Compton Bay: Rockhounding in Isle of Wight, Isle of Wight

Compton Bay is a mapped rockhounding spot in Isle of Wight, Isle of Wight, United Kingdom. Reported finds include dinosaur bone, ammonite. Below: coordinates, access notes, and nearby spots.

About Compton Bay

Compton Bay's crumbling cliffs span roughly 126 to 67 million years, from orange Wealden river and lagoon deposits in the east to white Chalk in the west. At the cliff base east of the National Trust car park, three-toed Iguanodon foot casts measuring 30 to 60 cm across emerge from a hard siltstone layer and are best seen at low tide. The beach gravel produces black, honeycomb-textured dinosaur bone, dinosaur teeth, fossil wood, ammonite fragments and oyster shells. The National Trust asks that searching stays in loose gravel and stones: foot casts stay where they are, and hammering or digging the unstable cliffs is prohibited.

National Trust: Compton Bay →

Quick details

Access: Public area
Area: Isle of Wight
County / council area: Isle of Wight
Nearest road: Military Road (A3055)
Postcode: PO30 4HB
Coordinates: 50.66170, -1.48640

Land & collecting status

Generally open to casual collecting

Public-tagged UK spots are usually beaches, foreshore, or long-worked collecting localities where picking up loose material is generally tolerated. Watch the tides, never dig into cliffs, and check local bylaws before you collect.

Rules differ across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. Most UK land is private, beaches and foreshore generally tolerate casual pebble collecting, and SSSIs and scheduled monuments are protected. Check this site's status before you collect.

UK rockhounding rules & access guide →

Found at Compton Bay

Dinosaur BoneEncyclopedia →
Ammonite

Nearby rockhounding spots

Other UK rockhounding spots within driving distance of Compton Bay.

Compton Bay FAQ

Where is Compton Bay?+

Compton Bay is in Isle of Wight, Isle of Wight, United Kingdom, at 50.66170, -1.48640. Nearest road: Military Road (A3055).

What rocks and minerals can you find at Compton Bay?+

Compton Bay is reported to produce Dinosaur Bone, Ammonite.

Is collecting allowed at Compton Bay?+

Generally open to casual collecting. Public-tagged UK spots are usually beaches, foreshore, or long-worked collecting localities where picking up loose material is generally tolerated. Watch the tides, never dig into cliffs, and check local bylaws before you collect. Access rules in the UK differ by nation and land type, so always confirm permission and protections before a trip.

More rockhounding in Isle of Wight

See all 3 Isle of Wight spots →

Open Compton Bay on the map

Use the RockHoundR app for geology, weather, directions, and saved finds.