Handle Jurassic Fossils in Broadway: Fossil Workshop with Olly Peacop

Broadway, England sits on the eastern edge of the Cotswolds, where rolling limestone hills record an ancient seafloor. Fossils with Olly invites visitors to touch that deep past: a hands-on fossil handling workshop led by Olly Peacop that runs every Saturday in January and February between 1:30 and 2:30. In an hour you handle real Jurassic specimens—ammonites and belemnites—from nearby Blockley and Broadway and learn how 150 million years ago a warm, shallow sea laid down the limestone beneath your feet. The workshop is compact and immediate: a small group gathered around a table, each fossil an object lesson. Ammonites curl like coiled clocks of shell, their chambers telling stories of buoyancy and growth; belemnites reveal bullet-shaped rostra that hint at squidlike predators. Those specimens are not replicas but fragments of local bedrock transformed into preserved remains, and Olly's easy, curious narration makes technical terms feel like clues in a field investigation. That mix of tactile learning plus geological context is what makes this experience a standout among Cotswolds activities. Beyond the fossils themselves, the session frames how the Jurassic shaped the modern landscape - the limestone quarried for cottages, the soil that feeds hedgerow species, and the subtle dips and folds that direct water across the countryside. The workshop is especially kid-friendly: children can handle specimens under supervision, ask questions, and learn observational skills that translate to rockhounding or guided walks. Practical notes: the program runs only in January and February on Saturdays at 1:30–2:30 and is included in ticket price. The meeting point and capacity are provided at booking; check the booking link for exact arrival instructions. Wear warm layers - Broadway in winter can be brisk - and bring a notebook or phone to photograph specimens for later study. Respect the fossils: handling is supervised to protect fragile material and preserve context for future visitors. Why book it? Fossils with Olly compresses deep time into a single human-scale hour: you walk away holding a piece of prehistoric ocean and with a clearer picture of how geology underwrites a region's character. For visitors staying in Broadway or exploring nearby Blockley, it's an educational, tactile counterpoint to walking tours and museum exhibits - an entry-level paleontology lab that demystifies a long-vanished seascape and leaves you looking at local stone with new attention. Bookings are managed through the museum's FareHarbor page; the referral link provides current availability and ticketing. Sessions work well as a rainy-day plan or a focused stop on a winter Cotswolds itinerary, pairing neatly with village walks, tea rooms, and local stone architecture. Whether you're a parent seeking a hands-on science hour or a geology-curious traveler, this is a low-barrier, high-delight experience that brings prehistoric oceans into clear, touchable focus. Book early; spaces fill quickly.