Amplify’d from www.discoveringfossils.co.uk
Peacehaven is a small coastal town of 13,000 people in the Lewes
district of East Sussex, located 6 miles east of Brighton. From its
cliff-top vantage point the town has stunning views of Friars Bay and the English
Channel. At the base of the cliff is a substantial concrete sea defence and
promenade built in stages between 1976-1996 to reduce the rate of cliff
retreat. The robust defences protect the majority of the cliff, however the exposed foreshore is
left unprotected and subjected to intensive erosion, and it's here
that Peacehaven earns its reputation for some of the
most spectacular fossils in the UK.
Left: Stunning views of
Friars Bay and the English Channel from the cliff-top east of the town.
Right: Over 100 steps wind their way down the
cliff-face.
Access to the beach is made via a narrow road (track)
optimistically named 'The Highway' which leads from the A259 at the
eastern end of the town (click map above). A small number of parking
spaces are available along the roadside and from here it's a short
walk to the cliff-top. It's a good idea to bring food and drink with
you as the beach lies at the bottom of over 100 steps.
The most frequently seen fossils at Peacehaven are partial
echinoid shells, usually observed in cross-section on the beach
platform and on the surface of fallen rocks. Complete specimens are
less common but can be found with relative ease. Other common
fossils include bivalves, brachiopods, sponges, corals, and
bryozoans, the latter of which can be seen on the outer surface of
echinoid shells in particular. Less common fossils include shark teeth,
fish remains and belemnites. On one
occasion following the recovery of a large ammonite from fallen
rocks at Friar's Bay an exceptionally rare crab carapace was found on the underside (see Robert
Randell's
British Chalk Fossils for details).
See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/b56i
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