Nene Online

Fossil Hunting in the Nene area

http://www.neneonline.co.uk

02:16 09-Sep-2010


Fossil Hunting in Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire

Fossil hunting is very exciting, but it’s more exciting when you are actually holding a fossil within your hand. You are holding a piece of history that is older than any single person can fathom. It tells a story and simply fills you with fascination, which is why everyone should be into fossil hunting at some time or another. Fossil hunting is both fun and educational, which is why it makes for a great family activity.

But when it comes to fossil hunting in Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire, and Cambridgeshire, where are the best places to go fossil hunting? Where is it that you can find a fossil that you can hold in your hand and let history run away with you? If you don’t know, here are some of the areas where you can go fossil hunting and find success:

  • In Northamptonshire, you can go fossil hunting along the Ironstone Trail. Individuals have found many fossils of shellfish in this area. Northamptonshire isn’t considered England’s “Jurassic County” for nothing.
  • You can go fossil hunting around the coast of Lincolnshire. There are many fossils just lying there waiting to be picked up. This can make fossil hunting very exciting, especially for children. Fossil hunting is especially exciting around the bi-valves Gryphea and in the coral.
  • When fossil hunting in Cambridgeshire, the best places to find them are at Kings Dyke and Yaxley. These areas are similar to Grafham when fossil hunting. You’ll be able to find such fossils as ammonites and belemnites. You can also find shells when fossil hunting, but when you’re having a lucky day, you’ll be able to find reptile fossils or even fish remains that have been fossilised. This is a goal when fossil hunting and you can reach that goal when in the Cambridgeshire area.
Other places you can go fossil hunting are on beaches, cliffs, on quarry floors for the best fossil hunting, in scree slopes, cliff faces, river banks for easy fossil hunting, soil heaps, small streams, farm fields for a fossil hunting challenge, sea walls, landfills, and even trees have fossils embedded in them. There are so many places to go fossil hunting that your head will literally spin out of control due to the adventure and excitement fossil hunting brings.

And when fossil hunting, make sure you have the right fossil hunting tools. Not sure what you need? Here are the most common fossil hunting tools that you will need:

  • A shovel to help you dig out the fossils when they are embedded in the ground
  • Gloves to protect your hands from the rock and rough terrain you’ll dig through
  • A sifter to help you find the smallest of fossils when fossil hunting
  • A prying bar when you need to pry a fossil out of the ground or a hillside
  • A chisel so that you can dig out those smaller fossils when fossil hunting
When fossil hunting in the right location with the right tools, you will be having a blast in no time. Fossil hunting is a great adventure for individuals and for families, so make sure you make an outing of it.