Burley Hill fossils and fossil collecting
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Medium
Fossils are quite common from this location and the three sites give plenty of location for collecting here.
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Suitable for Children
Site is suitable for children but keep a eye on them anywhere near the quarry workings (good fence by the site but lower down access can be gained via the public footpath). |
Good Access
There is a walk to the sites within the location, but its not too far and access is good. This location can be difficult to locate, so we recommend maps or GPS. Recommended is the Miner Arms in Maeshafn village for light refreshments, real ales and food. |
Spoil Heap, Outcrops, amd Cuttings.
There are three sites within this location where you can find fossil. The first is a small cutting by the footpath, the second is a scattered scree slope and the third is the hillside above these. |
No Restrictions
The nature reserve is an open access area with areas of woodland and upland heath. The sites are along public footpaths. |
This site is generally safe, but please follow the countryside rules. Take litter home with you, and stick to the public footpaths. If using hammers, please ensure you wear goggles. Keep away from the quarry. |
Last updated:
last visited:
Written by: |
25/07/08
2008
Hoppy |
Other Locations similar to Burley Hill
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Burley Hill is an excellent location for corals, other similar locations for Carboniferous Corals are;Parkhouse Hill, Castleton, Portishead, Weston-Super-Mare in Avon. In Derbyshire, you can find corals from Monsal Dale
In South West Wales, you can also find Silurian Corals from Freshwater East, Marloes Sands. Mortimer Forest, Shadwell Quarry, Upper Millichope , Llanymynech Quarry, and Wenlock Quarry, Wenlock Edge
in the Shropshire District. Along the South West Coast, you can also collect Devonian Corals from Torquay along Hopes Nose and Daddy Hole. In Scotland, you can also find corals at St Monans. From Wales, Carboniferous Corals can be found at Lydstep Headland, Moel Findeg, Prestatyn Hillside, West Angle Bay, Caim, Halkyn, Great Ormes Head, Red Wharf Bay, Prestatyn, Llangollen, and Manorbier Bay.
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Location A: The small cutting.
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The site comprises of several different areas with various fossils also being found on the quarry access road and in the various limestone walls and scattered blocks in the general area. Of note: Site A is a small cutting by the footpath. Site B is a scattered scree slope. Site C is hillside above these. Locations are detailed in the 'where is it?' page found under the location summary section.
Corals, brachiopods and crinoids can be found. Weathering of the limestone can reveal exceptional detail of corals in particular. Find frequency is high though quality of specimens is not so good.
Location B: The scattered scree slope
Location C: The hillside above
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Carboniferous, 330mya |
The carboniferous limestone has been quarried for many years for crushed rock aggregate. This formed under a warm shallow sea....[more]
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Stone Tumblers |
Compasses |
Test Sieves for Microfossils |
At Burley Hill, there are coral stones which
will look fantastic polished using a stone tumbler. Rough rock works very well in tumblers, and this will give corals a fantasitc smooth look. On coastal locations, you can find coral pebbles on the beach, rolled and tumbled naturally by the sea.
You can also 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. |
When visiting locations such as Budleigh Salterton, a compass is most handy. A compass is a navigational instrument that enables you to find directions on the Earth. compasses consist of a magnetised pointer which moved to align itself accurately with the Earth's magnetic field. The cardinal compass points are north, south, east and west. Compasses are mostly enclosed with liquid compass in which a needle floats. Any instrument with a magnetised bar or a needle turning freely upon a pivot and pointing in a northerly and southerly direction can be considered a compass.
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Test Sieves are used when searching for microfossils. Microfossils can be found in many locations, and all you need is a small amount of sample such as clays, sands and shales, or if you have acid, limestone, oolite or chalk.
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 fossil locality is on the hillside above the eastern edge of Burley Hill Quarry just off the public footpath. 
