Marquees Rock!

It wouldn’t be a festival without some huge tents, and this year we have five of the canvas caverns dotted around the town, which will be home to all kinds of activities, experts, artists, stalls, stands, events and information. Everyone who’s anyone in the world of earth science will be in here somewhere, so pick your favourites and come on in…

The fossil festival is open on the following dates and times, please note that Friday 22 May is schools day so school groups will get priority

Friday	22 May	0900 – 1700
Saturday	23 May	1000 – 1700
Sunday	24 May	1000 – 1630

View Lyme Regis Fossil Festival in a larger map

Marquee 1

This is the home – for the duration of the festival for any rate – of the world famous Natural History Museum, one of our key sponsors this year. Come in and talk to some of the greatest brains of their generation about entomology, botany, mineralogy, palaeontology and more.

Marquee 2

Here you will find the National Museum of Wales, which is bringing some examples from its Jackson Collection of fossils. James Frederick Jackson was an amateur geologist who worked for the Museum and eventually retired to Charmouth, where he spent his time fossiling and collected more than 21,000 specimens for its collection.

British Antarctic Survey is also in Marquee 2, showing an impressive meteorite and Jurassic fossils that its scientists have recovered from Antarctica’s snowy wastes.

Meet the faculty members from Bournemouth University's School of Services Management as well as from the South West Lifelong Learning Network, a partnership which aims to create a greater quality of choice in Higher Education for work-based, vocational learners in the region.

If you want to get up close and personal with some Jurassic creatures, Plymouth University is showing a display of fossils from the south west of England, and will be presenting its ‘walking with dinosaurs’ interactive display, where you can put your own feet into the footsteps of these great beasts.

Finally, from just over the water, the Isle of Wight’s Dinosaur Isle museum is bringing along some of its impressive collection of fossils found on the island.

Marquee 3

Marquee 3 is where some of our local museums and archives get to show off their collections and activities.

On Friday, Lyme Regis’ Museum will be running a hands-on presentation where you can come face-to-face with some truly impressive prehistoric creatures using a mixture of real fossils and lifelike models, including a reconstruction of the wing of one of the largest creatures ever to take to the skies.

On Saturday, Exeter’s famous Royal Albert Memorial Museum with be offering a day of drop-in family fun on the theme of fossils and geology.

Sunday is the day to meet Lyme Regis’ own friendly fossil experts Paddy Howe and Chris Andrew and see how they make their amazing fossil discoveries and prepare their finds.

Marquee 4

This is where things get creative for younger visitors with local artist Christine Allison making a three-dimensional interpretation of Darwin’s Tree of Life.

See the Jurassic Coast Trust and learn about the Petroleum Exploration Society.

Get the local view from Dorset Geologists’ Association about its activities on the county’s Jurassic coast and beyond, and meet the Jurassic Coast Trust – which works with partners to support a diverse range of education, conservation, arts, and science projects along the length of the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site – as well as the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Team who will be running a dinosaur dig on the beach outside the marquee.

They will be joined by Rockwatch, the national geology club for children, who will be showing you how to make your own Jurassic dioramas or create fantastic fossil rubbings and have fun with their geological puzzles.

Marquee 4 is also where you will find plenty of fossil collectors with specimens on show and for sale. These include:

• Charmouth Fossils - Tony Gill
• David Sole
• Derek Powell
• Pete Langham & Andy Cowap
• Lyme Bay Fossils – Dave Halmkin
• Lyme Fossil Shop – Simon Titchener
• Mike's Minerals & Fossils – Mike Jeffries
• The Old Forge Fossil Workshop – Chris Moore
• Paul Crossley

If you are interested in finding out more about what goes on in and around Lyme Regis you can chat to representatives from local groups, including Lyme’s historic Town Mill; the Woodroffe School; and the Lyme Regis U3A Creative Crafts group, which is exhibiting its ‘Fossils by Fossils’ textiles work showing the fossils and their related bands of soils found in the Black Venn Cliff at Lyme. Woodroffe’s stand is not just about Lyme – The School will present a look at the life and family of Charles Darwin and the inspiration for his work on evolution.  A display on how theories stand the test of time and how modern science continues to provide evidence for Darwin’s ideas.

You can also come and meet the team from Medway Fossil and Mineral Society, which caters for anyone interested in earth sciences. Present members are particularly involved with fossils, micro minerals and geology, and claim that their combined knowledge about the Kent deposits of London clay, Gault clay and chalk is the best in the country.

Commercial stands in Marquee 4 include original watercolours and acrylic artwork by John Beadsley for sale, based on fossils and Darwin’s voyage to the Galapagos Archipelago, or check out Bizley Art’s offering of painting and prints from the only prehistoric art gallery in the country.

Carl Salter will be selling books, t-shirts, stickers and more, all on the theme of Darwin and evolution, but if secondhand and antiquarian books, maps and prints on geology, palaeontology, natural history and geography are more your thing then visit the stall of specialist dealer Kalligraphia.

Marquee 5

Explore the hidden undersea landscapes of the South West with Natural England at the Lyme Regis Fossil Festival. Hear about the corals and colourful sponges, seahorses, sharks, whales and living reefs just off the coast. Natural England will show you the diversity of marine life in the region through free activities for children, films, competitions and more.

This is the place for all you nature lovers to come and meet experts from Natural England and find out about its work with farmers, planners, scientists, and the public on initiatives to protect and improve England’s natural environment and encourage people to get to know their surroundings.

If you have an interest in preserving our natural environment – be it urban, country or coastal landscapes – as well as all the animals, plants and other organisms that go with it, come and talk to Natural England about what it does and how you can get involved.

Festival Desk

The Festival Desk is the place to go for all enquiries as well as ticket and souvenir sales on the day, and where all lost children, adults and property will be taken. If you want to find something, buy something or join something, start here.

And talking of joining things, right next door in Cobb Gate car park you will find the stand for the National Trust. If you are not already a member then go along to find out about the benefits of becoming one, which include free entry and parking at more than 300 historic houses and gardens, as well as free parking at its countryside and coastline locations, and the pleasure of knowing you are contributing to the upkeep of these beautiful and historic places for the enjoyment of the nation.