Considering the wonderful weather, it was with some surprise that car park was almost empty when we arrived at 7am. Little by little numbers increased and it soon became obvious that the fog on route slowed the progress of most! Nearly all the fanatics were missing, no doubt they had taken full advantage of the lower tides earlier in the week!

It was difficult to say how many of our club members were present but there were about 34 people collecting. Quite a few were from other groups; and it was pleasing to see a party of children learning the ropes under supervision!

When the tide goes out there is plenty of beach to explore! On many occasions in the past, all my time has been spent with tweezers and collecting pot, ignoring everything else except, collecting sharks' teeth. Time for change with stroll and a broader look at some other geology: To the east of Beltinge car park towards Reculver, the cliff section has undergone some sympathetic erosion protection that preserves the major geological features of the coastline. East of Bishopstone Glen, the base of the cliff is partially protected by large boulders of granite, gneiss, and larvikite. Further on to Reculver, a natural beach of flint pebbles does the job.

Bishop Stone Glen (left and to the east are the boulders protecting the cliff section above!)

Another view of the cliff section a few metres further on. Above the boulders is a platform about 3 to 4 metres wide. Any talus building up from occasional cliff falls is periodically artificially removed. There are other works not visible, such as drainage, which help stabilize the section and slow erosion.

A closer view of the cliff section as viewed from the platform and looking above the grassed-over (natural) talus.

Starting from the base of the picture is the weathered surface of a light coloured fine grain sand. There are no obvious features except for a thin "orange" line a little towards the top. Those of you that are up to date and in the "know", understand exactly what this section is. However, I don't, other than to say it is probably part of the 'Woolwich and Reading Formation'. (There may be more modern reclassification, so don't for goodness sake take what is said as gospel!)

The black line is of well rounded black flint pebbles in a sandy matrix, which I presume to be the "Basal Pebble Bed"

The exact nature of the layer above this, I am unsure? It looks more light brown sands (rust/iron) than yellow sands but I presume it is part of the "Oldhaven Formation" (just guessing!).

The grass is capped a little way back; by what looks like almost a repeat of the sequence in miniature? This may be part of a slump feature? Rather strangely, the thin black pebble bed in this mini-sequence seems to just hang unsupported, suggesting it is well bonded/cemented. The matrix looks black.

All this sequence was out of reach so they are only visual comments.

I assume everyone knows that these are Eocene in age?

The above picture is a view of the west wall of Bishopstone Glen. One can see the same features in the section as in the cliff face to the east. The pebble bed is somewhat broader and less dense with a light grey sandy matrix, but apparently on the same level. I stood pondering what geological feature/weakness caused this structure? Was it natural or human intervention to drain land in earlier times? I suppose there are a few plausible theories around, somewhere?

Keeping to the edge of the tide, walking east along the foreshore and watching for changes underfoot, it isn't long before one encounters numerous fossils of Artica morrisi, many of which have both halves and are "in life" position.

Each shell was about 4cm in length. There were many broken fragments, possibly of other Crustacea. As there were no complete specimens, it wasn't, on this occasion, possible to identify the species. (Just shear laziness on my part.)

Retracing my footsteps from the peak of this outcrop it seemed that the occurrence of these fossils decreased gradually, which I assume to be because the beds dip in a westerly direction.

About turn again (eastward), and after the peak of the Artica morrisi, the nature of the foreshore changes to gully riddled mounds. The change is dramatic and probably indicates another horizon in the underlying geology.

I quit at this point as the tide was nearing its low, and returned to join the others to collect a few teeth amongst the exposed pebble beds! It was hard work and I only managed about twenty teeth in approximately half hour! Others were finding it difficult too. The problem was due to a thin layer of silt which obscured the teeth. Last year was much more productive.

Pictured here are Doreen and Carol dressed in the ERMS equivalent to a home brew Noddy Suit. They are obviously both hunting "WMD", those of 54 million years ago! Sharks' Teeth!

Another collecting style in both dress and attitude. Our special operations man himself! Les in dark blue and brown Flack Jacket, shorts, & plimsolls (left of picture). After all that training in Hereford, Les is prepared for anything. Even wading through the (once) shark invested waters, to that sunken island that appears this time of year!

This looks like a very young lobster found by Alan Smart. It's OK we haven't pulled a set of legs off! They are pointing forward as this little beasty is working out the best escape route!

Interestingly, its tail is wrapped tight underneath. Most of the fossil lobsters I have seen, also seem to have their tails folded under. Is this a defence mechanism, (one could understand it, in this living specimen) or something that is quite normal mode of living?

Afterwards, the leader of our trip, Les Lanham, invited all back to his house for tea 'n' biscuits and to muse over his fabulous collection of teeth from Beltinge.

Personally, I'm really looking forward to returning on another occasion, preferably after reading some of the "literature" on the stretch between Beltinge and Reculver. On the face of it, there is a lot more going on that many of us have ignored for too long. So perhaps those of us that groan; "Oh No, not Herne Bay again," might like to stretch the legs and join me for a stroll to look at the surrounding geology in the cliff section and underfoot on the foreshore?

It was a great trip again, more so for two of us who descended on 'mine host' the evening before, and hit the town for; Friday night drinkies and a few laughs. WHAT FOG? We never saw any! Plus we didn't have to get up until 6.30am, sheer luxury! Alan Smart and myself finished our day off with a short detour to the Bexley Gem & Mineral Show presented by the Sidcup Mineral and Lapidary Society, and well organized it was too! You can't expect this Lapidary to keep going on fossil hunting trips and not throw a tantrum if it clashes with a show he likes. Nice to have friends that know how to keep him happy!

Roger Coleman 26 March 2003

Report Archive

All text & photographs © R Coleman March 2003