Beach finds from between Penzance and Marazion.
9 January 2020.
4 bivalve shell pairs that are probably all pullet carpet shells (Venerupis corrugata), even the one furthest right which is more difficult to identify as any markings have been worn away.
1 dog whelk (Nucella lapillus) with more prominent grooves than most.
4 ceramic fragments:
1 perfectly weathered piece with cracked glaze and part of an abstract or maybe botanical pattern in dark green.
1 small edge piece, the small amount of blue design that’s visible looks like ripples on calm water.
1 edge piece with leaves and stem design in black.
1 edge piece which could be part of a willow pattern plate, with part of a tree or cloud just visible.
77 glass fragments, including part of a stopper which isn’t weathered to the standard I usually collect but any evidence of glass stoppers to me is worth keeping. Favourite piece this week is easy: the long(ish) cornflower blue one upper middle. The large grey one and lavender ones to the right of that are very nice too.
Beach finds from between Penzance and Marazion.
24 December 2019.
1 bivalve shell half that I’m unsure about but reckon is either a pullet carpet shell (Venerupis corrugata) or a grooved carpet shell (Ruditapes decussatus).
1 netted dog whelk (Tritia reticulata).
6 pottery fragments:
warm grey with cool grey stripes (again!)
white with a small part of possibly a leaf painted in tiny brown dots
white with forest green design, also possibly leaves
white with dark blue either leaves or catkins, or maybe seaweed?
white with mid-blue design, maybe part of willow pattern
and white with plain sky blue.
129 pieces of sea glass, including lots of large ones (which makes laying them out like this much harder), perhaps even the largest perfect one I’ve found so far - top right.
Beach finds from St Ives, Cornwall.
13 December 2019.
Another stopper, this time a vulcanite one. It’s well worn but I can just make out a few concentric rings which is a match to what the St Austell Brewery used from the 1930s onwards.
A brush without bristles.
15 ceramics: 2 more of those cool grey lines on warm grey material pieces which are common around Penzance too; 3 pieces of white with a thick dark green glaze which sparkles where tiny pieces of the matt surface have been chipped away; cool dark brown on lighter warm brown, glazed on both sides; lighter warm brown on even lighter warm brown, also glazed on both sides; cream partly glazed with red in a scaly pattern; darker cream with white and maroon sun-like design; white with maroon part of a flower; white with cream glaze and delicate black feather or leaf design in black; beige, with shiny glaze and design painted around the form of the ceramic, so it’s like a 3D effect (it’s flat on the other side); white and blue willow pattern; white and plain sky blue; and white and blue willow pattern again – tiny!
25 glass: all common colours except for one lilac/lavender piece.
2… parts of crustacean exoskeleton? I’m still figuring this out.
5 shells with uncertain ID. Closest match seems to be Lacuna crassior.
Beach finds from between Penzance and Marazion.
29 January 2020.
2 pairs of what I think are pullet carpet shells (Venerupis corrugata), but I’m never certain about these
6 small/young netted dog whelk (Tritia reticulata) shells
1 spotted cowrie (Trivia monacha) shell
1 ceramic fragment, white with part of a flower design in sepia colour
68 glass fragments, including a red, which although tiny is worth a mention because it’s a rare colour. The cornflower blue one in the middle and what I presume is part of a white/clear bottleneck on the bottom row are the week’s favourite glass finds (although favourite find overall is another cowrie, they’re just so pretty).
