Dig Into Derbyshire’s Deep Past with Rockwatch!
[Show thumbnails] Rockwatch invites young geologists and their families to a truly unique experience on Thursday 21st August 2025 — a Fossils and Minerals Day at the National Stone Centre in Derbyshire! This educational and fun-packed event is perfect for curious minds eager to explore the story of Derbyshire’s rocks, fossils, and industrial heritage. We’ll begin with a guided walk along the Geotrail, where you’ll see...
Lana’s Nodule of Marcasite
On a recent walk in Dorset, Lana stumbled across an unusually hard and heavier than normal stone and wanted to find out more about it. Sometimes mistakenly thought to be meteorites, Rockwatch Ambassador Mick is confident that Lana has found a nodule of marcasite. Evidently typical to the Child Okeford area of Dorset thanks to its chalk deposition, Lana’s specimen of marcasite is formed of characteristic rounded bumps and if it was...
Solving the Mystery of Piotr’s Crystal Rock from Herne Bay
Rockwatcher Piotr was intrigued to learn more about the mixed-looking rock he found at Herne Bay East Cliff Beach in Kent, England. Describing the rock itself as ‘unusual’ and the location of the find as a bit of a ‘mystery’, Rockwatch Ambassador, Michael pieces together a number of clues to help identify the rock and its possible origins to help solve the mystery. Michael’s approach to identifying Piortr’s rock is rather like a...
Festival of Geology on 2nd November
Join us at University College London for this year’s Festival of Geology. It’s the largest of it’s kind in the UK and has plenty to do for all ages. Children can enjoy the activities in the Discovery Room with Fossil Plaster casting, fossil identification, a Jurassic Diorama workshop and can discover all about microfossils by peering down a microscope! There are stalls from all over the country where you can find...
Derbyshire Weekend Fieldtrip – 11 and 12 May 2019
A weekend of fossil and mineral hunting in the Ashover area of Derbyshire and a visit to a disused quarry at the National Stone Centre. A fabulous two days of geological exploration. Book now!