Geology Site Account

Southend District, SOUTHEND, Jubilee Beach, TQ890848

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Southend’s new beach, which opened in July 2003, stretches from the pier to Thorpe Bay and was created by importing sand and gravel from elsewhere, mainly to provide the town with a defence against flooding. As the beach has been washed and sorted by the tide a number of fossils have been found including the tooth and bone of a mammoth.

The material for the beach was apparently dredged from the sea floor off the coast of Felixstowe in Suffolk and the mammoth remains must therefore also have come from the same source. A piece of puddingstone was also found on Jubilee Beach that is consistent with this source. Puddingstone is often found in the gravels of the ancient Thames, which occurs in much of north Essex and parts of Suffolk.

Reference: J. Saward (personal communication).

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