Plan your arrival to Lyme Regis to start the UK Jurassic Journey for late afternoon on October 7th. 

 

We'll have a coach waiting at the Axminster Train Station a set time in the afternoon to transfer to Lyme Regis, or make your own way there. ​

 

Don't be late as the group will meet together for the first time for a welcome drink tonight!

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Meals: None

Accommodations: Royal Lion Hotel, Lyme Regis

The first day of your Jurassic journey starts off with a bang. You'll be walking in the footsteps of Mary Anning in Lyme Regis today. In 1811, Mary's brother Joseph found a strange looking skull embedded in the cliffs along the beach. Mary later discovered the skeleton that went with this skull. After being studied, scientists eventually realized this was a near 200 million-year-old heretofore unknown species of seagoing reptile that they called an “Ichthyosaurus” or “fish lizard”.  

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We'll honor Mary by heading over to the statue called Mary Anning Rocks. As a patron for MAR, Dr. Lomax was instrumental in helping this statue come into existence. Here, we'll be met by a personal friend of Dr. Lomax— Chris Andrew who will guide us on a fossil hunting walk in the literal footsteps of Mary Anning. We start at the Blue Lias cliffs at Lyme Regis, beachcombing and searching the cliffs for Early Jurassic fossils including ammonites, belemnites, ichthyosaur and plesiosaur bones. Our 2-hour leisurely beach-stroll leaves us enough time to keep an eye out for fossilized treasures. Who knows what discoveries you’ll make as we continue the legacy of Mary Anning.

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The walk takes us along the Charmouth Mudstone cliffs before heading to the Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre. Here we'll be joined by another of Dr. Lomax's friends, Alison Ferris of the Heritage Centre who will guide us through the fossil collection and learn more about the area’s rich paleontological past and some recent exceptional discoveries.

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After the tour and some quick lunch, we continue our fossil hunt with Chris Andrew as we make our way back to Lyme Regis. ​​

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NOTE: The Jurassic Coast is a sandy and rocky beach. Sturdy shoes will be useful for climbing over small boulders and walking through the sand. 

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Meals: Breakfast and Dinner

Lunch is on your own

Accommodations: Royal Lion Hotel, Lyme Regis

Today, we'll embody the spirit of Mary Anning with a tour of the Lyme Regis Museum which stands on the site of Mary Anning’s home and fossil shop.

 

At the museum, we'll be met by Dr. Lomax's colleague, Dr. Paul Davis, the geology curator of the Lyme Regis Museum for a guided tour. You’ll learn the incredible story of how the pioneering Mary Anning was instrumental in the advancement of paleontology in the British Isles—a field that at the time, was not traditionally open to women. At the museum, Dr. Davis will share the museum's history and take you on a journey into Mary’s revolutionary role in sculpting the science of paleontology.
 

After lunch, we'll board our luxury coach and leave Lyme Regis behind to head to Kimmeridge where Jurassic monsters of the deep lived. We'll join Dr. Lomax's great friend, the renowned Dr. Steve Etches on a museum and behind-the-scenes collections tour at the eponymous Etches Collection which includes ancient fish, sea urchins, turtles, long-necked reptiles and Ichtyosaurs. We'll hear firsthand how Dr. Etches excavated the world-record breaking "Sea-Rex" Pliosaur immortalized in the BBC documentary ‘Attenborough and the Giant Sea Monster.’ The skull of this "monster" is 95% complete—a find so unique, it's in the Guinness Book of World Records.

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After an afternoon immersed in ancient sea creatures, we'll head to Oxford, get settled in and then join Dr. Dean Lomax for dinner!

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Meals: Breakfast and Dinner with Dean Lomax

Lunch is on your own

Accommodations: Mercure Eastgate Hotel, Oxford

This morning, Dr. Lomax, guides your visit through the historic Oxford University Museum of Natural History. He'll discuss some of the incredible British dinosaur fossils housed here, including Megalosaurus, the world’s first official dinosaur. Taking details from his book, Dinosaurs of the British Isles, and his TV show, Dinosaur Britain, Dr. Lomax will discuss the rich dinosaur displays and the amazing 200-year history of the first dinosaur.

 

Your day continues with a special behind-the-scenes collections tour. You'll be guided by Dr. Emily Swaby and Dr. Lomax for the chance to see something most visitors can only dream of: a tour of the museum’s extensive fossil collections, including the ORIGINAL MEGALOSAURUS jaw and fossils found by Mary Anning!​

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But wait-there's more! We'll head out to enjoy a guided visit to the newly discovered "Dinosaur Highway" trackway site in Oxfordshire. Scientists have found nearly 200 dinosaur footprints, that were formed over 166 million years ago by a herd of sauropods and predatory theropods. You'll hear what species formed the prints and how scientists have interpreted this large trackway, along with plans for ongoing research and excavation.

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 This evening, we'll enjoy a surprise treat presentation with Dr. Lomax! 

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Meals: Breakfast

Lunch and Dinner are on your own

Accommodations: Mercure Eastgate Hotel, Oxford

​This morning, you'll board your coach to head to a secret location for an exclusive look at the incredible ‘Rutland Sea Dragon." Unearthed in 2021 in Rutland, in the East Midlands, this 10m-long ichthyosaur specimen is being cleaned and readied for research and eventual display. Only a few dozen people worldwide have seen this fossil being prepared, so this is a truly exclusive visit to see this specimen and meet some of the team behind the discovery and the cleaning. Dr. Lomax is leading on the science of this ‘sea dragon’ and will provide an insight to the discovery, excavation and ongoing work. Here, we meet Dr. Lomax’s good friend and fellow paleontologist, Nigel Larkin, who is leading the conservation of this skeleton.

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• Read more about the Rutland Sea Dragon

• Watch Dean Lomax’s TED talk about the sensational discovery of the Rutland Sea Dragon

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From there, you'll travel to our final destination on the Jurassic Journey in Whitby. Renowned in British paleontology, since 1759, along the Whitby Coast, the "Skeleton of an Allegator (was found) in the Allom Rock near Whitby," thus establishing very early on that the north of England coastline as a potentially fossil-rich destination. During the 1800s and up until this day, major discoveries have been made along the Whitby coastline, including some of the world’s most extraordinary marine reptiles, such as the early pliosaur, Rhomaleosaurus cramptoni, but also many ichthyosaurs, crocs and even dinosaur footprints, among numerous mollusks.

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You'll spend the afternoon visiting the Whitby Museum which houses one of the finest collections of Jurassic fossils in Britain. This beautiful museum is from the Victorian era and gives a great insight into the amazing fossil heritage of the area.

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Take a sneak peek at the Whitby Museum Fossil Collection

 

Meals: Breakfast

Lunch and Dinner are on your own

Accommodations: Royal Whitby Hotel

Although it’s the last full day together, the adventure is far from over. You’ll cap off this amazing Jurassic Journey with a fossil hunt on the beach at Satwick Bay in Whitby, England. 

 

Dr. Lomax grew up in Yorkshire and honed his fossil hunting skills along the Whitby coastline. In fact, he wrote his first book called Fossils of the Whitby Coast (2011) about the amazing fossils from this area.

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The Whitby Coast has been a popular fossil hunting spot since the mid-1800s when Scientists came to study the great cliffs of Jurassic strata, and the plentiful fossils they contain. The fossils discovered here by scientists and beachcombers alike range from the small—crustaceans, and invertebrates like ammonites and belemnites—to large ferocious marine creatures such as ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs, sharks and primitive crocodilians.

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After a walk through the historic Whitby town centre, we’ll grab an early fish n’ chips lunch where we’ll meet with Dr. Lomax’s friends at Yorkshire Fossils—Shae and Dr Aaron Smith! From there, it is off to Saltwick Bay where Dr. Lomax, Shae and Aaron will serve as your personal guides in your search for 180-million-year-old fossils. You’ll learn how to identify your finds and even take some home to keep. 

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After an exciting day of fossil hunting, we'll gather for a Celebratory Dinner to share and talk about what you've found.

 

Meals: Breakfast and Farewell Dinner

Lunch is on your own. 

Accommodations: Royal Whitby Hotel

This morning, it's time to bid Dr. Lomax and new friends farewell as you make your own way to future destinations.

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For those wishing to travel by train to other destinations, a coach will take you to the York Train Station which is well-connected to the rest of England.​

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Would you like to extend your stay and see more of England? Contact us and we’d be happy to help create a bespoke itinerary for you.​

There is no special experience needed for the Jurassic Journey, but regardless of your age, you should be able and willing to walk for up to 4 miles on uneven ground. You will be walking around the cities of Whitby and Lyme Regis. The trip includes two days of fossil hunting along the beaches of Whitby and Lyme Regis. ​

 

What to bring:

• Bring a backpack or rucksack for fossil hunting!

• Gloves

• Loupe

• Water bottle

• Wellies (rain boots) or waterproof shoes with a thick sole for beach walking

• Rain gear

• Sun hat and sunscreen

• Comfortable walking shoes

• Summertime clothes

• Jacket for chilly nights