back towards the car park, looking out for fossils missed on the outward walk. The whole trip takes up to 2 hours, depending on weather and beach conditions. Latest beach conditions (reported by Chris Cole) can be found in the Reports section of the Tertiary Research Group web site.
Most people, especially children, are keen to find fossil sharks' teeth. Whilst it is not possible to guarantee this, many people will go home with at least one sharks' tooth. For those who are unsuccessful, I carry a bag of small give-away teeth (one each whilst stocks last, as they say). One particular collector (let's call him Tim, as that's his name) will go home with several dozen teeth even on a bad day, whilst this will go up to several hundred on a good day. There are special collecting techniques to achieve this, but no reason why you can't do it.
Why not join a Bracklesham fossil hunt or request one for your own group.