Excursion to Edmonton. Saturday, March 28th, 1914 - Geologists' Association excursion
Geologists' Association Circular No. 164. Session 1913-1914. p.4-6
Excursion to Edmonton, Saturday, March 28th, 1914
DIRECTOR: S. HAZZLEDINE WARREN, F.G.S.
Leave Liverpool Street Station (G.E.R.) 1.39 p.m.; take single tickets to Angel Road Station (due 1.59). Later comers may follow by the 2.0 p.m. train from Fenchurch Street, or the 1,52 p.m. from Liverpool Street. Enquire at Angel Road Station for the North London Ballast Company's pit. Permission for visiting this pit has been given by, Mr. S. N. Berriman, the manager. The section exposes disjointed masses of the "Arctic bed" (yielding remains of the characteristic flora, mollusca, etc.) similar to those seen on the visit of the Association to Ponder's End in 1911. The Angel Road section is about 1¼ miles lower down the valley of the Lea than the Pickett's Lock pit at Ponder's End and it is in the same low-level terrace of gravel. Remains of the Banded Lemming (Dicrostoyx henseli, Hinton) have been found here in considerable numbers, in addition to the larger mammalia, Elephas primigenius,Rangifer taradus, Equuscabalus, and Rhinoceros antiquitatis.
The party will then proceed to the pit of the Southgate District Council in Hedge Lane, a distance of 1¾ miles at right angles to the direction of the vallev, passing some temporary sections at Pymme's Park on the way. These show London Clay at a depth of 3 to 7 ft, from the surface. This spot, in Low Terrace times. would thus appear to have formed an island with a deep channel on either side.
The Southgate Council pit is one of considerable interest, as it cuts across the boundary between the Middle Terrace and the Low Terrace gravels, although there is no surface feature to indicate this. The surface level here is about 80 ft. O.D., or rather more, the level at Angel Road being about 37 O.D.
The Middle Terrace deposits (gravel and brick-earth) are about 15 to 20 ft. in thickness, but along a certain line the underlying door of London Clay plunges down into a deep channel, now filled with drift to a thickness of upwards of 56 ft. This deposit must be considered to belong to an early stage of the Low Level Terrace, although with its Trail and brick-earth it is made up to the level of the Middle Terrace. Several important plant beds are intercalated in this low level drift, and they are splendidly exposed in the sections.
Collections of the seeds front these plant beds are under examination by Mr. Clement Reid, F.R.S., and it is hoped that some preliminary statement regarding them may be available by the time of the excursion.
Adjoining these sections are two other extensive gravel pits, one to the south in he Middhe Terrace, and the other to the east in the Lower Terrace. The latter pit has been worked to a depth of 45 to 46 ft., without any suggestion of nearing the bottom of the gravel. It thus indicates a continuation of a similar depth of drift. Permission to visit the Southgate Council pit has been obtained through the kindness of Mr. W. M Carpenter, J.P. Mr. and Mrs. Carpenter have invited the party to their house at 143, Palmerston Road, Bowes Park, a distance of 1½ miles, to inspect the fossil bones from the Hedge Lane pit, and to have tea.
The return may be made by the G.N.R.(Bowes Park), the G.E.R. (Palace Gates), both affording a frequent. service of trains, or by electric car or motor 'bus.
REFERENCES.
Geological Map of the London District, Sheet. 2 (1s, 6d.).
1889. WHITAKER, W.—"Geology of London," vol. i, p. .450, etc, Mem. Geol. Survey.
1909. WOODWARD, H. B.—"The Geology of the London District," pp. 73-93. Mem. Geol. Survey.
1911. WARREN, S. H.—"Excursion to Ponder's End and Chingford." Proc, Geol. Soc., vol. xxii, p. 166.
1912. WARREN, S. H., and others.—"A late Glacial stage in the Lea Valley." Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc., vol. lxviii, p. 213.
Images
Excursion to Edmonton, March 28th 1914
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Section of Lea Valley Gravels in the North London Ballast Company's pit.
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Section of Lea Valley Gravels in the North London Ballast Company's pit.
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Section in the Low Level Terrace of Lea Valley Gravel.
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Cross section of old water course in Lea Valley gravel.
List of photographs
Excursion to Edmonton, March 28th 1914
| Page 13 | P804657 | Section of Lea Valley Gravels in the North London Ballast Company's pit. In the lower part is found the Arctic Bed containing the same arctic flora and mollusca as that examined at Ponders End in 1911. Excursion to Edmonton, March 28th 1914. |
| Page 13 | P804658 | Section of Lea Valley Gravels in the North London Ballast Company's pit. In the lower part is found the Arctic Bed containing the same arctic flora and mollusca as that examined at Ponders End in 1911. Excursion to Edmonton, March 28th 1914. |
| Page 13 | P804659 | Section in the Low Level Terrace of Lea Valley Gravel. Bones of the banded lemming, elephant, deer, horse, rhinoceros etc. are frequently found. Excursion to Edmonton, March 28th 1914. |
| Page 13 | P804660 | Cross section of old water course in Lea Valley gravel. Excursion to Edmonton, March 28th 1914. |