Geology Site Account
Castle Point District, HADLEIGH, Shipwrights Wood, TQ795871, Regionally Important Geological Site
Locate Shipwrights Wood on map
Shipwrights Wood is adjacent to the recreation ground in Shipwright's Drive and within walking distance of Hadleigh Castle. This fine and varied woodland occupies an area of steeply sloping ground where there have been numerous landslips over the last few thousand years. There are also ridges and ravines formed by stream erosion. The result is the most remarkable wood for natural landforms in Essex. The geological succession of London Clay overlain by Claygate Beds and Bagshot Sand is similar to that of other sites nearby such as Pound Wood, Coombe Wood and Hadleigh Castle Country Park. The strata are horizontal but because of the sloping ground the London Clay occurs at the western end and the Bagshot Sand caps the high ground at the eastern end. Bagshot Sand is often visible in heaps thrown out from rabbit burrows.
Reference: Rackham 1986 (p. 98-100)
Geology Site Map
Locate Shipwrights Wood on map
Shipwrights Wood is adjacent to the recreation ground in Shipwright's Drive and within walking distance of Hadleigh Castle. This fine and varied woodland occupies an area of steeply sloping ground where there have been numerous landslips over the last few thousand years. There are also ridges and ravines formed by stream erosion. The result is the most remarkable wood for natural landforms in Essex. The geological succession of London Clay overlain by Claygate Beds and Bagshot Sand is similar to that of other sites nearby such as Pound Wood, Coombe Wood and Hadleigh Castle Country Park. The strata are horizontal but because of the sloping ground the London Clay occurs at the western end and the Bagshot Sand caps the high ground at the eastern end. Bagshot Sand is often visible in heaps thrown out from rabbit burrows.
An additional aspect of interest is the movement of ground water. Water percolating through the sand seeps out on meeting the impervious clay forming a line of springs which conveniently mark the junction between the Claygate Beds and the London Clay. The landslips are a feature of the western scarp of the Claygate Beds in this area where the sandy strata, lying on slippery clay, has been lubricated by springs and made unstable.
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Reference: Rackham 1986 (p. 98-100)
Geology Site Map