Essex Rock & Mineral Society Field
Trip
Eastchurch, Isle of Sheppey, Kent, 25 April 2004
It was a wonderful Spring day for the Society's third trip of the year and a most welcome change to the cold gale force winds encountered at Herne Bay the month before.
After assembling in Fourth Avenue we descended to the shore at Eastchurch Gap. Although a steepish descent it was relatively easy as the ground was dry. What it would have been like otherwise one can only ponder? (muddy).
The shore looked vaguely familiar as this member's last visit was some 12 years ago. What had changed? It was difficult to say, so much had. To the West the cliffs had slumped extensively, perhaps they had looked like this in the past as this part of the coast had not been walked before? There were plenty of septarian nodules lined with a yellow green calcite where freshly broken. Those that had made it to the waters edge were more olive green inside. The top of the foreshore was covered in a pebble and gravel beach, this tapered off into boulders or nodules (probably the more resilient septarian nodules/cement stones?) covered in seaweed. This margin soon petered out into mud flats with a thin covering of fresh silt here and there.
The first impression, looking more closely under foot, was the staggering amount of pyritized plant material, and indiscernible pyrite nodules, (much more than this member recalls from past occasions). A fruitless few minutes were spent searching a patch for seeds, during which a Rotularia bognoriensis and an internal cast of a gastropod were found (but not collected). Other members probably faired better from this material by spending longer searching. A few Nipa burtini were found by members, although most were damaged.
There really isn't much point in collecting this material unless one is prepared to treat it to avoid the almost inevitable decay to dust!
The pebble beach posed a conundrum having no recollection of it being so extensive. At first it was concluded that it may have been dumped to offer some minor protection to the erosion of the foreshore and cliffs. The pebbles were mostly well rounded and 3 to 10cm in diameter. The regular collectors said that the pebbles were derived from the cliff section during erosion. It was said that they thought there was a pebble horizon that may have been eroded giving rise to this accumulation. Close inspection of the cliff sections (those that were not slumped too badly) did not reveal such a source except for one little patch about a metre long and 20 to 30 cm in width at the top of the London Clay beds where it changes to the Claygate member (presumed). This was in a slumped section about 50m to the west of Eastchurch Gap.
Trying to gain an understanding of the stratigraphy of the London Clay in the cliff sections proved impossible, the slumping was so extensive. Although nodule horizons were visible which gave some hope that the lithology remained in sequence, they appeared in slumped sections which made the task pointless.
East of the gap the coastline looked familiar but different! One section of slumping looked like a mini alluvial fan, or put another way, if it had been a ski slope it would have been classified a "black run" the rest of the cliffs being "off piste". It certainly did not look like this when last visited over 12 years ago. Then the beach was mostly clay with a few gravel patches and a smattering of building debris, bricks, concrete, tiles etc. Much of this type of debris was still in evidence Along here one could collect small nodules containing crabs and lobsters. They were still there but much harder to find (only one vaguely promising nodule was found by this member, others found better). The best chance of collecting seemed to be in the direction of Warden Point to the east as in the past.
Edward 1st silver penny! Approximately 1cm diameter.
One member of the Tertiary Research Group (TRG) who where also having a field trip that day, found an Edward 1st silver penny dating from the late 13 century. David Turner, our field trip leader said that it was the long cross version as this stretched the full width of the coin. He added that it is possible to tell where it was minted from the inscription. Unfortunately it was too warn to discern. David said that it could be either London or Canterbury. It provoked a little discussion about coin finds on the beach, from buried hoards, onwards. (One is allowed to fantasize occasionally, I favour a hole in ones pocket as a likely source.)
In the past fossil collecting seemed easier with the clay beach, the pebbles that now exist seem to make life that much more difficult. However, at the end of the day and those of us that were left were invited by Fred Clouter, leader or the TRG visit, back to his house for a cup of tea and a browse at his collection.
His Sheppey material dates from 95. It's staggering, jaw dropping in the extreme! The turtle is a little in excess of 60cm (2ft) across the carapace and was found end on in the slumped material. In fact, all the fossils were gathered from the slumped clay. However, he dose live local and there lies the secrete to his success. (See http://www.sheppeyfossils.com )
Septarian
nodule in situ, just visible is the fractured remains of a baryte
rose in the centre of the nodule.
This member had hoped to bring home more baryte roses from the septarian nodules, selenite crystals from the London Clay, and perhaps a snake vertebra which has always eluded him. Other than one very poor crab nodule, nothing was collected (by me), but it was a great day.
Our thanks to Fred Clouter of the TRG for the impromptu offer to our members to view his collection, and many thanks to his wife for the tea and biscuits it was most welcome. It turned an enjoyable trip in to great day out. A real joy to see what the Isle of Sheppey has yielded in fossils within recent times. This is one member looking forward to a return visit!
Text and Photographs © R Coleman 2004