Charmouth Today!

We are all very excited about our trip to Charmouth today... after all we never know what we might find! See below article from Dorset Echo (Friday 28th May, 2010) - 'A schoolboy has made an astonishing fossil find that has sparked interest from the National History Museum. Cameron Wills, aged 10, from Long Bredy, discovered a fossil which goes back millions of years while he was on a school trip with Dorchester Middle School. Year 5 teacher Caron White took her class on their annual day out to the Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre where they went fossil hunting at the beach. Ten-year-old Cameron discovered a fossil in a piece of rock which turned out to be a Triassic fossil which dates back to 200-250 million years ago. Teacher Mrs White said: “After Cameron found the fossil in a rock pool, he asked someone from the Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre to have a look at it. “We were told that it was very interesting and that he should come back to Charmouth the following weekend because there was a fossil festival taking place where he could talk to experts from the National History Museum. “The following weekend he went back with his parents and the experts said they thought it is a part of a fish called the rabbitfish. “They identified it as being the bony part of the mouth of this fish which it would have used to grind up its food. “The experts from the museum said it was so interesting because it’s a very rare fossil to find.” It has since been sent to the National History Museum so that experts can investigate it further before it becomes part of the museum. Mrs White added: “All the children have been thrilled about it and Cameron has been beside himself with excitement. “It has been really interesting because I go fossil hunting every year with my Year 5 class but we’ve never found anything like this before.” Fossil finder Cameron said that fossils are an interest of his. He said: “I have been collecting fossils for the past three years but I have never found a bone fossil before. “I was searching around and I found a grey-coloured stone which had a black fossil inside it which is why it stood out.” He added: “I was really excited to find it and I really like the idea of it being sent to the National History Museum because I’m interested to find out exactly what it is. “It could be a rabbitfish but it could be something completely new. “If it is something new it could be named after me, so that’s exciting.”