Cliff of London Clay at Althorne on the River Crouch
Photo: Chris Gibson |
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Althorne, The Cliff (TQ 922967)
A cliff on the outer bend of the River Crouch near Burnham-on-Crouch is
being eroded and London Clay fossils such as sharks' teeth, although very
scarce, can sometimes be found in the beach shingle below the cliff. Selenite
(gypsum) crystals can also be found.
Bradwell Cockle Spit (TM 035081)
At Sales Point, near Bradwell-on-Sea large 'chenier' ridges occur. These
ridges, up to 3 metres high and 25 metres wide, are composed almost entirely
of cockle shells exhumed from the mudflats during storms. This is an Essex
Wildlife Trust reserve for shorebirds, so please keep to the seawall in
the breeding season between April and August inclusive.
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Colne Point (TM 108125)
Colne Point, near St. Osyth, is the best example in Essex of a shingle
spit. The spit is 4 kilometres long and is nearly all that remains of
a much larger area that existed in the 19th century but has now mostly
been developed by the seaside holiday industry. It is of great interest
for studying the movement of shingle and the development of shingle structures.
An Essex Wildlife Trust reserve. Day permits to visit are available from
the Trust.
East Mersea (TM 068146)
One of the most important geological sites in Essex, the cliffs at Cudmore
Grove provide superb exposures of Thames/Medway gravels laid down during
the Hoxnian interglacial stage when monkeys, bears and early man lived
in Essex. Beneath the beach gravel, and inaccessible, are channel deposits
from the more recent Ipswichian interglacial stage which have yielded
bones of hippopotamus, elephant, rhinoceros and hyena.
Harwich (TM 263320)
The foreshore yields occasional London Clay fossils, including sharks
teeth. Of particular interest is the Harwich Stone Band which contains
attractive veins of calcite and also volcanic ash from explosive volcanic
eruptions in Scotland and Scandinavia during Eocene times.
Maylandsea (TL 907035)
Lobsters, sharks' teeth etc. can sometimes be found on the London Clay
foreshore at low tide. Foreshore exposures at other sites along the River
Blackwater yield similar fossils. Selenite (gypsum) crystals can also
occasionally be found.
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