Introduction

Robin Hood’s Bay is a good place to study the rocks of the Redcar Mudstone Formation.The sedimentary rocks of Bay were deposited in a calm sea during the Jurassic period about 200 million years ago . Differing seasonal and climatic conditions have led to the alternating beds of shales, limestones, ironstones and sandstones. Situated at the axis of the Cleveland anticline the bay was pushed up to form a dome structure. Subsequent erosion during the last Ice age (Devensian) and differential erosion by the sea has led to the bay’s present day amphitheatre and the scarp and dip of the scaurs arcing across the bay. The glaciers deposited much of the material which now form the pebble beaches of Bay.

A Beach Encrusted with Fossils

Decent fossils are actually hard to come by at Robin Hood’s Bay, on the following pages in the introductions to the different areas I will include pictures of what I have found and quite a few beautifully prepered examples by Andy. It would be nice to fill in all of the gaps in the following pages, if you would like to contribute please mail me and I will include your pictures.

The best preserved and most abundant fossil of bay is the Devil’s Toenail, Gyphaea. Usually the best finds are amongst the loose material on the beach or between the scuars, there is no need to hammer the cliffs! Ammonites exposed in the scuars will usually disintegrate during extraction and are best left for others to enjoy.

Words of Warning

The Tide. There is a danger of being “cut off ” by the tide especially to the north of the village were the water reaches Dungeon Hole long before high tide. Be responsible and check tide times before setting off.

The Cliffs. There is no need to be directly under the cliffs, the vertical sections are very unstable and can collapse without warning. Safety helmets can be worn but they will not stop large rocks........