Final Call for Rockstars 2026 – Show Us What You’ve Discovered This Summer!
There’s still time to become a Rockwatch Rockstar! The summer holidays may be drawing to a close, but there’s still time to turn something that has fascinated you this summer into an entry for the Rockstars Young Geologists’ Competition 2026. And we can’t wait to see what you’ve discovered! Perhaps you found an amazing fossil on the beach, spotted some spectacular rocks on holiday, visited a museum,...
Exploring East Yorkshire’s Ice Age Coast
On Friday 14 August 2026, trip leaders Brenda Almond and Mike Horne welcomed three Rockwatch families from Chesterfield, Sheffield and Norwich for a fascinating exploration of the Ice Age Coast at Skipsea Withow Mere in East Yorkshire. The day began at Mr Moo’s Ice Cream Parlour, where there was time to enjoy an ice cream before setting off. The group followed a footpath through woodland and alongside fields to the cliff top, before...
Fossils, granite and an ancient stone circle – a great day at Gamelands!
What a fantastic day of geological discovery we had on our Rockwatch field trip to Gamelands Stone Circle in Cumbria! We began by exploring the prehistoric stone circle, where almost all the stones are made from distinctive Shap Granite. With Shap Granite Quarry visible in the surrounding landscape, it was a great opportunity to take a closer look at this beautiful pinkish granite and think about where the stones came from, how they...
Explore our amazing Earth with Issue 103 of Rockwatch Magazine
The summer holidays have arrived – and so has Issue 103 of Rockwatch Magazine! A break from school offers the perfect opportunity to follow your curiosity, explore subjects beyond the curriculum and learn more about our remarkable planet. Published in July 2026, our summer edition is packed with fossils, crystals, rocks, geological mysteries and ideas for your own adventures. Former Rockstar winner Emma Bowler begins by exploring...
Issue 103 of the Rockwatch Magazine: published July 2026
Rockwatch members receive a copy of the Rockwatch Magazine three times a year to coincide with the main school holidays – Christmas, Easter and Summer. To receive your copy of the magazine join today! Welcome to the summer edition of Rockwatch Magazine! Take a break from your studies, explore topics beyond the curriculum and discover more about our amazing Earth. Inside this issue All About Fossilised Wood By Emma Bowler...
Fossil Hunting at Staithes Yorkshire Coast: Exploring a Jurassic Seabed
On 4th July, Kevin Taylor from the University of Manchester and Mick Oates from Rockwatch joined members for a fun-filled day exploring Staithes Yorkshire Coast. Here Kevin explains what our young geology explorers discovered. The aim of this day trip was to spend an enjoyable and educational day examining the fossiliferous foreshore at Staithes, with particular emphasis on finding fossils and considering what they reveal about...
NEW Summer Adventure! Fossil Hunters – This One’s for You!
If your children can’t resist stopping to look at interesting rocks or dream of finding their own fossils, our upcoming Gamelands Stone Circle & Carboniferous Fossil Hunt in Cumbria is the perfect family adventure. While we’ll begin by exploring one of Britain’s lesser-known prehistoric stone circles and uncovering the mystery of its giant granite boulders, that’s just the start of the day. Our real mission...
Don’t Miss Your Summer Rockwatch Adventure!
Summer is one of the best times to get outside, explore amazing places and discover geological wonders. While many of this year’s Rockwatch field trips have already sold out, there are still a few exciting opportunities to join us before the summer comes to an end. Whether you’re an experienced fossil hunter or just beginning your geological journey, our remaining events offer something for every young geologist and their...
Discover Something Amazing… Then Tell Us About It!
Every Rockstar entry tells a story. We can’t wait to hear yours. Perhaps you joined us on a Rockwatch field trip and discovered your very first fossil. Maybe a family holiday took you somewhere with incredible cliffs, caves or volcanoes. Perhaps you visited a museum and came home full of questions, or learned something fascinating at school that made you want to find out more. It could have been a film, a book, a conversation...
Sunshine, Dinosaurs and Discoveries in Folkestone
Our second Rockwatch visit to Folkestone this year proved to be another huge success, with glorious sunshine, fascinating discoveries and plenty of smiles throughout the day. Led by the ever-enthusiastic Steve Friedrich, our young geologists and their families spent the day exploring one of the UK’s most exciting dinosaur footprint locations. Conditions couldn’t have been better, with clear skies and excellent visibility...
Unearth the Hidden Geology of Stevenage with Rockwatch’s Summer GeoLab!
Have you ever wondered where the stones in your local buildings came from? Or how mountains, volcanoes and landscapes are formed? This summer, Rockwatch is inviting young geologists and their families to discover the answers at our exciting GeoLab event in Stevenage. Taking place on Wednesday 12 August, GeoLab combines the best parts of hands-on science, geology, exploration and discovery into one fun-filled day. We’re thrilled...
Fossils & Fun at Lyme Regis Fossil Festival 2026
What a fantastic weekend we had at the Lyme Regis Fossil Festival! It was wonderful to meet so many young geologists and their families as thousands of visitors descended on the Jurassic Coast to celebrate fossils, dinosaurs and all things geology. Throughout the weekend, the Rockwatch stand was buzzing with activity. Young visitors handled real fossils, tested their geological knowledge with games and activities, got creative with...
Discover Dagstone, Dinosaurs and Jurassic Treasures at Daglingworth Quarry
What do dinosaur bones, ancient sea creatures, Jurassic limestones and traditional building stone all have in common? You can discover the answer at our forthcoming Rockwatch field trip to Daglingworth Quarry on Saturday 27th June. Nestled in the beautiful Gloucestershire countryside near Cirencester, Daglingworth Quarry offers a remarkable window into life around 170 million years ago. The quarry exposes thick sequences of Middle...
Blustery Weather Brings Brilliant Fossil Finds at Bracklesham Bay
Rockwatchers enjoyed a fun — if rather windy — afternoon at Bracklesham Bay recently, joining fossil experts David and Anne Bone and Rockwatch helper Kate Adler for another memorable fossil-hunting adventure on the Sussex coast. Even Eddie the dog enjoyed it, sporting his warm jacket and Rockwatch badge! The weather may have kept everyone reaching for extra layers, but experienced fossil hunters know that unsettled conditions can...
Thank You for Joining Us at Rock & Fossil Day!
A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for this year’s Rock & Fossil Day at Discover Bucks Museum over the May Bank Holiday weekend! It was wonderful to see so many enthusiastic Rockwatchers, families and budding geologists getting involved in the day’s activities. From fossil rubbing and fossil making to dinosaur crafts, specimen handling and fossil digging, the museum was buzzing with curiosity, creativity and excitement...
Rockwatch Summer Events 2026 – Adventures Waiting to Be Discovered!
This summer, Rockwatch is heading to beaches, cliffs, quarries and coastlines across the UK for a fantastic programme of fossil hunts and geological adventures for young explorers and their families. Whether you’re searching for sharks’ teeth at Bracklesham Bay, exploring Jurassic rocks at Staithes, discovering Ice Age geology at Skipsea or uncovering ancient fossils at Walton-on-the-Naze, there’s something for every budding geologist...
Happy 100th Birthday to the Wonderful Sir David Attenborough!
Everyone at Rockwatch sends our warmest wishes as you celebrate this incredible milestone. Over the years, Sir David has inspired generations of young geologists, fossil hunters and nature lovers through his passion for our planet, its history and the amazing stories hidden within rocks and fossils. His curiosity, kindness and sense of wonder have encouraged countless children to look more closely at the wonders on planet Earth and to...
Hunt for Shark Teeth on the Essex Coast!
Have you ever held a real fossil in your hand… one that’s millions of years old? This summer, Rockwatchers are heading back to Walton-on-the-Naze and we’d love you to come too! It’s a chance to become a real-life fossil hunter. A beach full of secrets… The cliffs at Walton-on-the-Naze are constantly changing. Bit by bit, they crumble and reveal fossils hidden inside for millions of years. That means every Rockwatch visit is different...
Walk in the Footsteps of Dinosaurs – A Dewars Farm First for Rockwatch
Imagine standing exactly where dinosaurs once walked… This July, Rockwatch is offering something completely new — a visit to Dewars Farm Quarry in Oxfordshire, a site that has revealed an extraordinary network of dinosaur trackways. This is our first-ever trip to the site, and we’re incredibly excited to share it with you. Here, preserved in ancient layers of rock, are the footprints of enormous long-necked dinosaurs and powerful...
A Summer Holiday Trip to Skipsea Withow Mere
What if you could stand in a place shaped by glaciers, explore clues from ancient wetlands, and discover rocks that have travelled hundreds of miles? This summer, Rockwatchers are heading to the East Yorkshire coast for a very special geological adventure—and you’re invited. At Skipsea Withow Mere, the landscape tells an incredible story. Thousands of years ago, ice sheets sculpted this coastline, leaving behind layers of clay, sand...
Back to Staithes! Join Rockwatch for a Jurassic Fossil Adventure
After a fantastic trip last year, Rockwatch is excited to return to the incredible coastline of Staithes on Saturday 4th July 2026! This stretch of the North Yorkshire coast is one of the best places in the UK to explore rocks from the Lower Jurassic period, packed with fossils and stories from an ancient sea. It’s the perfect setting for a family-friendly day of discovery, and we’re delighted to once again be joined by Professor...
Volcanoes and New Discoveries in South Cumbria
What a fantastic day we had in Millom, Cumbria, exploring some truly exciting rocks with our Rockwatchers! Blessed with beautiful sunshine, families joined us for a geology adventure that took us from the remains of an ancient seafloor to the edge of a vast volcanic landscape. It was wonderful to see so many new faces alongside familiar Rockwatchers, all eager to explore how these rocks formed and changed over deep time Our day began...
Living in the Stone Age – at Celtic Harmony
What a fascinating and memorable morning we had when Rockwatchers stepped back in time at Celtic Harmony Camp to experience life in the Stone Age. Set within the wonderful reconstructed prehistoric landscape, families immersed themselves in a world where stone was more than a part of the landscape, but a vital tool for survival. Discovering the Power of Stone Throughout the session, we explored how early people used natural materials...
Footprints in Time: A Fantastic Day with Rockwatch in Folkestone
On Saturday 11th April, Rockwatchers headed to the coast for an unforgettable day in Folkestone – and what a way to kick off our first of three planned visits to explore the origins of dinosaur footprints in the sand. From the moment the day began, there was a real sense of excitement. Families gathered, ready to step back in time and uncover clues from millions of years ago – and they were not disappointed. Leading the...