Join us for a field trip to the Sandown to hunt for fossils on Wednesday 15th, March 2023, with members of the Dinosaur Isle Museum. 

We wish for members and non-members to arrive at the FastCat Passenger Terminal at Portsmouth Harbour by 9:00 am so we can depart around 9:15 am. We will then travel to Ryde for 22 minutes. Once we arrive in Ryde, it will be 9:37 am, so we will have to wait at Ryde Pier Head until 10:57 for a Train to come and take us to Culver Parade at 11:32. We will then arrive at the Dinosaur Isle Museum and spend around 3-4 Hours at the Southsea Beach before returning to the Museum to look around for about 30 minutes- 1 hour before returning on the train at 4:21 pm. We will arrive at Ryde again at 5:25 pm though we will have to wait for around 20 minutes before returning to Portsmouth on the Catamaran at 5:45 pm.

Remember to bring hard hats and high-visibility jackets as we walk near cliffs; debris can sometimes fall off. You must also take care if walking over the slippages, these can be very sticky, and you may get stuck, so make sure to bring walking boots. Remember to stick with the Museum staff and Society Heads, as the tidal conditions for this location are dangerous, so we MUST return before the tide turns as it is very easy to become cut off.

Most fossils can be picked up off the foreshore without any tools. However, it is best to take a few, which may be helpful. In particular, a hammer and safety glasses are useful for the blocks of a highly fossiliferous bone-bearing bed that can often be collected along the base of the cliff.

The money for the tickets is specifically for transport. So anything you wish to buy from the pier or the Museum will be extra.

We hope to see you on the 15th.