Wren's Nest

Until recently, I had never been fossil hunting. I had found precisely one fossil in my life, a tiny ammonite in Torquey, and even then, it wasn’t really me who found it - instead it was my younger sister, though being little at the time she didn’t know what it was. That all changed, however, when the University of Birmingham's Lapworth Society (Lapsoc) ran a trip to Wren's Nest in Dudley.

Wren’s Nest was the UK’s first ever geological National Nature Reserve, declared in 1956 in recognition of its exceptional geological and palaeontological features. The area is a former limestone quarry which was abandoned in 1925. It has since naturally re-vegetated and the limestone grasses include several plant species which are rare in the West Midlands, such as milkwort, small scabious, and horary plantain. The area has also become a hibernation site for seven species of bat.

Wren’s Nest is one of the most notable geological locations in Britain. The rocks provide a section through the Much Wenlock Limestone formation, preserving features from the Silurian, around 420 million years ago. It is rich in marine invertebrate fossils. It is most famous for its trilobites; in the 19th century, the quarry workers found so many Calymene blumenbachii specimens that it became known as the Dudley Bug. In fact, there is a trilobite on the town’s coat of arms. The chance to go to Wren’s Nest was especially exciting for me because I am a volunteer at the Lapworth Museum of Geology, and many of the specimens I have worked with came from Dudley and Wren’s Nest. The chance to see where the fossils were found, and to find a few of my own, was enticing. 

I will admit I was also a little nervous, as the only person on the trip who hadn’t been fossil hunting before I thought I might struggle getting the hang of things. Thankfully that wasn’t the case, and I can highly recommend Wren’s Nest as a good site for beginner fossil hunters. Within minutes of arriving at the base of one of the quarry piles, I was able to find fossils – there are so many at Wren’s Nest I can almost guarantee you’ll be able to spot something. A lot of the fossils I found were brachiopods and while I’m not good enough to identify which species I might have found, because they are very clearly shells, it’s easy for a beginner to identify.

A lot of the fossils I found at Wren’s Nest were brachiopods which I liked because they’re pretty fossils to collect, and don’t require much skill to know what you have – though I’m not good enough yet to accurately determine species. I didn’t find any trilobites, and I think part of a trilobite would be easier to accidently overlook if you’re less experienced. Nevertheless, a few of the people I was with did find trilobites, so they are there if you know what you’re looking for. As well as brachiopods, I also found some coral fragments, including a Halysites fossil which I sadly lost, along with pieces of crinoid stem. Wren’s Nest pre-dates ammonites, but you might find a similar looking gastropod called Poleumita discors. Someone else on the trip found the orthocone Cawsonoceras annulatum, a nautaloid cephalopod. 

The Wren's Nest is reasonably accessible as a beginner fossil hunting location. There is varied topography and some steep slopes to reach areas of interest like Seven Sisters Mine, but the location where most of my fossils were found could be accessed by flat public footpaths. If you wear sensible footwear and stick to the paths, it's like visiting a park. It’s also a great place for beginners because you don’t need any special equipment – Wren’s Nest is a geological Site of Special Scientific Interest and the use of tools such as hammers on the rock face is not allowed. All that you need to do is look through the loose material, turning over rocks and searching for unusual shapes. I found it didn’t take me too long to get my eye in, especially with fossils being so abundant at the site. This is nice if you want a more casual visit, as you don’t have to dedicate several frustrating hours to trying to find something. We found it pretty easy to just turn up and start searching, but if you want to do a bit more planning before you go, or need a guide to help you identify what you’ve found, then I can recommend this website (Geology of Wren's Nest) – the document for prospective fossil hunters includes everything you need to know, including a helpful map with the best fossil hunting locations. It is worth noting that there are no visitor facilities (e.g., toilets). We were lucky enough to be there on a beautiful sunny day, which I definitely think made the overall experience a lot more enjoyable than if it had been raining, however we were caught a little by surprise, and did start to run low on water. 

Overall, I really enjoyed my first fossil hunting experience, and am eager to go again soon. I found it a similar experience to visiting the beach and scouring it for treasures like mermaids’ purses (my favourite thing to collect when I do manage to get to the coast). You just have to walk around the site, looking down for anything that catches your eye, with the same adrenaline rush when you come across something interesting. I do have a tendency to want to carry everything I find, which not only is much too heavy, but is also discouraged by the Dudley council, who ask that you only take a few fossils each trip to leave plenty for everyone. Having therefore been persuaded to part with many of my finds, I shall simply have to make sure to return again soon, and perhaps next time I’ll find my very own Dudley Bug.

Thank you to Lapsoc for organising the trip, and for the Geography, Earth, and Environmental Sciences (GEES) department for funding the coach.

Sources

Dudley Council (2024) Wren’s Nest Nature Reserve. Available at: https://www.dudley.gov.uk/things-to-do/nature-reserves/wrens-nest-national-nature-reserve/ (Accessed 2 July 2024).

Dudley Council (2024) Geology of Wren’s Nest Nature Reserve. Available at: https://www.dudley.gov.uk/things-to-do/nature-reserves/wrens-nest-national-nature-reserve/geology-of-wrens-nest-national-nature-reserve/ (Accessed 2 July 2024).