Perryfield Quarry fossils and fossil collecting
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 Follow signs to the Isle of Portland from Weymouth and once you are on the island, you will drive through Fortuneswell, follow the road from here to Easton, take the Eastern Road towards the museum and continue down the eastern side of the Island.
There is car park just before Perryfield Quarry, you can park here, or enter the quarry if permission has been given.
Access to this quarry requires permission from the quarry owners, you will need to contact them prior to your trip to arrange such permission. You will require a hard hat, high visibility jacket and steel-toe-cap boots to enter.
GRID REF: 50.53860°N, 2.43302°W
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Low
Fossils at Perryfield Quarry are not common since the best fossils such as the ammonites are sold. However bivalves and trace fossils can be found.
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Not for Children
Working quarries can be dangerious places and therefore children are not allowed at this location. Generally, most quarries will not allow anyone under the age of 16 to enter due to health and safety. |
Working Quarry
This is a working quarry, fossils can be found from the loose waste blocks which are not reserved for building stone.
Keep away from machinery and obtain permission before you enter. |
Permission Required
You will need permission to enter this quarry, permission can be gained by contacting the quarry manager.
01305 820207
Portland Quarry, Bumpers Lane, Wakeham, Portland, Dorset, DT1 1HY
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Common sense when collecting at all locations should be taken. With all quarry locations, you must follow strict health and safety requirements. These requirements are that you must wear a high visibility jacket and hard hat at all times. Steel toe-cap boots are required by most quarries. |
Accommodation
Seaview
Family run bed & breakfast, comfortable non-smoking accommodation with tea & coffee making facilities and networked & wireless broadband in all rooms. Open all year. Private parking.
151 Weston Street, Portland, DT52DG
Tel: 01305 821573
If you would like to advertise on this page, please 'contact us'.
£10/Year or 'FREE' for return links from accommodation website pages. |
Last updated:
last visited:
Written by: |
11/03/08
2008
Alister and Alison Cruickshanks
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As soon as you enter the quarry, you will see the giant ammonite below, these do occur at this quarry, but most are sold once they are found or are broken.
Bivalves (Laevitrigonia gibbosa, Myophorella incurva, Protocardia dissimilus, Camptonectes lamellosus and Pleuromya tellina) and trace fossils of worm burrows, are easily collected from the Basal Shell Bed along with several different species of gastropods. Near the top of the Portland sequence, is a layer of algal stools which can be up to half a metre in diametre.
Giant fossil ammonite from Perryfield Quarry
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The Portland Stone is well known all over the world as a building stone. The Isle of Portland has quarried this stone for many years and continues to do so today, Perryfield Quarry is a well known quarry on the Island and one which has been going for a considerable length of time. This quarry did close for a while, but re-opened due to the demand for the stone. The stone used in the building of 'Waterloo Bridge' came from this quarry.
The Purbeck Beds are now covered in rubble but once made the top most part of the quarry.....[more]
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Most of the fossils at Perryfield Quarry are found by in the hard Portland Stone. You will need a good quality hammer and chisel to get any fossils out. A Crack hammer is recommended at this location, you will also need a hard hat, high visibility vest and boots with steel toe-caps....[more] |
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Other Locations similar to Perryfield Quarry
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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.
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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 certificated to EU Standards. |
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