Site Details

Location

Slea Head

Grid reference

52.098219, -10.455222

Fossil Name

Beaconites

Fossil Type

Trace fossil (burrow)

Fossil Age

Silurian-Devonian (approx. 420 million years old)

Rock Type

Sandstone

Access Info

Park at the viewing lay-by on Slea Head, room for 3 - 4 cars. Very carefully cross the road to where the statue is (a bright coloured jacket or high visibility vest is advised). Most rocks here are a purple colour. Walk north along the road for approx. 50 metres (if you reach the large outcrops that are several metres high you have gone too far).

Fossil Info

In the rocks beside the road you can see trace fossils called Beaconites. These are fossil burrows that are circular in shape in plan view. These burrows were made by extinct crustaceans (similar to horseshoe crabs) that lived close to river channels. The crustaceans made the burrows as they tried to escape from sand laid down during floods – we call these “escape structures” The burrows were later infilled with more (slightly darker) sand, helping us to recognise them in the rocks as we see them today.