IN PART OF NORTH-WESTERN ESSEX. 215
as it seems a characteristic of the Westleton Beds, it is worth while
here to ask two questions—(i) Is it derived from the waste say of
the Chillesford Clay ? (2) Has it ever been known to occur in the
Glacial series ?
In passing north-east towards Stebbing Downs we pass over a
ridge of some elevation, say 250 feet above O.D., and more than
two miles across. It is a matter of speculation as to whether the
Westleton Beds may not enter largely into the composition of this
ridge. Yet again it may be due to a fold in the London Clay.
Towards its south-eastern end, at a point one-eighth of a mile west
of "Throws" Farm, the Drift is about sixty feet in thickness, and the
London Clay two hundred feet. (See letter from Mr. Hasler,
Appendix.)
The sand-pit at Stebbing Downs, to which I now call attention,
has furnished some good evidence as to the Pre-glacial age of the
gravel and sand. It is shown as "Sand-pit" in the Geological Map. A
nodule of clay containing shells was taken from there a few years ago,
and submitted to Prof. Keeping, of Cambridge, who pronounced
them to be of "Crag" age. Unfortunately the relic has since been
lost.2 The exposure there is now very fine, and is as under:—
Post-Glacial drift .... 8 feet.
Westleton Pebbly gravel . . . 4 ,,
Finely bedded yellow sand, with mica
scales, not bottomed . . . 8 ,,
A shallow pit, one hundred yards to the north-east of the above pit,
shows only Westleton gravel overlaid by dark soil of about one foot.
Westleton gravel appears to underlie the mount and stream at
Stebbing Park. A small exposure shows that it extends to the level
of the stream. It is not thus shown on the Drift Map, being
included in the London Clay.
About a mile to the east of Bran End, near the letter "W" in
"White House" (one-inch map), there are two gravel pits known as
"Blewitt's." One is in the lane, and the other in the field adjoining.
That in the lane is a long semi-circular exposure, showing six feet of
Westleton shingle overlaid by two feet of Boulder Clay. The pit in
the field shows also six feet of Westleton shingle overlaid by four feet
of a purple sandy clay of uncertain age. A depression in the lane
at a lower elevation shows bright yellow sand with mica scales.
2 This specimen of Crag from the Stebbing pit was described by the Rev. Edward Gepp in a
note in our "Journal of Proceedings" for April 26th, 1884 (vol. iv., p. xcvii.).—Ed.