Established 2002

Fossil collecting code

Contact details

Written and designed by Roy Shepherd ©2010. Special thanks to my wife Lucinda Shepherd and
friend Robert Randell for their support, and also to the authors whose works have been consulted.

TV appearances

British Isles A Natural History with Amanda Parr (BBC1)

Left: Amanda and I discuss a selection of Jurassic fossils including a giant nautilus. Right: Filming the opening sequence from afar.

British Isles A Natural History, presented by Alan Titchmarsh, provided a journey around Britain examining everything from the snow capped mountains of Scotland to the warm waters on the coast of Cornwall. Each episode featured a regional focus outlining the natural history 'near you'. Quantoxhead on the north coast of Somerset (pictured above) was featured for its fascinating geology and fossils dating from the Early Jurassic epoch. Amanda Parr and myself led a local group of students on a fossil hunt along the coast to reveal the variety of prehistoric life that existed at the time.

Walk This Way with Paul Hendy (ITV2)

Left: Paul and myself discuss the prehistoric life in the seas 45 million years ago. Right: The film crew discuss a sequence featuring the fossils up close.

The ITV series Walk This Way featured a variety of regional presenters introducing walks and sights across the country. Bracklesham Bay (pictured above) was selected for the high volume of fossils that lie scattered on the sandy beach. The ease of finding fossils and lack of dangers made this location a good choice for the programme's family audience.

River Walks with Charlie Dimmock (ITV2)

Left: Charlie and I examine a flint echinoid found on a beach near Littlehampton. Right: Conditions on the day were very pleasant.

The ITV series River Walks featured Charlie Dimmock (among others) investigating local areas of interest. Littlehampton beach (shown above) was chosen for its proximity to the River Arun and the abundant fossils found among the flint pebbles. This particular piece of filming required an explanation of the origins of the flint and how life in the seas during the Late Cretaceous epoch may have looked and behaved.

Britain's Favourite View with Des Lynam (ITV1)

Left: Des and I discuss the erosion taking place along the coast at Seven Sisters. Right: Discussing the abundant fossils in the exposed foreshore.

The ITV series Britain's Favourite View, presented by Sir Trevor McDonald, took the form of a nationwide vote for the public's favourite view. Each episode featured a candidate location, in this instance Seven Sisters in East Sussex, championed by a TV personality with family ties to the area. My role involved explaining to Des the origins of the Chalk and more recent forces that led to the formation of the cliffs we see today.

A Discovering Fossils advertisement

Safety notice: Fossil hunting can at times pose a risk to personal safety, in particular within environments close to the coast, cliffs or in quarries and when using the tools and equipment illustrated. Discovering Fossils provides a free resource to inform you about this fascinating subject and does not accept any liability for decisions made using this information. We recommend all individuals abide by the fossil hunting guidelines available by clicking on the icon at the top of the page.