Runswick Bay Fossil Forage and Shore Safari

21/06/2023

Who fancies a fossil forage on Saturday 24 June? The weather looks toasty (23 degrees, but probably cooler on the beach) and a 2pm start means you can walk the sandy sandwiches off while finding lower Jurassic marine fossils. And maybe some jet. Takes 2.5 hours. Happy tired kids guaranteed. Message here to book.

05/05/2023

Coronation day fossil forage. 1pm top of the slipway, Runswick Bay. Message here for information or to book.

28/04/2023

Tides look good for fossil forages over the Coronation weekend. If you're in far North Yorkshire on the 5, 6, 7 and 8 May and want to spend 2-2.5 hours on Runswick Bay beach finding fossils and listening to (mostly) true stories, do message here.

06/04/2023

Easter Saturday fossil forage alert! Meet 12 midday at the top of the slipway, Runswick Bay. Message me here for for more details or to book.

05/04/2023

Weather and tides permitting, yes there will be fossil forages over the Easter Hols. Check in here for dates and times. Peter.

27/02/2023

You can stay in Staithes (a wonderful village on the Yorkshire coast) and as part of your stay you can come on a fossil forage with me, weather and tides permitting.

23/02/2023

Find fossils on Thursday. Today we found an ammonite burger, lots of belemnites (dead squids' bums), a few devil's toenails and some bivalves. What will we find tomorrow? Come and join us, 11.30, top of the slipway at Runswick.

22/02/2023

Fossil forage, today 11am. Meet at the top of the slipway, Runswick Bay. We found Icthyosaur bones yesterday.

20/02/2023

Yorkshire Fossil Festival 2023
Saturday 10 – Sunday 11 June
Whitby Museum, Pannett Park and other locations

Taking over wonderful Whitby for one weekend, this year’s festival will feature walks, talks, and tons of family-friendly events and entertainment. Visitors are invited to bring their own fossils to test the experts, work with palaeo-artists to bring ancient creatures back to life, and get their favourite rocks cut and polished to take home!

Head to the Fossil Festival website for future programme announcements: www.yorkshirefossilfestival.co.uk

In partnership with Scarborough Museums and Galleries

19/02/2023

First fossil forage of the half-term, Monday 10 am meet at the top of the slipway, message here to book.

08/02/2023

If you'd been on the beach with us this Saturday you'd have been the amongst the first people ever to see this 185 million year old ammonite. And one of you would have taken it home. Come and join us on Runswick Bay beach over half term:

Monday 20th 10 am
Tuesday 21st 10.30 am
Wednesday 22nd 11 am
Thursday 23rd 11.30 am
Saturday 25th 12.30

Message here to book.

30/01/2023

Coming to the North Yorkshire coast for half term? Fancy finding fossils? I'll be running fossil forages on Runswick Bay beach, weather and tides permitting. If your half term falls outside these dates, let me know and I'll add extra forages.

Monday 20th 10 am
Tuesday 21st 10.30 am
Wednesday 22nd 11 am
Thursday 23rd 11.30 am
Saturday 25th 12.30

Message me here if you're interested.

27/12/2022

Kids climbing the walls? Bring them on a fossil forage Weds 28 Dec, 1130 meet at the top of the slipway, Runswick Bay. There is a forecast for light rain 1130-2pm. If it's heavy we won't go, obviously. 2-2 1/2 hours, have shoes suitable for beach walking, bags for finds and wrap up warm. I shall bring hammers, chisels, stories and a field guide. If you're interested, message me here. Dogs welcome.

29/10/2022

Apologies all, I've had to cancel today's forage; if you were planning to come please contact me next me next time you're in the area and I'll do a make-up forage for you! Peter.

Send a message to learn more

26/10/2022

Fossil walks for the end of half term:
Thursday: looking like a 50% chance of rain at midday. If you fancy fossiling in the rain, the walk would start at 1130. If it's really tanking down we shan't go.
Friday: 12 midday.
The finds have been excellent this week, had some very happy young fossil collectors and some very heavily laden parents walking off the beach.
Message me here is you're interested.

26/10/2022

Well there have been a couple of young stars collecting fossils this week: young George went home with a piece of what I suspect is bone from quite a large Jurassic critter. Not sure which part of the cliffs it came from, so I can't say whether it's a large marine reptile from the lower Jurassic or one of the dinosaurs from the middle Jurassic sandstone at the top of Runswick cliffs. I know I've been handed my fossil collecting head by a 4 year old.

23/10/2022

Fossil forages for the half term week ahead.
Monday 10.30
Tuesday 11.00 (This walk is full as of 8pm)
Wednesday: there will be one, time to be decided but it will be morning.
Thursday and Friday: weather looking dodgy, will confirm yes or no closer: let me know if you're interested in these days and I shall sacrifice to the weather gods.
Message here to book or with questions. 2-2.5 hours, bring bags/buckets for finds (which will be lower Jurassic marine fossils). Dog friendly. Meet at the top of the slipway.

17/10/2022

Are you coming to the far North Yorkshire coast for half term? Do you want to find some fossils? Check here for dates and times, or message when you'll be in the area and we'll see what we can fit in, depending on tides and weather.

16/10/2022

Great afternoon on the beach; lots of good finds on a sunny autumn afternoon. Below; crinoids, an ammonite death assemblage and the beach today.

15/10/2022

Who fancies a Sunday fossil forage? The beach has been quite churned up, so there should be some good finds, like this block of Cardinia listeri (Jurassic cockles). Message here to book, then meet at the top of the slipway, Runswick Bay, 1pm, Sunday 16 Oct.

02/09/2022

Final fossil forage of the summer hols tomorrow, Saturday. Last chance to grab a gryphaea, abduct an ammonite, blag a belemnite, prog some p**p (fossilised, obviously), collect a crinoid or importune an icthyosaur. Top of the slipway, Runswick Bay, 3pm. If interested message here.

02/09/2022

Morning! Unfortunately there will be no fossil forage today (Friday). We'll be back on the beach again soon.

31/08/2022

Fossils, fossils, Runswick fossils. Forget rabbits, rabbits, white rabbits. The only way to greet the start of September is to come on a Runswick Bay Fossil Forage. Meet 1pm, top of the slipway on Thursday. Today we found ammonites, belemnites (dead squids' bums), a Jurassic oyster, a Cardinia bivalve, some blocks of coral and a lovely deposit of crinoids, also known as St. Cuthbert's beads. Oh and Jurassic pooh (propely called coprolites). A good time was had by all.

If you'd like to forage, message here to let me know.

29/08/2022

Round off your summer hols in palaeontological style with a memorable coupld of hours fossil foraging on Runswick beach.

Wednesday 31st 1pm
Thursday 1st September 1pm
Friday 2nd September 2pm

Message here to book.

Peter

21/08/2022

The tides are a bit antisocial for the coming week; if you want a fossil forage it'll probably be towards the end of the week (Thursday and Friday) and quite early (10 and 11 am respectively). Check in here for confirmation. The last few forages have thrown up some amazing finds. And Jurassic pooh. Photos to follow.

20/08/2022

Saturday fossil forage 4pm, top of the slipway. Thursday's trip found lots of ammonites, a large belemnite phragmacone, one large piece of jet, a brachiopod (bivalve) and lots of coprolite; fossilised pooh. Join us, top of he slipway, 4pm. Message here if you're coming.

17/08/2022

If you go home from Runswick Bay without a fossil you risk being eaten by bears*, like the children who made mock of the prophet Elisha. Avoid being eaten by bears by coming on a fossil forage today. Meet at 4pm, top of the slipway, Runswick Bay. takes 2-2.5 hours. Also tomorrow at 3pm. I bring a rucksac, hammer, chisel and extensive knowledge of the lower Jurassic marine fossils we shall find.

14/08/2022

Fossil forage Monday 15th August, Runswick Bay, meet at the top of the slipway at 1pm. This may be the last chance this week as the weather is threatening to turn p**py on Tuesday and Wednesday. Message me here with questions or to book. Takes 2-2.5 hours, expect to find marine fossils from the lower Jurassic.