Castleton Fossils and Fossil Collecting
Your Derbyshire Geological Guide and Geology Info

Castleton has long been known for its Carboniferous limestone, its caves and for the Blue John semi-precious stone mined here. Much of the area is owned by the National trust and is designated an SSSI. Unfortunately this means that fossils can only be observed and must not be collected.

Rock outcrops contain limestone reef fossils such as crinoid parts, brachiopods and corals. There are also loose rocks, some of which contain fossils. Small pieces of Blue John stone are sometimes found.

(Suitable for Children)

This is a fair walk with some steep areas. The two caves encountered en-route provide excellent stop-off points however, and are guaranteed to impress all who enter.

The route follows a public footpath. In some places there are steep steps and rises in the path but these should be easily tackled by anyone of moderate fitness. The rock outcrops are to be found a little distance from the path, in some cases with a fairly steep gradient in between.

Rock Outcrop Scree

Fossiliferous rocks are found loose and also as outcrops above the path. Blue John is found in small pieces within the path itself and loose in areas where soil is exposed.

SSSI

There is a public footpath to follow. Rocks and fossils may be observed but collecting is prohibited.

Other Locations similar to Castleton

Castleton is an excellent location for corals, other similar locations for Carboniferous Corals are;Parkhouse Hill, Portishead, Weston-Super-Mare in Avon. 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 South Wales, Carboniferous Corals can be found at Lydstep Headland, West Angle Bay and Manorbier Bay.

For Corals from Younger period, the Coralline Crag at Ramsholt makes ideal collecting.