Capel Green, fossils and fossil collecting
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This recently cleared pit at Capel Green provides an excellent opportunity to collect Red Crag Shells. It is next to the road, disused but has two large clear faces full of shells. In addition, shells can be collected from the quarry floor or nearby heap. Evidence of cross bedding is also clearly visible. |
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Not for Children
Quarries either working or disused are no places for children as they present many dangers. |
Very good Access
Capel Green is easy to find, you can park opposite the disused quarry, and walk straight in. There is a slope that you need to descend but it is not too steep. |
Disused Quarry
Fossils are found either on the quarry floor, in the cliff face or heap of shells. We recommend collecting from the floor since it is easier to find shells and much safer. |
Possible Restrictions
Although this pit is disused, and along the roadside with easy access, restrictions may apply. If you enter this site, you do so at your own risk. For groups and societies, you should try to seek the owner of this site. |
Although there are no major safety issues at this site, but please follow the country code. Please use common sense at all locations. Please be aware, the cliff could collapse at any moment, please do not dig into the cliff face. |
| Last updated: |
2008 |
| last visited: |
2008 |
| Written by: |
Alister and Alison Cruickshanks |
For other Red Crag locations, you should try, Neutral Farm Pit, Walton-on-Naze and Ramsholt as first locations of choice, with Bawdsey, Alderton and Wrabness as second choices.
If you enjoy collecting fossil shells, there are many other sites for collecting in Suffolk from other types of crag including the Norwich Crag, Coralline Crag and in Norfolk, the Wroxham Crag.
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Capel Green is rich in Red Crag shells, one of the most common finds is the bivalve Macoma, but gastropods are also very common here.
Shells are best collected from the quarry floor where the rain has washed them out and they are easier to see. You can also collect from the shell heap, which would make safer collecting, but the cliff faces also have rich shell beds. Be sure to take some paper to wrap your finds and containers to put them in.
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The pit at Capel Green is of Pliocene age being the Red Crag. This crag is coarse-grained, poorly sorted with cross-bedded abundantly shelly sand. Cross bedding can be seen clearly in the first cliff face. There is also a thin layer of clay separating upper and lower shell beds at the second face. ...[more]
Red Crag shell beds with cross-bedding clearly visible.
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Stone Tumblers |
Microscopes |
Geological Supplies |
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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UKGE, the owners of UK Fossils, are your market leader for Geological Supplies and Geology Equipment. Suppling Retail, Education and Trade in the UK, Europe and beyond.
We sell a wide range of geological hammer and geological picks as well as fossil tools, starter packs and geological chisels.
UKGE is your geological superstore, selling a wide range of field equipment, rocks, minerals, fossils, geological and even microscopy! |
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