Southborough Pit
Also within
Condition (Natural England)
Unfavourable Declining (2)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TQ592417 | — | Unfavourable Declining | 0.64 | 2022-03-30 |
| TQ594419 | — | Unfavourable Declining | 0.45 | 2022-03-30 |
Description
Description This pit, in the lower Hastings Beds Group, shows a 20 metres section in clays of the upper Wadhurst Clay Formation, overlain by 15 metres of sandstones of the Lower Tunbridge Wells Sand Formation. This is the type locality of the High Brooms Soil Bed, which contains the aquatic horsetail Equisetes lyellii in growth position. This proves the presence of fresh or near freshwater, of a depth less than two metres. The Soil Bed is intermittently exposed. The site is also important for showing the nature of the Wadhurst Lower Tunbridge Wells transition, critical for sedimentological modelling. This is a key site for studies of sedimentation and palaeoenvironments in the Wealden.