Moel Findeg fossils and fossil collecting

The fossil locality is on the eastern side of the mountain on private land just off the public footpath.
Access is by the public footpath from the Maeshafn direction - either park in the village and walk along road or enough room to squeeze a couple of cars in layby SJ 2056 6079.
Moel Findeg is a small but very prominent hill on the eastern edge of the Clwydian Range Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (A.O.N.B.).
The site can be combined with other sites and attractions in the area for a whole day excursion.

GRID REF: 53.14027°N, 3.18396°W

Corals, Brachiopods, Crinoids

Moel Findeg is a small but very prominent hill on the eastern edge of the Clwydian Range Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Corals, brachiopods and crinoids can be found in spoil which is regulary turned over as it is used by local farmers for farm tracks. Access is fully permitted.

Medium

Fossils are quite common from this location as the spoil heap is regulary used by farmers and so fresh spoil is often available.

Suitable for Children

Site is suitable for children and can be mixed with a walk round to the summit of Moel Findeg itself (great views of the Clwydian range, out over Cheshire Merseyside and the Dee Estuary). Take a picnic. The nearby pond good for washing fossils but be aware of its location if you have small children (also a small pond in the nature reserve).

Good Access

There is a walk to this location from the layby, but its not too far and access is good. This location can be difficult to locate, so we recommend maps or GPS. Recommended is the Miner Arms in Maeshafn village for light refreshments, real ales and food

Spoil heap

The small site comprises of a low spoil heap believed to be from nearby mine workings. The land owner appears to use the spoil as a source of hardcore for potholed tracks, etc so parts occassionally get removed to reveal fresh spoil. Visiting during wet weather can help as the coral detail is highlighted in the darker rock.

No Restrictions

The nature reserve is an open access area with areas of woodland and upland heath.

This site is generally safe, but please follow the countryside rules. Take litter home with you, and stick to the public footpaths. If using hammers, please ensure you wear goggles.

Last updated:	2008
last visited:	2008
Written by:	Hoppy

Other Locations similar to Moel Findeg

Moel Findeg is an excellent location for corals, other similar locations for Carboniferous Corals are;Parkhouse Hill, Castleton, Portishead, Weston-Super-Mare in Avon. In Derbyshire, you can find corals from Monsal Dale

In South West Wales, you can also find Silurian Corals from Freshwater East, Marloes Sands. Mortimer Forest, Shadwell Quarry, Upper Millichope , Llanymynech Quarry, and Wenlock Quarry, Wenlock Edge

in the Shropshire District. Along the South West Coast, you can also collect Devonian Corals from Torquay along Hopes Nose and Daddy Hole. In Scotland, you can also find corals at St Monans. From Wales, Carboniferous Corals can be found at Lydstep Headland, Prestatyn Hillside, West Angle Bay, Caim, Halkyn, Great Ormes Head, Red Wharf Bay, Prestatyn, Llangollen, and Manorbier Bay.


Fossils are collected from the small spoil heap. Search the loose rocks for fossils. You can find fossils without any tools, just by searching in the spoil. There are plenty of fossils to be found here. Corals are the mainstay of the site but brachiopods and crinoids can be found. Some of the larger blocks contain colonies of coral. Find frequency is high.

Carboniferous, 330mya

The underlying rock is carboniferous limestone formed under a warm shallow sea - circa 330MYA. River deltas also deposited the fine millstone grits which are now also a feature of the hill towards its summit escarpment. The potential quarrying of a large silca deposit on the western slopes led the The Friends of Moel Findeg to purchase and preserve the land in perpetuity as a local nature reserve....[more]


Coral....[more]

Stone Tumblers

Microscopes

Test Sieves for Microfossils

If you are interested in fossil collecting, then you may also be interested in a stone tumbler (Lapidary). You can polish stones and rocks from the beach which will look fantastic polished using a stone tumbler.

You can polish rough rock and beach glass whilst collecting fossils, on those days where you come back empty handed. These are all high quality machines to give a professional finish to your samples. They can even be used for amber and fossils.

At most locations, you can find microfossils. You only need a small sample of the sand. You then need to wash it in water and sieve using a test sieve. Once the sand is processed, you can then view the contents using a microscope.

We have a wide range of microscopes for sale, you will need a Stereomicroscope for viewing microfossils. The best one we sell is the IMXZ, but a basic microscope will be fine. Once you have found microfossils, you will need to store these microfossils.

Test Sieves are used when searching for microfossils. Microfossils can be found in many locations, and all you need is a small amount of sample such as clays, sands and shales, or if you have acid, limestone, oolite or chalk.

Our UKGE Store sells Endecotts Test Sieves, which are the highest in accuracy and extremely durable and long lasting. These Test Sieves are fantastic for microfossils. Endecotts Test Sieves come in a variety of sizes, frame material and types, they are certificated to EU Standards.