Our village lies naturally in two zones, with a dividing line running from the gas substation on Gradidge Lane to the footpath near Kingsbridge Mead. Not chalk and cheese but chalk and chalk. These are two different bedrock chalk formations within the white subgroup of chalk (as opposed to grey). To the east of this line is 45-75 m depth of the Newhaven chalk formation, soft to medium hard. It is 72-86 million years old. To the west is 50-80 m depth of Seaford Chalk formation, slightly firmer, slightly older, 84-89 million years old. They differ in the organisms that created them and the distribution of flint and marl, a lime rich mudstone, within them.

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The Stratford sub Castle village local history group doesn’t go much farther back then 90 million years.

 

Map The British Geological Survey  http://mapapps.bgs.ac.uk/geologyofbritain3d/

Google Earth view © 2020 Google © 2020 Europa Technologies

 

Kerry O’Connor

Local History Group

April 2021