THE ESSEX FIELD CLUB.
267
Thomas W. Reader, F.G.S. (the Hon. Librarian), who kindly acted for the
Secretaries during their absence on vacation.
The Editor is much indebted to Dr. Salter for the ensuing report of this
meeting.
The party left Fenchurch Street at 2.6 p.m., and on arriving at Leigh-on-
Sea ascended the steep slope which leads to Leigh Church, and after some
difficulty obtained conveyances to Thundersley.
The first section visited was situated a little east of the Reservoirs, where
5 ft. or 6 ft. of gravel resting on sand was exposed, at about 250 ft. O.D.
Dr. Salter pointed out that the Rayleigh Hills, upon one of the highest parts
of which they were then standing, were formed of London-clay, which was
overlaid by Bagshot sand. Above these, patches of gravel similar to that now
before them occurred, and these by preserving the subjacent strata from the
action of denuding agencies, had preserved them, while all around had been
denuded away. The Director then drew attention to the composition of the
gravel, which, in addition to debris from Tertiary strata, e.g., sarsens, flint,
pebbles, etc., contained a considerable amount of Lower Greensand Chert from
the Wealden area to the south of the Thames. Some of the gravel had been
consolidated into a hard ferruginous conglomerate. If the hypothesis that these
outlying patches of gravel were formed by former streams from the Wealden
Area were correct, it showed that since the gravels were deposited the lower
part of the Thames Valley, as we know it, had been initiated.
In comparing this deposit with that seen at Beggar Hill earlier in the year1
it was pointed out that the Bunter debris and Igneous rocks present at the latter
were absent in the former. Also nothing derived from Jurassic strata or Basalt
was observed at either of them.
Dr. Salter also remarked that Eoliths were likely to occur here, and that he
had obtained one which had satisfied Mr. A. S. Kennard, F.G.S,, who also
expressed the opinion that the gravel was a likely one for their occurrence.
The remarkably fine view from this point was greatly admired, the Langdon
Hills standing out well to the east.
A few days before the meeting some Essex papers stated that discoveries of
flint implements had been made at Thundersley, and also that a band of marine
shells had been found there. Some members investigated these reports, and
found that a few well-worked neolithic flakes had been found by Mr. Mabey in
his garden,2 and the Director was able subsequently to examine the "marine
shells," which proved to be ferruginous concretions from the Bagshot strata.
Proceeding to Dawes Heath, the party were shown a section in what is known
as the Bramble Hill Pit, which from the Director had recently obtained a fair-
sized boulder of green Oldbury Chert. The gravel was similar to that already
seen, and rested on Bagshot Sand.
Another section close by was visited, and then a sharp walk through the
woods brought the party to the "Crown" at Hadleigh, where tea was obtained.
Some few members found time to examine Hadleigh Church, into the wall of
which a large sarsen has been built, and to visit the ruins of Hadleigh Castle.
In replying to the vote of thanks proposed by the President the Director
1 Proceedings Geol. Association, Vol. xix,, p. 317.
2 These Flints were subsequently exhibited at the meeting of the Club on November 7th.