Fossil Hunting On The Jurassic Coast

When I was younger, I had several camping holidays/weekends away with my mum down on the Jurassic coast in Dorset. We spent most days on the beach searching for fossils & I have so many happy memories. So mum & I wanted to take the boys, now they are a little bit older, and can walk a bit further on their own. I cant believe Daniel is almost 4, where has that time gone??

I'm not brave enough to camp with the boys yet, maybe for a night when daddy is with us... So we opted to stay in a static caravan, with all the things we would need to make things easier. There are several holiday parks in the area, but we decided to opt for West Bay. As a child we stayed in either the Lyme or Charmouth areas, but decided on West Bay after seeing it on the popular Broadchurch drama.

The holiday park there is run by Parkdean, however we booked ours through West Bay Caravan Hire who hire out several privately owned caravans. Booking through them worked out cheaper & even more so as we didn't have to purchase entertainment passes. They offered a great service answering my questions very promptly, & our deposit was returned within the week. Its great to know exactly which caravan you are booking & see pictures of that exact van, we could also enter form 2pm which is earlier than any other holiday I've been on.

The famous east cliff at West Bay in the background

In the end we didn't end up spending that much time in West Bay! We went exploring on the first day and the working harbour is picture perfect. To the west there are a couple of pebbly coves however we couldn't walk along any further presumably due to cliff falls. The beach to the east has lots of fine shingle with sand at the waters edge.

We spent our 1st full day at Charmouth, we headed down the east beach (stonebarrow) as this was always the beast for finding fossils in the past. Go on a falling tide as that way you are among the first to see what fossils have uncovered. It is also important to know the tides as the beach is often cut off at high tide. Neither mum or I ever had any success splitting rocks with a hammer & chisel, as even when we found fossils they would be broken or the flattened variety's. Its worth noting that hammering at the cliffs is not permitted & is also dangerous. The best fossils are found lying on the beach.

The view to the east at Charmouth

Along this beach amongst the sand (the black sand is a good place to look) shiny fools gold (pyrite) ammonites can be found. Trace ammonites can also be spotted on the pebbles. We were lucky enough to find one near perfect ammonite & one tiny one that was a little squashed. We also found several belemnite fragments. Other fossils can be found on this beach but these two are the most popular. When I was a child I was lucky enough to find a fossil sharks tooth & my mum found an Ichthyosaur vertebrae. Like these I often find the best fossils are the ones you find when your not really looking!

Pyrite Ammonites

After our day on the beach, we took time to visit the Charmouth Heritage Centre. Its a fantastic free visitor centre with lots of fossils & information. The boys really enjoyed brushing sand away to find fossils & the 2 fish tanks set up to show the sea life found in the rock pools. If you haven't been fossil hunting before take a visit first so you know what to look for, they also offer guided walks (for a fee).

On the second day we enjoyed the playground on the holiday park & then had an early lunch in the caravan. In the afternoon we decided to visit Seatown, just to the east of Charmouth. Its down a small country lane & has a car park (£2 a day) & a popular pub The Anchor. When we visited they were in the process of renovating the pub, but we were still able to enjoy a lovely ice cream as they are still running a small kiosk.

We headed to the west beach & were lucky straight away finding a rock with traces of ammonites in it. We found several others as we walked further up the beach, we also found several belamite fragments when looking through the shingle. We had a lovely afternoon and found the small pebbles easy to walk on and so much cleaner than sand. Please tell me I'm not the only one who's not keen on sand?? At low tide there are some areas of fine shingle & sand.

In fact we enjoyed our afternoon on Seatown beach so much we went again the next day! Again on the west beach we walked further up the beach,carrying Daniel some of the way, before we made 'camp'. One of the things the boys love to do is make a marker so they can tell how much the tide has changed. We used a big stick & held it upright with a few stones. It's a great way of showing the boys how much the sea moves when the tide goes out. We found lots more fossils that day, Trace ammonites, ammonite fragments, belemnite fragments, crinoid fragments & fossil shells

After a picnic lunch Joseph & I walked further up the beach to see what we could find at low tide. Even though we found lots of pyrite we were unlucky in finding a pyrite ammonite at Seatown. We did however find the belemnite bed which had been exposed. It was great to show Joseph how the sea washes the rock away & the belemnites end up on the beach. Its amazing how many there are in each rock.

Belemite bed at Seatown

On the last day of our holiday, after we had packed, we headed to Lyme-Regis. There are several museums to visit there, but as we only had a couple of hours we had a look in a few of the fossil shops. We enjoyed a local pasty for lunch sat on the sea front. We were talking about how unlikely it would be to find a fossil on that part of the beach with so many people there etc, and on our way back to the car park we found one on the last metre of the beach!

Ammonite fund at Lyme Regis

It was a great holiday, with some lovely new memories created for us all!

x Jo x

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Westward Ho! Storm Damage - Beach Exploring

 

We have just come back from a 1/2 term trip to visit my Mum in North Devon. We arrived on Sunday and it was such a lovely day we had a quick lunch & headed straight out for a walk on the beach. Westward Ho! was always our favourite beach when I was a child, I remember many happy days building sand castles, body boarding & rock pooling . Both my Dad & Gran worked on a holiday camp their as well. We last visited North Devon back in August when Mum & I took the boys rock pooling. I can't believe how much difference 6 months makes to a beach. I know we have had some of the worst storms in years but neither mum or I have ever seen Westward Ho! beach like this!

Our Perfect Center Parks Day

View from our room - taken @ Longleat 2007

 We have only been lucky enough to holiday at a center parks village once. It was back in 2007 exactly a year before Joseph was born. We went to Longleat with our friends on bonfire night week. We had an amazing time and I remember seeing lots of children enjoying themselves and hoping we could take our kids one day.  So when the tots 100 January centre parks challenge was to describe our perfect day at centre parks, I knew exactly what we would do.

Daniel (3) loves riding his bike.

 It would be amazing if we were there on Joseph's birthday meaning that the boys could experience the fantastic fireworks display over the lake. We would start our day with a cooked breakfast in our lodge. Then take a leisurely bike ride to the swimming pool, where we could take the boys on the outside rapids river & practise their swimming in the pool.It has to be the best swimming pool I've been too & seeing the new center parks advert reminded me how much fun it was.

View of the outside raids at night (2007)

We would then let Joseph choose somewhere to have some lunch. After that I would take Joseph (& Daniel if he was old enough) horse riding, which I loved when we stayed. time a bit more bike riding and exploring, then we would all go to the pancake house (my favourite)for tea, before the fireworks! After the boys were in bed my husband & I would be able to relax in the lodge, possibly a hot tub if we were lucky!
That really does sound like a perfect day, on a perfect family holiday. I really look forward to introducing the boys to centre parks.

This is my entry to the Center Parcs and Tots 100 January challenge. If I’m chosen, I would like to visit Longleat Village’

x Jo x

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Ashton Court Minature Railway

On the August bank holiday weekend we discovered the railway that we must have driven past hundreds of times & hadn't discovered it on our previous visits to Ashton Court. Ashton Court Miniature Railway has 2 tracks, one raised & the other at ground level, both offering a choice of trains steam, electric & diesel. Each track is approximately 1/3 of a mile long giving a lovely journey including a trip through a tunnel. Tickets cost 70p each with discounts of 5 or more tickets bought. We ended up having to rides each once on each track. The remaining opening dates for 2013 are 22/9, 29/9, 13/10 & 20/10 (all Sundays), unfortunately the Santa special has sold out but I will be looking to get tickets for next year. 

Free Museums

Whilst on the Gromit Unleashed trail this summer we got to experience many parts of Bristol we hadn't ventured to before. One of the highlights for me was the museums. The M-Shed is a museum for the history of Bristol, entry is FREE but they do ask for a donation. Unlike the museums I remember as a kid everything is so hands on with anything not to be touched being well protected, so I was able to let the boys explore freely. They have a real (old) double decker bus, pelican crossing with traffic lights, air raid shelter, old fashioned toys & street games. As we were on the Gromit trail we only had an hour but will be visiting again to discover more. We also plan to time it so that we can take a trip on Bristol's Harbour Railway, as the boys would love to go on a real (steam) train!

We also visited Bristol City Museum in Clifton. Its more of a traditional Museum however it was still family friendly, with a dedicated (play) area for children to explore. The boys loved the dinosaur & sea life areas. Its also worth noting a that as well as a cafe, they also have a picnic room that is available all year around (its tucked away so ask if you can't find it). Entry to Bristol Museum is also FREE, again asking for a donation.

Whilst we were staying at my Mums in Devon, we took the chance to visit Barnstaple Museum. I visited several times as a child & remembered admiring their insect wall. Again everything was family friendly with exhibits designed for children. In the world war area they did have sound effects of bombs, which scared Joseph (4.5) a little, even though it wasn't loud. Barnstaple Museum is also FREE to enter.

During the summer we also took the boys to @Bristol, Bristol's science museum. All though its not free & to be honest a little expensive, I would say its worth it. At their current age (4.5 & 3) it was great fun with lots to play with & lots of buttons etc to test. It will also be great in a couple of years when they can really get the educational benefit from it. Its a full day out, be aware that parking can be expensive. If you want to skip the cafe at lunch time, they have a great picnic room or if its nice lunch in millennium square (just outside) is lovely, but pack a towel as the fountains are a favourite for the kids to play in!

If you would like to find a free museum in your part of the UK check out this listing over on Money Saving Expert.

x Jo x

Rock Pooling In Devon

The boys are really lucky that their Nanny (my mum) lives down in North Davon. We don't get down to visit as often as we'd like and nearly always end up with bad weather! So while we were down visiting last week the forecast wasn't amazing (but it turned out nice grrrr!) so rather than a day on the beach we decided to take the nets down to the rock pools at Westward Ho! I used to love going with my mum & nan as a child, we even used to cook the prawns we caught! I could never do that now! The nets we use live at my mums house with a collection of buckets etc that were mine as a kid.

I was worried about the boys falling on the rocks, so had them wear their trainers & trousers to cover their knees, even though both got soaked! Neither fell on the rocks, however Joseph (4.5) being the clumsy tall child that he is managed to fall over on the concrete slip way while I was getting their lunch out of the bag! He badly grazed all down the left side of his face, but it has healed well thank goodness.

The prawns & sea life that live in the rock pools are very quick & I don't think that the boys caught anything themselves but were more than happy 'fishing' and looking at what Mum & I had caught.

We managed about 10 prawns (varying sizes), lots of winkles (snails), a baby crab & a small fish (possibly a stickleback?). They lived in a seaweed & shell filled bucket whilst we had lunch then we returned them to a similar pool to which we had caught them.

If you go rock pooling please make sure you check the tides & keep an eye on it, getting cut off can be very dangerous. Also please check all your shells no longer have their owners as we accidentally managed to bring home 2 live winkles amongst our shells which Mum took home the next day on the bus after we had gone home. Thanks Mum :-)

x Jo x

Edible Boats

Every summer as part of a local raft race they run an edible boat regatta, with prizes for the best designed boats & also the boats that float the best.  We had a good think about what food items we could use to make our boats & decided to use 1/2 a pineapple for Josephs & 1/2 a melon for Daniels. 

I do confess to giving lots of help making these but i was most impressed by Josephs suggestion of using spaghetti to attach the decorations. I was assuming that wooden skewers & tooth picks would be banned however a winning boat contained them! I also debated weather the melon/pineapple skin would be allowed as not eaten but I'm sure it wouldn't kill you!

For our decoration we used toast cut out using cookie cutters, rice cakes, crackers & writing icing.

The boys were really chuffed with their boats & get a medal just for entering (thank goodness we made 2 boats). The really exciting bit was when everyone put their boats on the lake to see how well they sailed (floated). Ours did very well and lasted at least 10 mins, when I lost sight of them.

It was a great day out & we will be entering again in the future.

x Jo x

this post is an entry in the Centre Parcs August challenge with Tots 100

1st Theatre Trip

So we were lucky enough to win tickets to Dora The Explorer Live form a competition run by Mummy from the hart's blog. We didn't tell the boys until the night before & they were so excited, they love all the shows at Butlins so I knew they would love seeing Dora! It was a great 1st experience of the theatre, we saw the show at the Bristol Hippodrome.

 They both loved looking at the gold detailing & were amazed at how big it was. Next time Joseph (4.5) wants so sit up high & preferably in a box! They both were totally absorbed in the show & sat nicely & loved joining in with the songs & waiving their blue stars when required.

Where's Wallace - Bristol Marriott Royal

Poetry In Motion - Collage Green

 After the show we took the scenic route back to the car & took in a couple of Gromits! We would have seen a third but he has been moved for the weekend, during the Harbour Festival.

Fountain at college green

It was a lovely family afternoon & has given me the confidence to take them again (maybe on my own!) perhaps the Xmas panto.

x Jo x

Suspension Bridge & More Gromits

To make the most of this lovely weather we have been having here in the UK, we decided to tick off one of our to do's which is a picnic on Clifton Downs. I haven't been since I
was a child on a school trip, which is terrible since i have been living in the area for over 10 years now!

As Daddy was busy at lunch time we packed the picnic for tea, to enjoy after some sight seeing in the afternoon. And we just happened to be in a good Gromit spotting area! We found the 2 up on Durdham Downs. These have got to be our favourite's so far, with the boys liking the extra legs on 'It's Krackin, Gromit' & I thought 'Blossom' was beautiful.

We then headed down to Clifton Suspension Bridge. This was the first chance the boys have had to walk across the bridge, It has some really amazing views of Bristol.

We then headed down Sion Hill, to find another 2 Gromits. Both Gromits have great views of the bridge.

Once we had finished Gromit hunting we grabbed the picnic from the car & went to find some shade, at the little park to the side of the bridge. It made a real change to have a picnic for tea & worked really well in this hot weather.

After tea the boys had a good run around the park which includes this really cool rock slide, Daddy was worried for their safety so they were limited to the smaller slide. However it cant be too dangerous else the health & safety people would have shut it down years ago!

It was a lovely afternoon out & all it cost was 50p to cross the bridge, as the boys wanted to drive that way back home!

x Jo x

W.S.M Water Adventure Park & Sand Sculptures

Weston Water Adventure Park is on the Knightstone end of Weston sea front. It used to be free, then last summer it was £1 per child in the school holidays. It has now increased to £1.50 per child all summer long. To be honest I don't mind its a nice park & worth paying to get in. It has 2 areas of parks one aimed at smaller children and a castle area designed for older kids. Joseph (4.5) & Daniel (3) enjoy both areas. But they really love the splash park, we usually take the boys wet suits as it is cold & this means they can stay in a little longer! We also find that they engage more & have fun if we take a small bucket or scoop for them to collect & pour water with.

I was really disappointed that we were refused entry with our cool bag, we have always taken a picnic in previous years, it makes a nice family day out & means that we can then afford to buy the boys an ice cream after lunch. So we turned around & had our picnic on the beach, which would have been nice if it was a little less windy that day!. To be honest we were so disappointed that had we not have promised the boys that we were going we would have not bothered going in. 

After lunch we returned the outlawed picnic bag to the car & paid our money & entered the park, only to discover that about 90% of the family's in the park had managed to smuggle there picnic past the picnic police! 

While there I took a look at the councils food provider 'the kiosk' the name just about says it all,other than the usual ice creams & snacks all I could see were sausage rolls, hot dogs & one type of jacket potato & by the look of the place I'm not sure if i could have trusted that they were going to be good quality enough to be worth paying for. I feel if the council are banning picnics then they need to provide a decent cafe serving a large range of healthy foods.

I have made our complaint to Weston Town Council & I will add there response to the bottom of my post. 

After lots of fun at the park we walked along the sea front to the Weston Sand Sculpture Festival. None of us had been before so we didn't know what to expect, but we all had a nice time. At the beginning there are a series of displays showing how they make a sand sculpture, then you move on to the big sculptures made by a lots of talented artists. The sculptures are open daily until the end of September.

The theme for 2013 is Hollywood so there were lots of familiar faces from the movies. The boys favourite was Toy Story! At the end they have a small cafe so Daddy & I enjoyed a hot drink while the boys played in the sand pit. It's worth a visit but will only take an hour so combined with a trip somewhere else in Weston, like the beach, pier or water park makes a nice day out.

As you can see the reason I'm not in many pics is that Daddy isn't very good at taking them!

x Jo x

P.s. Don't forget to enter the competition to win 2 of  my bandana bibs HERE


Weston Town Councils reply:

Dear Jo,

 

Thanks for the information re the Park which I will pass on to our Head Groundsman. I also appreciate your very fair comment about the £1.50 charge, we do think it is good value for money compared to most alternative attractions and helps fund the attendants who look after the Park, pick litter etc. The Water Park was paid for and is subsidised by Weston council tax payers so we do feel users should make some contribution towards the cost of running the Water Park at peak times.

 

Car parks are run by North Somerset Council and charges are set by them.  The Town Council has lobbied North Somerset about the cost of car parking in the town which (unlike the Water park which is subsidised overall) does net North Somerset a significant profit. If you don’t mind a short walk might I suggest the Madiera Road Car Park at the North end of the sea front by Prince Consort Gardens, which is £1.50 for up to 4 hours or £3 all day.

 

As regards the picnic ban, this was brought in by a previous set of Councillors in 2010, before the 2011 elections at which the current Town Council were elected. There were two reasons for this which I will pass on. Firstly because of litter being brought in, including glass bottles which could be a danger to little bare feet. Secondly because the Council was providing a Kiosk, though a concessionaire, which does help towards funding of the Park and the Council needed this to be viable.

 

We have decided not to aggressively enforce the picnic ban but do have a word with anyone obviously bringing in a picnic. I would add as a practical solution that the Park is open all day and having paid for admission, people are free to leave and return throughout the same day without paying again. So you do have the option of leaving, sitting on the beach or sea front for your picnic, and then returning. Having said that I admit the picnic ban has been controversial. I understand that having to purchase lunch does add to the costs of a visit and remember when my Children were young we almost always packed sandwiches for a family trip. I cannot promise what they would decide but it is possible that the current Council could be persuaded to take a different view. There is a meeting of the Community Services Committee on 1^st July which might, if it had been asked to by a member of the public, review the ban. Would you like me to let councillors know about your complaint?

 

Regards,

 

Malcolm

 

Malcolm L Nicholson LLB DMS AILCM