You probably won’t want to spread your beach blanket out on Charmouth Beach, but if you have a keen eye and good hiking shoes, you just might find a few dinosaur fossils.

Charmouth Beach lies in the middle of what is known as the Jurassic Coast, a 95-mile stretch of cliffs along the southern coast of England known for its ancient dinosaur fossils. Although it is called the Jurassic Coast, fossils from the area actually span the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods, which rounds out to about 180 million years of history.

Interested visitors can also make their way to the Charmouth Heritage Coast Center, where major discoveries and the history of the village is documented. The Heritage Center works to encourage the safe and sustainable collection of fossils from the rocky beaches around the village.