Have you ever been beachcombing? It involves ‘combing’ a beach — in other words, looking for interesting stuff! — and it can be hugely rewarding. Fossils, seashells, old coins, precious stones and all sorts of other things are out there waiting to be found. You don’t need any equipment other than your own eyes and plenty of patience (and perhaps a bucket!), although you should always remember to keep an eye on the tide.
Many beaches across England and Wales are excellent for beachcombing, but here we’re looking at two very special parts of the coast.
North Norfolk
This stretch of the coastline has a long, long history. Scientists have found human footprints that were made 850,000 years ago! Mammoths, rhinos and giant deer all once roamed this area too. All this prehistoric life makes it a great place for treasure-hunting — if you’re lucky, you might find anything from ancient hand-axes to bones and ammonite fossils.
Stay at YHA Sheringham.
North Yorkshire
The Yorkshire coast has rocks that date back all the way to the Jurassic era, so some of the things you find might be millions of years old! And if you’re staying at YHA Boggle Hole, you’ll be able to wander out to the beach from the hostel door. Look out for Whitby jet, a special kind of black stone found in this area.
Stay at YHA Whitby or YHA Boggle Hole.
You might find…
Ammonites
Their beautiful spiral patterns come from the shells of ancient sea creatures.
Shark egg cases
These leathery cases are also known as mermaid’s purses.
Belemnites
These bullet-shaped fossils were once part of prehistoric, squid-like creatures.
Plan your next seaside break with YHA.
Read next: Why you should look to an island for your next adventure.
Image credits: adobestock / Mjowra, Andrew, Sue Barton, BGStock72, Danny Burn, Kolidzei
