Compton Bay Fossil Hunt

 

 

Home to what is generally considered to be one of the best beaches on the Island and backed by fossil-rich cliffs, Compton Bay is the perfect place for families to enjoy soft sands, sparkling waters and dinosaur footprint hunting. From creating a sandcastle and surfing the waves in the summer to talking a wild winter walk along the beach, the many coloured cliffs and the coastal views to Dorset provide a wonderful backdrop and a fascinating geological history stretching back millions of years.

Shaped by the sea, dramatic coastal erosion creates a landscape that is filled with a range of nationally and internationally important plants and animals. From the coast, a network of footpaths crosses the rising chalk downland to the Tennyson Trail on the very top of the ridge, making it perfect walking country. The wildlife-rich grassland that grows here, considered the best on the Island, is home of a great number of flowers and butterflies including the Island’s own Glanville fritillary.

 Search for fossils

The Isle of Wight is the richest source of dinosaur remains in Europe. In Compton Bay, look for fossils on areas of the beach recently uncovered by the tide, amongst the loose gravel and stones.

Fossilised dinosaur bones and teeth are most commonly black and shiny, with a honeycomb texture.

Fossilised wood is also black but less dense, without a honeycomb pattern.

Don’t miss the large three-toed iguanodon foot casts at the base of the cliffs just to the east of Compton Bay car park at Hanover Point.

 

The children had an AMAZING time exploring the Bay!