Stonebarrow Fossils

Stonebarrow Fossils Fossils I have found and prepared from the Jurassic coast, Dorset, UK - some are available for sale on my website: www.stonebarrowfossils.co.uk

Fossils from the Jurassic coast found and prepared by Lizzie Hingley.

07/09/2026

This stone had been broken on Charmouth beach in the past, quite possibly by myself! With a recent break, it didn't look too promising, most of these stones are too hard to prepare with air abrasives and the ammonites won't 'pop' with a hammer blow well, they lack an external shell.

I hadn't found too much on the day so thought I'd take a chance on it and took it to the workshop to see if I could prep it.

Really happy I did, the rock was soft enough to prep :) full of Arnioceras ammonites, I don't find many of these pieces but I wish I did!


The cliffs of Charmouth beach hold millions of years of history, showing over 5 million years of the evolution of ammoni...
30/08/2026

The cliffs of Charmouth beach hold millions of years of history, showing over 5 million years of the evolution of ammonites in their layers - these ammonites populated our Jurassic seas 195 million years ago :)

It's been a exceptionally long, hot summer here on the Jurassic coast, I've spent most of it in my workshop preparing some of the winters finds.

I've just updated my website with some new pieces :) all found on Charmouth beach (with the exception of one that snuck in from Lyme Regis :) )





When I found this worn septarian nodule on Charmouth beach I could see the signs of ammonites around the outside and hop...
20/08/2026

When I found this worn septarian nodule on Charmouth beach I could see the signs of ammonites around the outside and hoped that it would be full of them :)

Luckily I was right (this is not always the case!)

The partial nodule is full of hundreds of ammonites, Xipheroceras, Promicroceras, Asteroceras and Cymbites. They were alive in the Jurassic seas 195 million years ago and laid to rest on the sea floor. Probably washing against a piece of wood (although this is not present in this waterworn part of the nodule).

I have been busy preparing lots of new fossils over the summer for my impending website update - on the 30th of August at 10am BST :)

21/07/2026

This stone showed absolutely no signs of ammonites on the outside when I found it on Charmouth beach.

Occasionally I just like the shape of the nodule and hope for some ammonites to be inside, usually I'm wrong. But in this case the stone was packed with them!
I prefer to avoid using a hammer where possible as one tiny bit of rock lost and the nodule will never be as it was.

Larger Caenisites and Microderoceras are accompanied by Promicroceras and Cymbites. These ammonites were washed into a depression in the sea floor 195 million years ago and preserved together.

14/07/2026

Green ammonite nodules are only found on a few miles of coastline on the Jurassic coast and are some of the most fun to prepare :)

When it's the right size and shape, they almost always contain a ammonite - but you don't know which one until you prep them.

This Androgynoceras ammonite has been sat hidden in its rock for many millions of years after it's demise 195 million years ago, waiting to be collected.

I'm very happy I found it :)



Pyrite ammonites are often the first fossil found on a visit to the beaches of Charmouth and Lyme Regis, for most peopl...
05/07/2026

Pyrite ammonites are often the first fossil found on a visit to the beaches of Charmouth and Lyme Regis, for most people they ignite the spark of searching for fossils!

So perfect when they are washed from the clays - they require very little preparation. In the right conditions many of them can be found in a day - but the beach has it's own seasons - landslides, waves and tides can mean one day there's lots, another they are all buried under the sand.

If the ammonites are not collected they are quickly destroyed by the same elements that expose them.

I've just uploaded over 200 pyrite ammonites to my Etsy shop :)





28/06/2026

When I found this stone in a rock pool on Charmouth beach, I took a chance on it and collected it. I could see ammonites wearing out of the back of it but wasn't too sure if it would prepare well. Often these things don't.

I was very happy to find that it was a very unusual Arnioceras ammonite bed with exceptional preservation - they usually travel solo or with one or two friends in this type of rock :)

23/06/2026

Often when fossil hunting on Charmouth beach you come across ammonites which have been damaged by exposure to the elements for too long. The aim is to save them before this happens, otherwise their 195 million year journey is forgotten and they are turned to dust.

However, very occasionally, the beach does help a little. Making pieces like this possible. Another day or two in the active beach system and the sand and waves would have destroyed it.

One side of this Xipheroceras ammonite was eroded but the other side was safely still encased in it's limestone matrix. I removed this by using iron powder air abrasive.

When a light is shone behind it, it's beautiful red and orange tones shine though, coloured by the calcite and minerals that have replaced the ammonite over time :)

If you stay watching for long enough you will see a sped up video of the abrasive preparation of this piece.




Charmouth beach is on the world famous Jurassic coast, Dorset, UK, with an abundance of fossils - it provides a glimpse ...
21/06/2026

Charmouth beach is on the world famous Jurassic coast, Dorset, UK, with an abundance of fossils - it provides a glimpse of life in the sea around 195 million years ago. There was certainly a lot of it, especially ammonites!

I've just uploaded some new pieces I have found and prepared to my website, a small post fossil festival update :) the link to my website is in the comments below.


When I started preparing this green ammonite nodule that I found on Charmouth beach, I discovered a Oistoceras hiding i...
17/06/2026

When I started preparing this green ammonite nodule that I found on Charmouth beach, I discovered a Oistoceras hiding inside. It was just 1cm from the top of the nodule which wasn't ideal for a more traditional prep job. So I had some fun with it :)

Although it's not everyone's cup of tea, I really enjoy the challenge of doing something a bit more creative with more common ammonites which create a challenge!
I took some matrix away from the back of the ammonite to show the brilliant orange translucence when a bright light is shined behind it - this is caused by the calcite preservation and minerals present.

I'm doing a small post fossil festival website update, this coming Sunday, the 21st of June at 10am BST
The next big update is in August :)

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