Dinosaurs & FOSSILS
on the Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is one of the UK’s richest dinosaur fossil sites. The first discoveries were made in the early 1800s, long before the word dinosaur existed, but these bones helped to lay the foundations for our understanding of these now-famous reptiles. Some 200 years later, people are still discovering new dinosaurs on this little island and it’s becoming increasingly clear that we have only scratched the surface of the secrets it holds.
125 million years ago, the land which now forms the Isle of Wight was a perfect habitat for dinosaurs and today, the 11 mile stretch of coastline that runs between Compton and Sandown (known as the Wealdon Outcrop) regularly yields a large collection of dinosaur bones and fossils. It is no wonder the Island is known as the "Dinosaur Capital of Britain."
The Mesozoic rocks, located on the south coast of the Island, are made up of terrestrial sediments that contain the remains of dinosaurs of every shape and size, pterosaurs, the flying cousins of dinosaurs, crocodiles and turtles, and marine sediments with marine reptiles, ammonites and so many more wonderful fossils.
The rocks of Compton and Brighstone bays, and those along the south side of the Island, showed the changing environment from the floodplain of the Wessex Formation (around Hannover Point and Chilton Chine); the appearance of lagoonal environments of the Vectis Formation (seen around Compton Chine). As the terrestrial environment gave way to shallow seas of the Lower Greensand, different fossils are found, until finally the sea moved over the land, completely inundating it allowing the chalk to form, as the tiny skeletons of microorganisms called coccolithophores died and formed the white rock. The chalk which lies in thick bands across the entire south coast of England is itself a rock made up almost entirely of tiny fossil organisms.
Dinosaur footprints easily found at Compton Beach. From the car park turn right at the bottom of the steps, about a 5 min westward walk
Thanks you to @WavyWight
Dinosaur Expeditions - just up the coast from The Mission
The Isle of Wight has two main areas where dinosaur bones can be found loose on the beach. The smallest area is Yaverland beach near Sandown with the main exposure approximately 100 metres long. The second area is approximately 6 miles long on the south-west coast of the Island and stretches from Atherfield to Compton. All the dinosaur fossils found on the Isle of Wight are from rocks of the Lower Cretaceous period and around 120 million years old.
Dinosaur fossils have been collected here since the 1850s officially, but the discovery of their large bones by locals goes back much further than this. To date there are over 20 different types of dinosaurs discovered on the Isle of Wight
Dinosaur Isle Museum - Sandown
The UK's only purpose built dinosaur museum with thousands of fossils and models on display.
You can see, hear, touch, and smell the dinosaurs. Learn all about their stories and how they lived.
We will show you fossils, rocks, minerals, and lots of other interesting natural history items. All of them collected or discovered on the Isle of Wight and its surrounding waters.
Come and visit Comptonatus chasei the most complete dinosaur discovered in this country in the last 100 years. Found at Compton Bay and now on display in the museum.
“The most important collection of dinosaurs in the UK, second only to the Natural History Museum in London”
Professor P. Barrett – Natural History Museum
Wight Coast Fossils - private & group fossil walks
At Wight Coast Fossils we offer award-winning guided fossil walks and educational experiences on the stunning UNESCO Biosphere coastline of the Isle of Wight, UK! Globally renowned for its rich fossil record spanning 130 million years, the Isle of Wight’s coast tells a fascinating story of ancient life, from our world-famous early Cretaceous dinosaurs and giant ammonites to fossil mammals and ice age megafauna!