"Whilst any good ironmonger can supply cold chisels and strong knives or trowels, he is very unlikely to have safe and suitable hammers in stock. The steel of ordinary domestic and many trade hammers is far too soft for use on most rocks. It will splinter and flying fragments of steel can cause nasty wounds, particularly to the eyes, not only of the hammerer but also of his companions." Fossils in Colour - 1967 - J.F. Kirkaldy, D.Sc. Formally Head of the Department of Geology, Queen Mary College London.

The vast majority of fossils are hidden around deposits of fossil wood, your best chance of finding fossils is to use a shovel and scoop out fossil wood samples into bags, take this home and wet sieve.

Picks: A pick is handy at Bawdsey, it can be used for breaking apart any nodules, for use in the clay on the foreshore, or for the Red Crag shell bells.

Trowels: The best tool if collecting shells from the Red Crag. You can either use this directly in the shell bed or for the scree slopes, where fossil shells can be collected which have slipped from the top bed.

Knives: Ideal for the clay on the foreshore or for getting any small shells out from the shell beds. Knives can be used to pick out fossils from the clay.

Endecotts Sieves: The best shells can be collected from either wet sieving onsite or by taking back samples for sieving at home (either dry or wet). Endecott Sieves are the best test sieves in the world and will last you years.

Knee Pads: For all locations which are mostly based on foreshore beach combing, knee pads are ideal, they will protect your knees and also prevent you from getting so wet. Sharp rocks or beach litter will always cause a risk of injury when searching for fossils on your hands and knees.

Field Lenses: Bawdsey can yield many tiny fossils including teeth which sometimes will require a magnifying lenses. It is not always possible to tell very small objects with normal eyesight. The most common type is the 10x.

Specimen Boxes: Keep your small finds safe in these clear, cost effective specimen boxes. Perfect to build your fossil collection.

Geo Field Ruler: This Geo Ruler is ideal for field use and for photographing specimens. The Rular is colour graduated in CM with 10cm Blocks, made of hard thick plastic and is waterproof.

Waterproof Notepads and Waterproof Pens: These field notepads and field pens work in the rain, they are perfect for taking notes. The pens work in any condition, including underwater! Taking notes about where fossils were found is an essential part of any collection.

Microfossil Slide Boxes: These high quality stackable display trays are ideal for microfossil storage (small fossils). You can hold up to 80 fossils in one tray, the tray slides freely out of its case, holding your collection. Capsules can be purchased to air-tight fossils and protecting them. They have a 2mm inner depth. Different trays will all stack together with as many as you like.

Microfossil Slide: These Microscope slides are specially designed for the smallest finds. They come with a glass cover which slides over the top of a 3-layer cardboard insert (circles or grids). The circles or grids are indented with a 1mm depth so that your specimens are held secure into place, and secured into place by a black plastic sleeve.

Microscope: Once you bring your finds home, a Stereoscope Microscope is ideal for viewing your finds, identifying them and cleaning them.

Preparation Tools:A range of hand, and automatic tools for cleaning your fossils. We have air tools, grit blasters and etchers.

Specimen Bags: These are ideal for collecting from the London Clay, expecially for taking back samples. Sealable Clear Specimen Bags can hold your finds. These can be purchased from UKGE for low prices and can easily be re-used.

Geological Bags: Strong, Waterproof and durable geological bags that last years are ideal for any keen fossil hunter. These quality bags from Estwing are ideal for bringing back those larger finds or sample bags.

Footwear: Wellington Boots are the best type for footwear for Bawdsey, the foreshore can be very muddy and slippery, especially during scouring tides.