Essex Rock & Mineral Society Field Trip
25 May 2003, Sutton & Ramsholt
The trip was led by Bob Markham and of the 32 members that turned out, everyone seemed to have enjoyed themselves and had a fine time collecting. The morning was spent at Sutton Knoll - a Coralline island in a Red Crag sea. Ursula Deith found a rare echinoid Temnechinus excavatus and some pieces of the largest species of brachiopod that ever lived Terabratula maxima. Bivalves found included Chlamys tigerina (tiger clam) Chlamys opercularis, Cardita senilis, Astarte mutabilis, Artica islandica, Ostrea edulis (oyster) and Balanus concavus (Barnacle), Trivia coccuelloides (cowry).
The afternoon continued a Ramsholt - Red Crag and London Clay. A fine Isurus hastalis shark's tooth found by Wendy Lacy. Two whale ear bones (Balaena affines) found by John Lacy and Ursula Deith. Other fossils found included shark and ray teeth, bivalves, gastropods, bryzoa and barnacles.
Bob
Markham explaining the geology to members at Sutton Knoll.
(Picture is annotated Coralline Crag but this looks remarkably similar to Red Crag. I suspect the point where the hole is in the bank is the junction of the Coralline Crag and underlying Red Crag. Above the hole looks slightly lighter and more consolidated patch about 40 cm thick. This band continues across the picture to the where the children are. Just visible is another burrow on the same line. Rabbits have their uses!)
Sutton
Knoll:
Picture annotated "Coralline Crag reef surrounded by Red Crag Sea.".
(Probably the C.C. is exposed where the people are in this picture)
Picture
annotated "Sutton Knoll. ERMS 32 members and guests."
(Guess this must be the Coralline crag proper.)
Ramsholt
foreshore where there are exposures of Red Crag and London Clay.
Shark's
tooth, Isurus hastalis and whale ear bone (Balaena affines ?) found
on the foreshore at Ramsholt by Wendy and John Lacy respectively.
Representative
collection of fossils found on the day by Wendy & John.
To the left of picture are fossils from the foreshore at Ramsholt and included sharks' teeth and whale bone, note the polished patina on some of the fossils, this is typical of derived fossils from the Red Crag.
To the right of the picture are fossils from Sutton Knoll, Coralline Crag.
The round light brown ball, top middle of picture is (I think) a marcasite, another form of iron sulphide other than pyrite, that when broken shows a metalic looking radial pattern!
The above fossils were on display at our June meeting.
Many thanks to David Turner who supplied the details and location photographs.
©R Coleman July 2003
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