Fossil hunting events to resume on the Northumberland coast

The first of these will be to Cocklawburn beach, near Berwick, on Wednesday, August 25 starting at 10am.

In amongst the rocks, it is possible to find the fossilised remains of ancient sea-creatures from a 340 million-year-old tropical sea as well as plants from pre-historic coal swamps.

This walk will explore these rocks with expert guidance on finding fossils, what sort of creatures they were and what they can tell us about life in this ancient place.

Dr Ian Kille, who will be leading the walk, said: “It is so good to be back out on the Northumberland coast again.

"My very first experience of geology was hunting for fossils, and I still love the excitement of finding the remains of these ancient creatures.

"They are both beautiful and intriguing and tell stories about the creatures and the world which they lived in. This was a world which was much like our own in the present, with rivers and seas and mountains and lakes, but with very different animals and plants and the seas and mountains in very different positions.”

The walk will be approximately 4km and will involve some scrambling across slippery beach rocks, so good footwear, appropriate clothing and a basic level of fitness is required. Walking poles may be helpful for scrambling on rocks.

The next walk will be to Howick at 10am on Wednesday, September 8.

Booking is essential and details can be found at www.northumbrianearth.co.uk

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