By Dr Colin Dawes BSc

Fossil Hunting along the Jurassic Coast is presented by Dr Colin Dawes, a well-known, fossil hunting guide in the world-famous palaeontological site of Lyme Regis. The film is split into sections covering the fossilisation process, fossil hunting hotspots and safety information. It also has aerial views of the fossil hunting sites featured in the DVD.

Fossil Hunting along the Jurassic Coast is an 80-minute documentary by Divercol Productions explores the spectacular fossils found along the shores of England’s first natural World Heritage Site. Fossils featured in the film include the Charmouth dinosaur, plesiosaur and ichthyosaur remains, fossil fish, the fossil forest and trace fossils such as dinosaur footprints, as well as the Devil’s Pavement, the Graveyard of Ammonites and the Belemnite Pavement, to name but a few.

The film opens by exploring the famous Triassic pebble bed at Budleigh Salterton in Devon, known as the ‘Budleigh Salterton Pebble Bed’. It then explores the popular Jurassic locations of Lyme Regis and Charmouth. Most DVDs and publications tend to concentrate on these two famous locations, but this film goes further by covering the Oxford Clay at Weymouth, the Isle of Portland (including Portland Bill and a few quarries), Osmington Mills, the Kimmeridge Clay at Chapmans Pool and, finally, the Greensand and Chalk at Swanage.

This DVD would be ideal for anyone who has either not visited the Jurassic Coast of Dorset before, or who has not seen the locations mentioned above. The DVD would not be suitable for those familiar with the coastline as it only covers the most common fossils.

Fossil Hunting along the Jurassic Coast, by Dr Colin Dawes BSc PhD, Divercol Productions