The cliffs in west Dorset are understood to contain thousands of fossils of marine reptiles.
Some of the best places to find fossils are beaches across the Jurassic Coast.
The most common Jurassic Coast fossils in this area are Ammonites and Belemnites. They are both extinct types of Mollusc, a diverse group of animals to which current day mussels, clams, snails, slugs, cuttlefish and octopus belong.
We have compiled a list of the top three fossil hunting spots.
Lyme Regis(Image: Sally Lewis)
Lyme Regis is a hugely popular destination for fossil hunters.
It's also known for being the renowned birthplace of famous fossil hunter Mary Anning who was born in 1799, and at the age of 12, dug out the 5.2 metre-long ichthyosaur skeleton, the head of which was found by her brother Joseph, the first of several discoveries in Mary's life.
By the early 1820s, Anning had created a reputation for finding and identifying fossils, and taught herself anatomy and dissected animals to compare them to her fossils, with many seeking her out for advice and clarification.
She found, dug out, cleaned, prepared and identified several specimens and sold them to men from the field of palaeontology, but never received the credit she deserved.
Charmouth Beach(Image: Julia Rosser)
Fossils can be found loose on the beach at Charmouth as the rocks date back from the early part of the Jurassic period (around 190 million years ago).
There is a nearby car park for visitors and it is also home to Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre, a museum where visitors can see a display of incredible finds and it even offers a guided fossil hunting walk.
Kimmeridge(Image: Ming Mok)
Kimmeridge Bay is a world-famous fossil site on the Jurassic Coast, known for the Kimmeridge Clay formation which is made up of fossil-rich mudstones and oil shales.
Fossils are regularly found throughout the Kimmeridge Clay, in particular the shells of ammonites and bivalves. However, less common finds include the skeletal remains of marine reptiles and in extremely rare instances the bones of dinosaurs and pterosaurs.
Fossil hunters may collect any loose fossils from the foreshore, however - please ensure you abide by the "Fossil Collectors Code".
Steve Etches is the only collector allowed to extract and collect fossils from Kimmeridge Bay due to his level of experience in collecting fossils from the Kimmeridge Bay strata for the sole purpose of conserving them for the benefit of science and education, to be held in The Etches Collection museum.