Geology Site Account

Site name: Hollow Lane Gravel Pit

Grid reference: TL 530 310

Brief description of site:

The Hollow Lane pit is a working gravel pit.

The pit has previously exposed Upper Chalk, Lower London Tertiaries (Woolwich and Reading Beds), Kesgrave (Thames) Sands and Gravels and chalky boulder clay (till). In some areas the boulder clay contains so much chalk it resembles chalk bedrock in appearance. It has also been claimed that Red Crag and Chillesford Sand are present (Mathers & Zalasiewicz 1988).

Hollow Lane pit is a working quarry and permission to visit should be obtained from the quarry operator.

Hollow Lane Gravel Pit, near Widdington. Boulder Clay on Kesgrave Sands and Gravels. Horizontal contact between degraded Chalky Boulder Clay (largely overgrown) and orange-brown Kesgrave sands in upper right of photograph. Kesgraves rest on thin Lower London Tertiaries (green material in lower centre-left of photograph) and pit is floored in Upper Chalk. Photo © British Geological Survey (P212615).