original Islanders along fossil-rich shores of the south-west coast south-west the of shores fossil-rich along Islanders original ) page this ( Bay Brook at beach the On ); cover front ( background Looking west at Hanover Point, with the chalk cliffs at Freshwater in the the in Freshwater at cliffs chalk the with Point, Hanover at west Looking Pictured Sauropod, Valdosaurus, Neovenator, Polocanthus... walk with the the with walk Polocanthus... Neovenator, Valdosaurus, Sauropod, Geological Excursions Around the Isle of Wight, 1854 Wight, of Isle the Around Excursions Geological Gideon Mantell Gideon border of the cottager’s dwelling”. cottager’s the of border Dinosaurs flower- the surround or footpath, the pave to employed or as pleases his fancy, and the remainder are thrown away, away, thrown are remainder the and fancy, his pleases as fishermen gather together, the casual visitor selects such such selects visitor casual the together, gather fishermen individuals. What the waves cast up on the strand, the the strand, the on up cast waves the What individuals. have seen... must have belonged to between 150 and 200 200 and 150 between to belonged have must seen... have last few years, is very considerable; the examples which I I which examples the considerable; very is years, few last Discovering the during Bays, Compton and Brook Brixton, Sandown, Partnership Landscape West Wight West Partnership “The quantity of bones collected from the seashore in in seashore the from collected bones of quantity “The Landscape West Wight West © Copyright the West Wight Landscape Partnership, 2012 Partnership, Landscape Wight West the Copyright © Island and costs £2. costs and Island and other outlets on the the on outlets other and Isle, Culver Parade, Sandown Sandown Parade, Culver Isle, It is available from Dinosaur Dinosaur from available is It Dinosaurs Roamed. Dinosaurs Where Where called Partnership Landscape Partnership. Landscape Published by the West Wight Wight West the by Published by the West Wight Landscape Landscape Wight West the by rich deposits of fossilised remains discovered. discovered. remains fossilised of deposits rich would be a booklet produced produced booklet a be would where the area's unique geology can be explored and and explored be can geology unique area's the where A scenic linear walk along the Island's 'Dinosaur' coast 'Dinosaur' Island's the along walk linear scenic A its its line walk, a good place to start start to place good a walk, themselves where dinosaurs once roa once dinosaurs where themselves med. med. of the West Wight's stunning coastline to disco to coastline stunning Wight's West the of £2.00 landscapes. This booklet will help readers help will booklet This landscapes. ver for ver navigate a section a navigate The area is also highly valued for its for valued highly also is area The more about dinosaurs on this this on dinosaurs about more tranquillity and its unspoilt its and tranquillity plants of the Cretaceous era including ginkg including era Cretaceous the of plants WWW.PEPPERCREATIVE.CO.UK 'Fossil Forest' is a well known feature co feature known well a is Forest' 'Fossil os and conifers. and os nsisting of fossil fossil of nsisting 20 different species already recorded. recorded. already species different 20 At Hanover Point the Point Hanover At of early Cretaceous dinosaur fauna in th in fauna dinosaur Cretaceous early of If you would like to discover discover to like would you If e world with at least at with world e The Isle of Wight's south west coast has th has coast west south Wight's of Isle The e richest collection richest e Where Dinosaurs Roamed Dinosaurs Where 2 . www.iowramblers.com/page44.htm from • Follow advice and local signs local and advice Follow • Internet All walks in this series can be downloaded downloaded be can series this in walks All • Plan ahead and be prepared be and ahead Plan • Toilets Compton Bay car park and Isle of Wight Pearl. Pearl. Wight of Isle and park car Bay Compton Enjoy the outdoors the Enjoy at Compton Bay car park. Café at Isle of Wight Pearl. Pearl. Wight of Isle at Café park. car Bay Compton at Refreshments • Keep dogs under effective control effective under dogs Keep • erosion. erosion. Mobile van at busy times times busy at van Mobile litter home litter Diversions may be signposted if there has been path path been has there if signposted be may Diversions • Leave no trace of your visit and take your your take and visit your of trace no Leave • from when negotiating chines where steps are provided. provided. are steps where chines negotiating when from Access information Access park. park. Mainly level walk, apart apart walk, level Mainly Protect the natural environment natural the Protect Compton Bay and Hanover Point National Trust car car Trust National Point Hanover and Bay Compton is available available is Start e.g. Compton Bay to Grange Chine 3.5 miles. miles. 3.5 Chine Grange to Bay Compton e.g. them and follow paths unless wider access access wider unless paths follow and them Compton Bay to Chale. Shorter routes are possible possible are routes Shorter Chale. to Bay Compton bus route bus • Leave gates and property as you find find you as property and gates Leave • Distance 9.3 miles miles 9.3 seascapes. spectacular with path, to find your find to people enjoying the outdoors the enjoying people Description A linear walk that follows the coastal coastal the follows that walk linear A QR code inside code QR • Consider the local community and other other and community local the Consider • Dinosaurs Just use the handy the use Just Island Respect other people other Respect most inspiring walks. inspiring most to see the see to Discovering to the Isle of Wight’s Wight’s of Isle the to best way best Respect Protect Enjoy Protect Respect The Southern Vectis bus Vectis Southern Countryside Code Countryside Bus at home – take a take – home at by Rambles Leave the car the Leave Main picture In the footsteps of dinosaurs: Hanover Point Inset left to right Evidence of dinosaurs at Hanover Point; Discovering Towards St Catherine’s Point; Neovenator bones Dinosaurs Geology Running from The Needles in the far west to Culver Cliff beautifully preserved claws, as well as the pelvis, ribs in the far east is a ridge of low chalk hills which neatly and vertebrae. Sauropods had very long necks, long tails, divides the Isle of Wight into north and south. small heads, and thick, pillar-like legs. Grange Chine All Island rocks are sedimentary in origin (laid down Hanover Point In 1978, holidaymakers by water), but those in the north were deposited long At Hanover Point, the ‘Fossil Forest’ was once a discovered the most outstanding after the much older Cretaceous-age rocks in the south. prominent feature. Enormous fossil tree trunks were of Island fossils. After a violent storm, shiny black rocks Cretaceous sediments are exposed in cliff sections all preserved on the shore platform, but a recent storm has were seen rolling about in the surf. They were dinosaur along the south east and south west coasts. swept most of them into Brook Bay. Today when the tide bones, including the remains of a flesh-eating dinosaur. is right the remains of blackened fossil wood can still be After years of research and further digging this new Here are many different types of rocks. Sandstones, seen lying in gullies on the foreshore. species was named as Neovenator salerii. mudstones and limestones are among the more obvious. Some are full of fossils, while others are barren; some Beneath the cliff is an impressive exposure of fallen Grange Chine to Barnes High are fine grained and others coarse, and there are many dinosaur foot casts. Most have three toes of many sizes About half a mile from Grange Chine is 3-6 feet thick, colour variations. (Iguanodontids) and some with four toes (Sauropods grey, muddy layer in the cliff known as plant debris bed. and Thyreophorans). It contains plant material and rare bones can sometimes These differences show that conditions varied greatly be found in this “black band”. In 1996, the incomplete during their deposition as sediments. For example, Brook Bay skeleton of an early form of tyrannosauroid was found. chalk, youngest of the Cretaceous rocks, was once the In 1854, a perfect femur (thigh bone) was dug out of a floor of the sea, while many of the much older Wealden- fallen mass of cliff. The bone was 3ft 4ins in length and Barnes High age rocks were deposited on land. probably from an Iguanodon. A similar find has been In 1992, bones from a Sauropod were found above made more recently. the beach in the red-brown mudstone. The head was missing, but an almost complete skeleton some 45 feet Dinosaur finds There have been some marvellous finds here – an almost Compton Bay (Shippards Chine) long can be seen at Dinosaur Isle, Sandown. complete skeleton of a species of Iguanodontid with a The cliff top here has a gravel layer which has become a beautifully preserved skull was found in the mid 20th Polocanthus, a spiky dinosaur, was found in 1864 in a burial place of ancient elephants and trees. It is about century. It is now in the Natural History Museum in bed of blue shaly clay. This three-feet tall dinosaur is 10,000 years old. This is no time at all compared to the London. now in the Natural History Museum, London. lower rocks which are millions of years old. Chilton Chine Recently a skull of a fossil hybodont shark was found Dinosaur footprints were discovered at the mouth washed from the cliffs.