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EFC Centre at Wat Tyler Country ParkOur centre is available for visits on a pre-booked basis on Wednesdays between 10am - 4pm. The Club’s activities and displays are also usually open to the public on the first Saturday of the month 11am - 4pm.

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Essex Field Club
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Geology Site Account

A-Z Geological Site Index

Gestingthorpe Brickworks (site of), GESTINGTHORPE, Braintree District, TL814381, General geological site

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Site category: London Clay, Claygate or Bagshot Beds

Site name:

Gestingthorpe Brickworks (site of)

Details

There were two brickworks in Gestingthorpe in the late 19th century, one of which exploited the lower, sandy beds of the London Clay (The Harwich Formation) and the other a patch of Ice Age brickearth. Both pits appear to still exist.

The geological section in the pit at 'Higher Kiln' (TL 814 381) is described in detail in Whitaker (1878) following a site visit by him in 1873. It is also described in Boswell (1929). It describes a section in the Harwich Formation and the underlying Reading Beds.

Gestingthorpe Brick and Tile Works (TL 818 387) (also known as Rayner's Brickworks) exploited an outcrop of brickearth overlain by boulder clay (till) (Boswell 1929). it is possible that the Rayner family operated both brickworks.

The nearby churches of Gestingthorpe and Wickham St Paul have magnificent towers of red brick from the Gestingthorpe brickworks.



Gestingthorpe Brickyard in 1927. Photo © British Geological Survey (P203965)

 

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Reference: Whitaker et.al. 1878 (p. 28), Boswell 1929 (p. 25 & 45), Ryan 1999.

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