Wainlode Cliff fossils and fossil collecting

From the A38 at Norton, take the road through Norton village and then to Bishops Norton. Continue along the road which will descend a steep hill, round the bend you will see a large pub with a large car park and tables outside.
Part of the car park is for customers of the pub only, so use the park that is not signposted to this affect. This location can be very busy at weekends and evenings as the pub is very popular with locals.
From here, the cliffs can be accessed very easily from the grass area with tables. Walk to the foreshore.

Grid Ref: 51.93002°N, 2.22592°W

Fish teeth, coprolites and scales, reptile bones and teeth and bones, molluscs.

Wainlode Cliff is a less popular location for collecting fossils from the Triassic bone beds of the Rhaetic Rocks. The cliff height is quite impressive, but the problem is this location is more overgrown than others, and doesn’t wash out as regular. The taller cliffs also mean that the bone bed rarely falls.

Low

The lack of regular falls and with most of the cliff overgrown, the chance of finding fossils is low. If you can find shale, then you may be able to find some brachiopods, but blocks of the bone bed are hardly ever seen.

Suitable for Children

This location is suitable for children, but keep them away from the base of the cliffs. The water is quite shallow here, and there is a family pub right next to the cliffs.

Easy Access

Park in the pub car park (but not in the end signposted just for customers), and simply walk to the cliffs. A quick and easy locality just near the Hay Bridge.

Foreshore

Fossils are found in the blocks of bone bed from the top of the cliffs, and fallen shale in the scree slopes.

No Restrictions

There are no restrictions at this location, but please follow our safe and sensible collecting guidelines. Please do not park in the pub customers only part of the car park.

This location does not have the extensive mud flats as other locations along the Severn, has shallower water, cliffs that rarely fall and a tide that doesn’t often reach the base of the cliff. But it can still be dangerous, you should still keep away from the cliffs as they can crumble. Follow common sense at all locations.

Wainlode Cliff
Tide Times

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Last updated:	2010
last visited:	2010
Written by:	Alister and Alison Cruickshanks

You will require a hammer and chisel split most of the bone bed here, although it is not very commonly found. For the shale, a splitting pick will be ideal.


There are several locations along the River section, where the Triassic Red Marls and Tea Green Marls make up the bulk of the cliff, with the famous bone bed above this and Lower Lias at the very top. The problem is Wainlode is the bone bed rarely falls. Most of the cliff is overgrown, especially the end where the Rhaetic Rocks dip down. The cliff sections on view are so high that the top sections do not fall very often. However, bones of fish, shark and reptiles similar to Aust and Westbury on Severn can be found. Within the bone bed, fish scales, teeth and coprolites are most common. An oyster bed can also be found at the top of the Jurassic sequence. There is also some black shale that contains small brachiopods of Triassic age. Where the cliffs start to become overgrown, there are usually some rocks to examine and areas of shale where fossils can also be found. But fossils are not as common here as other locations and after visiting others along the Severn, this may be a disappointment unless you are lucky enough to visit after a very uncommon cliff fall.

	Triassic, 210mya
The geology of Wainlode Cliff As with many other similar locations, the lower and bulk of the cliff is the Red Marl. Above this, the Triassic Tea Green Marl can be seen. It is the top part of the cliff that contains fossils. The Westbury Formation (Rhaetic Rocks) containing the bone bed, and the oyster bed of the Lower Lias right at the top....[more]


Small brachiopod in shale...[more]

Locations similar to Garden Cliff

If you are interested in other similar locations to that of Wainlode Cliff, you can also try other neaby locations along the River Servern including Hock Cliff, Sedbury Cliffs, Westbury on Severn, and Aust. Along the Somerset coast, Blue Anchor and Lilstock are the best locations for Rhaetian fossils with Lavernock and Penarth both in South Wales being very popular.

Fossils from the Rhaetian Penarth

Geology Explained
in the Severn Vale

Test Sieves for Microfossils

Fantastic book covering 32 plates full of the fossils found at Aust in high resolution. Over the years, many fantastic finds have been made in the Rhaetian Penarth beds, most at Aust. This book is ideal for identifying your finds from this location as well as others including Blue Anchor in Somerset, Wainlode Cliff and Sedbuary Cliffs.
FREE UK DELIVERY - Click to buy

This classic book explains the geology in the Severn Vale and Cotswolds including locations to visit, fossils to find and is full of excellent diagrams and drawings. It has an excellent chapter on Aust, including other locations along the Severn; Aust, Wainlode Cliff and Hoc Cliff, and the building of the Severn bridge including the Severn Bore.
FREE UK DELIVERY - Click to buy

Test Sieves are used when searching for microfossils. At Wainlode Cliff, you can find many small teeth and bones in the famous bone bed. The bone bed at Wainlode Cliff is packed with microfossils which when broken down can be viewed under a microscope.

Our UKGE Store sells Endecotts Test Sieves, which are the highest in accuracy and extremely durable and long lasting. These Test Sieves are fantastic for microfossils. Endecotts Test Sieves come in a variety of sizes, frame material and types, they are certificated to EU Standards.