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Field Trip Localities

Yaverland Beach

The coast between Yaverland and Culver Cliff forms the northern end of Sandown Bay. The cliffs expose a sequence of Cretaceous strata (123 to 90 million years old) containing many different fossils, which are washed out onto the beach. These include occasional pieces of dinosaur bone, fossilised oyster shells, water snails and fossilised wood. You will see and handle most types of sedimentary rock on this beach, including clay, mudstone, sandstone and chalk. Unfortunately we cannot use this beach if the tide is in. This sandy beach is easy to walk on, but access is via a short set of steps. It is just 10 minutes walk away from Dinosaur Isle. There are public toilets nearby.
Events

St Catherine's Point

This beach at the southern tip of the Island is composed of sandstone, chalk and chert boulders (110 to 90 million years old) which are rich in fossils, including ammonites and shells. Formed during ancient landslips, it is a very beautiful area to collect fossils from, and can be accessed even at high tide. St Catherine’s Point is located approximately 40 minutes away by coach. The beach itself is approximately 15 minutes walk downhill from the drop-off point at The Buddle Inn. At least 25 minutes should be allowed for the climb back. There are no public toilets at St. Catherine’s Point.

Shanklin Beach

This beach is approximately 15 minutes away by coach. Like Yaverland, it can only be used on a falling tide. Sandstone boulders on the beach contain fossilised shells and fossilised wood is common.The tidal conditions for the time of your booking will affect your fieldtrip location. Please call us to find the best time to come if you want to visit Yaverland or Shanklin beaches. For convenience, coaches are recommended for all trips except Yaverland Beach.

Brook and Compton Bays

This is a new site for schools. It is located on the south-west side of the Island near Brook, not far from Freshwater. The beach and cliffs are comprised of similar rocks to those at Yaverland, but here there are the oldest rocks on the Island at about 126 million years of age. Numerous large sandstone boulders record the footprints of giant dinosaurs that previously roamed the area in the early Cretaceous. This is an ideal site if a school wishes to follow their field trip with a visit to sites in the west Wight, eg the Needles Battery, Tennyson Down or Alum Bay. It would also be possible to visit this site on one day and the museum on another. A coach will be required to get to the site.

Risk Assessments are available on our Useful Information page. Teachers will need to produce their own assessments prior to a visit. We recommend a pre-visit.

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Millenium Commission

Dinosaur Isle,
Culver Parade,
Sandown,
Isle of Wight
PO36 8QA

Tel: +44 (0)1983 404344
Fax: +44 (0)1983 407502