Coast

Quantock Hills coast is like no other. From West Quantoxhead in the west to Kilve in the east our coast contains an abundance of geology and wildlife that is well worth exploring.

 

Between St Audries and Kilve, younger rocks of the Jurassic Period can be found. This area falls within the Blue Anchor to Lilstock Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and is considered to be of international geological importance. The marine deposits, known as Lias, consist of alternating limestones and shales.

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Exposed limestone from the late Triassic and early Jurassic Period (215-200 million years ago) presents wonderful fossil beds including some of the earliest fossil ammonites recorded in Britain.

Ammonites are an extinct group of marine molluscs. Their modern relatives include squids, cuttlefish and octopus. Ammonites lived between the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods (205-65 million years ago) and became extinct about the same time as the dinosaurs disappeared on land. The fossil remains of the hard coiled shells are commonly found on the beaches.