Gurnard Bay fossils and fossil collecting

Gurnard Bay is West of Cowes. Follow the coastal road (Marsh Road) from Cowes to Gurnard where you will find limited parking at the end of the road.
Follow the Coastal footpath at Gurnard Bay, which will allow access to the beach.
The bay extends up to Gurnard Point where you will find ledges of the Bembridge Formation. Take extra care as the mud flats can be dangerous.
Be aware that at high tide, the water often reaches the base of the cliff, visit on a retreating tide only.

GRID REF: 50.75544°N, 1.33550°W

Crocodile, Turtle, Molluscs, Insects.

Gurnard Bay is a classic location for finding insects. The insects are found in the Bembridge Marls (Eocene age), and over 200 species have been found. Today, the famous insect bed has become less productive, but specimens can still be found.

Medium

The Bembridge Insect Bed, is not always exposed, often covered up by landslips, overgrown or covered in mud on the foreshore. When it is exposed, or when blocks are found along the foreshore, then you should be able to make some nice finds.

Older children

This location can sometimes contain some mud flats, which can be dangerous. We therefore only suggest that older children, supervised by an adult, visit this location.

Good

This location is easy to access. You can park directly at Gurnard Bay. There is a few spaces, but parking is limited.

Foreshore, Cliffs

Fossils are mostly found in blocks of limestone found along the foreshore, of exposed in the cliff face or foreshore, although much of the time these can often be obscured by sand or slips.

No Restrictions

There are no restrictions at this location, but please follow the our UK Fossils Code of Conduct.

Common sense when collecting at all locations should be taken and knowledge of tide times should always be noted. Care should be taken of tides at all locations. The sea does reach the base of the cliff, so ensure you return before the tide turns. Also, there are often some very deep mud flats at the lower part of the foreshore which must be avoided.

Tide Times

UK Tidal data is owned by Crown Copyright, and therefore sadly we are not allowed to display tide times without paying expensive annual contracts. However we sell them via our store, including FREE POSTAGE
Click here to buy a tide table

Last updated:	2010
last visited:	2006
Written by:	Alister and Alison Cruickshanks


Gurnard Bay is a classic location, famous for the Bembridge Insect Bed. Today, this bed seems to have become less productive, but non-the less, blocks of the bed can still be found in favourable conditions. The Bembridge Insect Bed dips from North to South, but often is obscured by landslips. The bed dips to foreshore level. This is part of the Bembridge Marls, which is grey to blue-green laminated muds with a destructive buff and blue grained limestone and marl. This bed used to be highly productive but has become less productive in recent years. Over 200 insects species have been recorded together with some delicate fossils such as bird feathers. These fossils are found within a limestone bed. The foreshore is often covered with mud, and so blocks are no longer commonly found. Within the Bembridge Marls, the laminated mud’s can yield crocodile, turtle, and fish remains. This bed is found at the base of the cliff, and we suggest taking samples home for sieving.

Oligocene,Eocene 33mya

Blocks of the Bembridge Insect beds are quickly split by collectors.

The Bembridge Limestone forms the ledges seen to the South of the bay at Gurnard Point. This is of the lower Bembridge Limestone. Above this and the Bembridge Marls is a series of muds and limestones including the famous Bembridge Insect Bed. At the top of the cliff is the 'Bouldnor Formation'. Only the lower part of the formation is present here which is the Hamstead Member. These beds often slip covering much of the Bembridge Marls and the famous insect bed...[more]

Locations similar to Gurnard Bay

The famous insect bed at this location, is also exposed at Thorness Bay. For more Bembridge Locations, try Bembridge and Bembridge Quarry. If you enjoyed collecting Crocodile and Turtle remains, nearby Hamstead and Yarmouth, are much more productive.

You will need a pick and hammer for any blocks of the insect bed, and if taking samples, a trowel and sample bags would be needed.

Stone Tumblers

Microscopes

Geology Equipment

If you are interested in fossil collecting, then you may also be interested in a stone tumbler (Lapidary). You can polish stones and rocks from the beach which will look fantastic polished using a stone tumbler.

You can polish rough rock and beach glass whilst collecting fossils, on those days where you come back empty handed. These are all high quality machines to give a professional finish to your samples. They can even be used for amber and fossils.

At most locations, you can find microfossils. You only need a small sample of the sand. You then need to wash it in water and sieve using a test sieve. Once the sand is processed, you can then view the contents using a microscope.

We have a wide range of microscopes for sale, you will need a Stereomicroscope for viewing microfossils. The best one we sell is the IMXZ, but a basic microscope will be fine. Once you have found microfossils, you will need to store these microfossils.

UKGE, market leaders in Geological Supplies and Geology Equipment. We supply retail, education, wholesale and trade in the UK, Europe and beyond.

With our wide range of geological hammers and geological picks as well as fossil tools, starter packs and geological chisels.

UKGE is your geological superstore, selling a wide range of field equipment, rocks, minerals, fossils, geological and even microscopy!