Compton Bay: Rockhounding in Isle of Wight, Isle of Wight
- Minerals reported
- 2
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.
Plan your visit
Generally open to casual collecting
- Area
- Isle of Wight
- County / council area
- Isle of Wight
- Nearest road
- Military Road (A3055)
- Postcode
- PO30 4HB
- Coordinates
- 50.66170, -1.48640
Coordinates are approximate. Confirm the exact ground and access before you head out.
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.
Today's weather
Is today a good day to go?
The app shows live weather, recent rain, and a daily rockhounding score for Compton Bay.
Get the appFound at Compton Bay
Dinosaur BoneEncyclopedia →
AmmoniteEncyclopedia →
Nearby rockhounding spots
Other UK rockhounding spots within driving distance of Compton Bay.
- Brook BayIsle of Wight, Isle of Wight · 1 mi awayDinosaur Bone
- Yaverland BeachIsle of Wight, Isle of Wight · 16 mi awayDinosaur Bone, Pyrite, Iron Pyrite
- Ringstead BayDorset, Dorset · 38 mi awayAmmonite, Gryphaea
- Osmington MillsDorset, Dorset · 39 mi awayAmmonite, Gryphaea
- Eype MouthDorset, Dorset · 57 mi awayAmmonite, Belemnite
- Seatown Beach (Golden Cap)Dorset, Dorset · 59 mi awayAmmonite, Belemnite, Pyrite
Compton Bay FAQ
Where is Compton Bay?+
What rocks and minerals can you find at Compton Bay?+
Is collecting allowed at Compton Bay?+
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.
