Fossils and Fossil Collecting in Hopes Nose
Your Torquay Geological Guide and Geology Info

Although the find frequency is set at 'Medium', collecting Devonian Corals is something that requires a little understanding and acceptance that these fossils are poorly preserved and often difficult to see. They are still just as important as lets say 'ammonites from the Jurassic', you just have to take a step backwards and be satisfied with the finds you make.

(Not Suitable)

This location is too dangerous for family trips or children, this is really for the enthusiast or professional.

There is a good parking along the seafront, access is sometimes limited due to the difficult access conditions on the beach with extreme tidal conditions. The foreshore is very rocky.

Foreshore, Cliff

There are foreshore ledges and sandy deposits in the cliff which contain corals as well as within the rocks on the foreshore.

! IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTES !

Other Locations for collecting Corals

There are a number of locations along the Torquay Coastline that are good for corals, another is Daddy Hole.

There are other areas such as Derbyshire and the Lake District where you can find Carboniferous Corals, but by far the most famous county is Shropshire, locations such as Llanymynech Quarry with its Carboniferous Limestone which is on the Welsh Borderline, Upper Millichope, Shadwell Quarry, Wenlock Quarry, Wenlock Edge, Mortimer Forest, and The Onny Trail all Silurian rocks and highly fossilferious. In Avon, you can collect Corals from Weston-Super-Mare and Portishead and Castleton, Parkhouse Hill, in the Derbyshire district. In South West Wales, you can also find Silurian Corals from Freshwater East, Marloes Sands. In Scotland, you can also find corals at St Monans. From South Wales, Carboniferous Corals can be found at Lydstep Headland, West Angle Bay and Manorbier Bay.

For Corals from Younger period, the Coralline Crag at Ramsholt makes ideal collecting.

For collecting Bryozoans, Ramsholt and Thorpeness in Suffolk is another good location, you can also find Bryozoans from Aberlady in Scotland.

Microscopes

Microfossils are much easier to collect because they are so small that the vast majority of collections only concentrate on large finds. These small finds can simply be found by taking small samples of sands, crags, clays and soft rocks and examining them under a microscope.

We have a wide range of microscopes for sale, both for the study of fossils, but also educational and professional for use in the laboratory. We have Stereo microscopes, Compound Microscopes, Polarising Microscopes and Monocular Microscopes.