Newhaven fossils and fossil collecting
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Medium
Within some blocks many specimens of Offaster can be found upon splitting the chalk at Newhaven. Also found are Echinocorys echinoids as well as bryozoans, corals, sponges and brachiopods, among other things.
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Supervised Children
There is a car park next to the beach at Newhaven and few hazards in the area nearest to it. Further on there are boulders to clamber over, which children may find hard going. Care must be taken near the cliffs, and the foreshore can be slippery.
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Good Access
The fossil collecting area at Newhaven is a short walk from the car park. At first it is easy to navigate the wave cut platform but there are many boulders further on and in places the rocks are slippery.
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Foreshore/Boulders
Fossils at Newhaven can be found in the chalk of the foreshore and also within boulders. The cliffs should be avoided however.
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No Restrictions
There is an area of nature reserve next to the car park but the rest of the beach has no restrictions.
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Newhaven
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 |
There are obvious dangers from the cliffs, so keep a safe distance from them. In some places weed on the foreshore makes it slippery. It is possible to become cut off here so make sure you collect on a retreating tide. Mobile phone signals may be lost, so make sure someone knows where you have gone and what time you expect to be back. |
Last updated:
last visited:
Written by: |
25/04/08
2008
Joe Shimmin |
 
Other Locations similar to Newhaven
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In Sussex, there are many excellent locations for collecting chalk fossils. Newhaven, Seaford, Eastbourne, Seven Sisters, Peacehaven and Beachy Head.
Kent also has some excellent locations, including Dumpton, Kingsgate, Birchington, Samphire Hoe, Pegwell Bay, Dover and St Margarets Bay.
You can also find middle chalk at Hookend Cliff, and Pinhay Bay in Devon, and at Hunstanton in Norfolk.
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Look out for chalk blocks which have numerous small, cut echinoids on their surfaces. If you break these open you should be able to find numerous specimens of Offaster pilula.
In the chalk of the foreshore you will see many specimens of Echinocorys. Nearly all of these have been cut by erosion but if you look hard enough, complete specimens will be found. Bryzoa, brachiopods, crinoid pieces, bivalves and more can also be found. This is a diverse and productive location.
Fresh Rock Fall
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Cretaceous, 80mya |
At Newhaven, the chalk is of Campanian age. At the base of the cliff, the lowest beds of the Newhaven Group are present, with Peacehaven Chalk and the Meeching Marls above this, all part of the same group.
The uppermost chalk is the Culver Chalk. A quaternary pipe fill is also clearly visible cutting through the Culver Chalk and top of the Meeching Marls. London Clay and other palaeocene deposits make up the very top of the cliff, and is why the cliff is yellow in areas, as rain washes these deposits down the cliff face...[more]
Geological Succession at Newheaven
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Related Books |
Microscopes |
Test Sieves for Microfossils |
 Fossils of the Chalk
A fantastic book covering the chalk of the UK. This book covers most of the fossils that can be found in the chalk. It is a fully illustrated guide. This is the second edition of this popular book and is available from our own UK Fosils/UKGE Store.
All of our books have FREE UK Delivery, We have hundreds of geological books for sale.
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At Newhaven, you can find Microfossils from the chalk. They are much easier to collect because they are so small that you only need a small amount of chalk sample. You then need to break it down in water and view using a microscope to view these.
Chalk is actually composed of fossil shells, so you only need a small amount of sample on your microscope.
We have a wide range of microscopes for sale, you will need a Stereo microscope for viewing microfossils.
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Test Sieves are used when searching for microfossils. We recommend that you use a test sieve with water at different levels. Test sieves for chalk fossils should be 300 microns, and 500 microns.
Our UKGE Store sells Endecotts Test Sieves, which are the highest in accuracy and extremely durable and long lasting. These Test Sieves are fantastic for microfossils. Endecotts Test Sieves come in a variety of sizes, frame material and types, they are fully certificated to EU Standards. |
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Our International Rock
and Fossil Magazine |
 
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The car park can be reached by driving to the end of Fort Road, on the west bank of the River Ouse estuary. Parking costs £2.00.
