GeologyRocks

Parts of the North Yorkshire coast are famous for dinosaur footprints, and is also known as the Dinosaur Coast and has been the focus of research for many years. How easy is it to find these footprints now? We went along to this section of coast to find out.

If you find anything; record it, photograph it and sketch it - do not attempt to hammer footprints out of the rocks. The footprints are a valuable scientific asset for research.

The section of the coast famed for footprints is between Cloughton and Scarborough. The trip is split into two localitites; Burniston and Scalby.

Figure 1: Area of interest. From Google Maps

Burniston

We travelled to Burniston (just south of Cloughton) and gained access to the coast here. On the A171 Whitby to Scarborough, turn left just before the A165 splits to Scarborough. The road is named "Rocks Lane" and is just before the “Three Jolly Sailors” Pub. Follow the road down to a small car park. Walk down the path and the stairs to the wave-cut platform. You should be able to access the site a couple of hours before/after high tide. Be careful if visiting this location on a rising tide.

Figure 2: Map of Burniston location. The first blue marker on the left shows the turn off at Rocks Lane. The second shows the small (6 cars) car park. The rightmost marker shows accss to the beach (a short walk from the car park). From Google Maps.

Before we go into the details of the dinosaur footprints, a little bit about the sedimentary environments. The main sedimentary sequences here are meandering river channels with their association sedimentary facies. The wave-cut platform contains many fine examples of meandering point-bars.

Figure 3: Typical view at Burniston. The foreground shows the point-bars of the meandering river system. The background shows the cliff with river channels, mud banks and the occasional marine layer.

The cliff behind contains many river channels, which are clearly visible. Some of the muddy layers are marine and contain marine bivalves.

Figure 4: River channel in cliff at Burniston.

Fallen blocks from the cliff show many sedimentary structures, such as cross-bedding, roots, lobate ripples, coal and ripples.

Figure 5: Cross bedding with roots.

Figure 6: Lobate-type ripples.

Figure 7: Coal fragments deposited in an erosional part of a channel.

Figure 8: Symmetrical ripples.

There are also palaeosol horizons; ancient soils.

Figure 9: Ancient soil surface (red). This is cut (off picture) by the later channel horizon (dipping down on the right of the picuture).

This gives the impression of a meandering river system on low-laying land, which is occasionally flooded by a marine transgression. So what about the footprints?

We found two sets of footprints at Burniston. One set was in a fallen block near Long Nab. The footprints were obviously a small therepod of some kind.

Figure 10: Two sets of dinosaur footprints.

The second lot came from the famous "Footprint bed", which is very close to the steps down to the beach.

Figure 11: The footprint bed. The access to the beach is just to the left of the picture.

Here the footprints are seen on the underside of the bed. There are also large boulders that are essentially a dinosaur footprint. However, these are very difficult to spot unless you are an expert - we didn't spot any!

Figure 12: Footprint on the underside of the footprint bed.

Figure 13: As 12, but with the footprint highlighted.

Scalby

Scalby is south of Burniston, just North of Scarborough. At Scalby, there are more impressive river channels and even more footprints. You can either walk along the wave-cut platform from Burniston (which is strenuous and should only be attempted on a falling tide), or drive to Scalby. The best place to park in near the Sea Life Centre. The car park there is Pay and Display, however, the road leading to it has some free parking along it.

Figure 14: Map of the Scalby Mills area. The car park is at the foot of Scalby Mills Road. Free parking is available along the same road. Access to the Cleveland Way is near the pub at the bottom of the hill. From Google Maps.

Walk down to the pub at the bottom of this road and follow the Cleveland Way north (towards Ravenscar). About 1km or so down you come to a path diverting inland roughly perpendicular to the Cleveland Way. There are spectacular views of the meandering river channels from this point. These are best seen around low tide. Carry on along the Cleveland way another few hundred metres. You will come across a river gully, which allows access to the beach. Follow this down and continue north. After a few hundred metres, you will arrive at the base of another gully.

Figure 15: The first marker shows the easiest access point to the beach. The second marker shows the approximate location of the footprints. Scalby Mills is to the south, as indicated by the arrow. From Google Maps.

Here there is a portion of wave-cut platform that shows a dinosaur footprint trail, some 6m long with around 6 separate footprints.

Figure 16: The bed on which the prints were found.

The prints are a little difficult to see at first, but they are there! This is one of the more obvious examples:

This one is a little trickier:

You can even walk along the track pretending to be a dinosaur as I tried...

Remember, if you find anything; record it, photograph it and sketch it - do not attempt to hammer footprints out of the rocks. The footprints are a valuable asset in research.