42 
thickness; at Hove near Brighton it is considerable, and there is a 
good stratum of it between Worthing and Lancing. It may be seen 
all along the bank of the sea-shore, from Lancing to Chichester 
Harbour. It is probably derived from the remains of the once- 
extensive plastic clay formation, but being mixed with marl contain- 
ing more or less carbonate of lime, the bricks are by no means good. 
The bricks at Clapham Common, near Highdown Hill, are excellent, 
as the plastic clay at that point is well-developed. The plastic clay 
may be derived from the Wealden clay formation, as the best bricks 
in Sussex are procured from that deposit in the neighbourhood of 
St. John’s Common, near Linfield, Sussex*. 
* The plastic clay formation, which has been called the lowermost division of the Eocene pe- 
riod, or nearest the chalk, may be observed between Highdown Halland the Downs. Highdown 
Hill is a detached elevation of the chalk formation protruding itself to the south more than a 
mile from the Downs. The plastic clay is well-seen opposite Castle Goring, and extends in a 
greater or less degree five miles to the west as far as Calceto Farm, Arundel. At Clapham 
Common near Castle Goring, the following is the result of diggmg a well near the brick-field 
half a mile from Highdown Hill :— 
5 feet small round gravel. 
5 feet brick-earth. 
2 feet hard ferruginous clay, of no use. 
8 feet excellent plastic clay. 
20 feet red clay containing much decomposed iron. 
28 feet clay of a dark colour, the lowermost part assuming the appearance of London clay. 
5 inches of sulphuret of iron, under which the water rushed to the top of the well and has 
remained eyer since. 
I have not been able to procure any fossils from this district : small round pebbles, sand and 
clay containing more or less decomposed iron, giving it a red appearance, similar to the beds at 
Castle Hill and Seaford in Sussex, at Woolwich, and parts of Kent, are the general characteris- 
tics of the strata, which at one time must have been very extensive. The water from the wells is 
highly impregnated with iron. Dr. Mantell in his ‘ Geology of Sussex’ says, page 266, “ Dr. 
Buckland observed many years ago the plastic clay formation in a valley at the village of Binstead, 
three miles west of Arundel, and also on the declivity of the hill by which the Bimstead and Chi- 
chester road descends into Arundel.” 
