Little Wern fossils and fossil collecting

Little Wern holiday cottage is set in a secluded spot, close to Bettws, near Hundred Houses and approximately 8 miles by car from Llandridnod Wells.
From the South, East and West, it can be reached by country roads from the A481, and from the North by country roads from Llandridnod and the A44.
It is near essential to use a satnav to find the cottage, and even then, the satnav will only take you to within a couple of miles. From here you will need to ring the owners for final directions. The post code to use is LD1 5RP.
To contact the owners, Mike and Maggie ring 01982 570418 or email Maggie.ballard123@hotmail.com

REF: 52°12'28.3"N, 3°17'42.5"W

Trilobites, graptolites, molluscs

Tucked away in the fold of a valley near Llandridnod Wells, Central Wales, sits the Little Wern holiday cottage. The cottage is set within 18 acres of beautiful Welsh farm land. It is hard to think of a more peaceful and relaxing place to stay. The cottage has its own small quarry which is solely open to visitors staying there. And what’s more it is stuffed full of trilobite remains.

Very High

You are guaranteed to find many fossils here. However, the large majority will be disarticulated trilobite pieces. The shale which makes up the section is also crumbly.

Suitable for Children

The quarry is within 100m of the holiday cottage. Children can safely use a hammer and chisel on the edges of the cutting where the quarry wall is low and they can also collect from the spoil below the face.

Good Access

Only guests staying at the Little Wern holiday cottage are granted access to the quarry. From the cottage, access is through a horse paddock, up a hill with a reasonable gradient.

Small Private Quarry

This quarry is owned by the holiday cottage, and those staying at the cottage are free to collect. Access is not permitted for those just visiting.

Access only for those staying at the cottage

Collecting is limited to people staying at the Little Wern holiday cottage. Please do not over-collect from this location.

The small quarry is fairly safe as it is only a shallow quarry. Take care not to fall off the slopes when collecting, and do not collect in wet weather as the rocks become slippery.

Last updated:	2010
last visited:	2010
Written by:	Joe Shimmin

Other Locations similar to Little Wern

For trilobites further locations are Glenmard Wood, Ardwell Bay, Lady Burn, and Aldons, or in Shropshire you can try Betton Dingle, Mortimer Forest, Hillend, Wenlock Quarry, Shadwell Quarry, Upper Millichope, Hope, and The Onny Trail. In South West Wales, you can also find Silurian Trilobites from Marloes Sands and Abereiddy

A good, sturdy bag and plenty of packing material, as well as a hammer and chisel are need at this location. Waterproof boots with a good grip will also come in handy.


The most common fossils to be found in the quarry are the remains of trilobites. Numerous species are present, the most common being Ogyginus corndensis. Unfortunately, while cephalons and pygidia are found very frequently, complete trilobite specimens are uncommon. Do keep searching though and you will be rewarded eventually. Also present are graptolites such as Didymograptus sp. as well as infrequent brachiopods, bivalves and sponges. All areas of the quarry face are productive, but it is worth collecting from numerous spots to maximize the potential of finding different species. The procedure for hunting is simple. Remove any overburden of very weathered material and then use a hammer and chisel or a pry to loosen a block of in situ shale. This can then be split with a chisel or a knife, to reveal any fossils it contains. Unfortunately the shale at this site is crumbly. Wrap your fossil finds well and when you have got them home, dry them out very slowly to minimize the chance of them breaking up. A strengthener or sealant of your choice could also be added. Heavily Fractured Shale

	Ordovician, 460mya
This site is Ordovician in age. It is of the Llanvirn Series, Abereiddian sub-stage, artus biozone. This is 460 million years old, and consists of fragile shales...[more]


Trilobites are common at Little Wern Quarry ...[more]

Geological Tools

Compasses

Test Sieves for Microfossils

We sell a wide range of geological tools from our online store. These include hammers, chisels, and pick.

We also sell starter packs with everything you need to start fossil collecting.

Our online store includes books and publications on fossils and geology, and a range of geological maps on the Crook Ness area.

We have over 10,000 items for sale, covering almost every aspect of geology and fossils.

When visiting locations such as Crook Ness, a compass is most handy. A compass is a navigational instrument that enables you to find directions on the Earth. compasses consist of a magnetised pointer which moved to align itself accurately with the Earth's magnetic field. The cardinal compass points are north, south, east and west. Compasses are mostly enclosed with liquid compass in which a needle floats. Any instrument with a magnetised bar or a needle turning freely upon a pivot and pointing in a northerly and southerly direction can be considered a compass.

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 fully certificated to EU Standards.