Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre

Charmouth is world famous for fossils and you can find them safely and without causing damage to the cliffs or beaches. A second important aspect is the rich marine environment contained within Lyme Regis and the Charmouth Voluntary Marine Nature Reserve. Fossil-collecting walks are very popular here.

Visit the Centre to see our amazing fossil collections and find out how to discover your own fossils on the beach. Our guided fossil hunting walks are a great family day out on the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site. With free entry to the Centre, come and meet the Charmouth Dinosaur and explore the past and present of this incredible coastline.

The Centre is an independent educational charity and we provide a large and varied programme of events and activities which run all year round including Fossil Hunting Walks and Rockpool Rambles. We have over 6,000 children visit us each year on educational trips and we have over 25 years of experience of leading school sessions.

Fossil Hunting

Take your class out on the beach where they can discover and take home their own fossils with our trained wardens.

The session starts at the Centre with a short film show entitled “Finding Fossils at Charmouth”, followed by a warden talk around the fossil touch table with top tips on what to look for and how to find it!

Filmshow

The Fossil Film Show and Warden Talk gives an overview of the geology of the World Heritage Site 'Jurassic Coast'.

We focus on how fossils are formed and the types of fossils that can be found on Charmouth beach.

There are two versions of the film show available depending on the age of the children. The film is followed by a Warden talk around the fossil touch table, where the children are shown real specimens that have been found on the beach with information about how these creatures would have lived in the Jurassic seas.