Llangollen fossils and fossil collecting

Parking is found approximately three miles north of Llangollen at the northern end of the escarpment.
From the car park follow the road to your right downwards to the ford and then follow it west. As you walk you will see scree on the slopes and where safe this can be investigated in search of fossils.
Walk along the path until it descends to the road. From here you can turn around and retrace your steps or you can walk back to the car park along the road.

GRID REF: 52.98202°N, 3.15133°W

Corals, Brachiopods, Gastropods, Gonatites

Carboniferous Limestone scenery heaven! About a mile north of Llangollen, the Eglwyseg escarpment presents some really fantastic views. What’s more, among the huge amount of scree that covers its scarp slope, fossil brachiopods and corals can be found.

Medium

As a great thickness of Carboniferous Limestone strata can be investigated along the escarpment, it is not surprising that fossil types and abundances vary from place to place. In some areas finds are very low, in others they are higher.

Supervised Children

There is a well marked path along the side of the escarpment but in places this is thin and there are fairly steep slopes to one side. The scree can be loose, so children should be well supervised.

Fair Access

Fossils are found along a well marked path but to fully investigate the location a walk of several miles is required. The path and the nature of the scree will not appeal to everyone. The car park at the northern end of the escarpment can be difficult to find from Llangollen.

Scree on hillside

Fossils are found amongst scree on the sides of the Offa’s Dyke Path, on the escarpment’s scarp slope.

SSSI - No Hammering

This is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and, as such, no hammering should be carried out.

A large portion of the escarpment is traversed by the Offa’s Dyke Path and as such is free to access. However, the path does eventually descend to the road and at this point you should walk back to the car park as there is no public access along the rest of the scarp slope.

This is a remote location and, as such, visiting singularly is not advised. Mobile phone signals may be lost in this area, so it is important that you tell someone where you are going and what time you expect to be back. Some areas of scree may be unstable - you should not attempt to climb any steep areas. As the walk is fairly long, taking refreshments is definitely recommended!

Last updated:	2008
last visited:	2008
Written by:	Joe Shimmin

Other Locations similar to Llangollen

Llangollen 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, West Angle Bay, Caim, Halkyn, Great Ormes Head, Red Wharf Bay, Prestatyn, Llangollen, and Manorbier Bay.


The Eglwyseg escarpment is approximately 4 miles long. However, the portion of the Offa’s Dyke Path from which the scree can be explored is only half as long, as the path follows a road at the base of the escarpment’s southern end. From the car park at the northern end of the escarpment, follow the road to your right downwards to the ford and then follow it west. As you walk you will see scree on the slopes and where safe this can be investigated in search of fossils. The most common fossils to be found are brachiopods and corals. These will be more abundant in some areas than others. Walk along the path until it descends to the road. From here you can turn around and retrace your steps or you can walk back to the car park along the road.

Carboniferous, 330mya

TThe Carboniferous Limestone Series at Llangollen is of Visean age. It is part of the Clwyd Limestone Group, This is around 330 million years old. This is a diverse range of limestone facies with subordinate sandstone and mudstone units, and exhibiting local dolomitisation. Records the initiation and growth of a carbonate platform along the northern flank of the Wales-Brabant Massif...[more]

How life in the oceans would have looked at Llangollen 350mya
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Brachiopod....[more]

Geological Tools

This is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and, as such, no hammering should be carried out. If you are going to collect specimens you will need a bag and packing material, but please keep collecting to a minimum. Sturdy walking boots are required, along with a drink and a snack as the walk is fairly long. A camera will come in handy as this is a very beautiful location.

Stone Tumblers

Microscopes

Test Sieves for Microfossils

If you are interested in fossil collecting, then you may also be interested in a stone tumbler (Lapidary). You can polish stones and rocks from the beach which will look fantastic polished using a stone tumbler.

You can 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. They can even be used for amber and fossils.

At most locations, you can find microfossils. You only need a small sample of the sand. You then need to wash it in water and sieve using a test sieve. Once the sand is processed, you can then view the contents using a microscope.

We have a wide range of microscopes for sale, you will need a Stereomicroscope for viewing microfossils. The best one we sell is the IMXZ, but a basic microscope will be fine. Once you have found microfossils, you will need to store these microfossils.

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 certificated to EU Standards.