Staying safe on fossil beaches

Fossil hunting is safe if you follow a few rules that experienced collectors never break:

Stay away from the cliffs. Rockfalls happen without warning, in all weather. Fresh falls are a sign to keep back, not an invitation. As a rule of thumb, keep a distance greater than the height of the cliff.
Never dig into cliffs or ledges. It is dangerous, damages protected sites, and the best fossils are found loose on the beach anyway.
Work a falling tide. Arrive a couple of hours before low water and leave as it turns. Rising tides cut off beaches faster than most people can walk.
Check tide times locally before you set out — our forecast is guidance, not a substitute for the official tide table.
Tell someone where you are going and when you will be back. Take a charged phone; signal is poor under many cliffs.
Mud is a trap. Coastal landslips and clay foreshores can swallow boots and worse. If it looks soft and wet, go around.
In an emergency call 999 and ask for the Coastguard.

Storms bring fresh fossils — but never hunt during one. The best time is one to three days after a blow, in calm weather, on a falling tide. That is exactly what this site calculates for you.