29
The Nazeing Stage (Pleistocene)
in the Lea Valley
By JOHN P. HAYWARD, Ph.D., M.Sc., P.G.S.
1. Definition of the Nazeing Stage.
2. Various occurrences in the Lea Valley.
3. The Nazeing Stage at Deephams Sewage Works, Edmonton.
4. Summary.
5. The Vice-Comital distribution of sites.
Acknowledgments.
References.
1. Definition of the Nazeing Stage.
An important series of deposits which filled the gap between
the late glacial Ponders End Stage and the peats of the Boreal
period were described by Mr. S. Hazzledine Warren in 1952.
His Stratigraphical account was reinforced by descriptions of
the pollen sequence and of the "macro-flora" by Dr. H.
Godwin and Miss J. Allison respectively. [Allison et al. 1952].
The deposits were seen in the pit of the St. Albans Sand Co.
Ltd. at Nazeing, Essex, which must therefore be accepted as
the type area. The term "Nazeing channel" was used by
Warren in the paper quoted but the writer has now traced the
deposits as far south as Edmonton [Hayward, 1957] and Wal-
thamstow, and this makes it desirable to give a clear definition
of the Nazeing Stage. Mr. Warren has agreed with the writer
upon the following definition :—
The Nazeing Stage embraces all deposits formed after the
deposition of the gravel of the Ponders End Stage until and
including the erosion of the land surface upon which the Boreal
Peat was deposited, but does not include the deposits of that
peat which lie upon the land surface.
Thus, the deposits of the Nazeing Stage include "Gravels ii
and iii" of the Nazeing paper and also the "M-beds" accumu-
lated in the channel, but not the overlying "Surface Mx"
which is of Boreal age.
The Stage ranges from pollen zone III (Arctic), which
botanists accept as late glacial, into pollen zone IV (Pre-
Boreal) which they regard as post glacial.