Conditions guidance only. Cliffs are dangerous — never dig in or stand near them.
Check tide times locally and tell someone where you're going.
Safety page
Search the London Clay foreshore for rounded brown nodules and pyrite fossils lying on the washed surface — but only on firm ground, never out on the open mudflats. The freshest material appears after a north-easterly blow.
What fossils look like here
Shark teeth are glossy, dark and triangular — usually under an inch, lying in the low-water gravel. Pyrite fossils look like brassy twigs. Rounded brown nodules with rusty cracks can hide crabs and turtle bone. Identification: photograph finds for the Natural History Museum's identification service.
Allowed: Loose fossils from the beach and foreshore may be kept; sieving loose gravel is fine.
Never allowed: No digging into the cliffs or sea defences on this SSSI coast.
Important finds: Unusual finds (bird bones, complete crabs, turtle material) are scientifically valuable — photograph them for the Natural History Museum.
Rules can change — check locally before you collect.
Limited parking at Warden Bay / Warden Springs area.
Facilities
Very little nearby — bring everything you need.
Access
Access points change as the cliff erodes; follow current signed paths down.
Hazards
The London Clay foreshore hides deep, dangerous mud that has trapped collectors — test every step and never cross the open mudflats. Actively collapsing cliffs; go on a falling tide only.