WEALD CLAY. 363 



It was from the Cuckfield district, generally spoken of as Tilgate 

 Forest, that Dr. IMantell obtained most of his Saurian remains, 

 Igiianodon Mantelli, etc. (see p. 356). The larger number were 

 obtained from the quarry at Whiteman's Green, north of Cuckfield. 

 William Smith also in previous years collected many reptilian 

 bones from this quarry. The bones often occur in a rolled state in 

 a conglomeratic band, interstratified with beds of sandstone and 

 calciferous grit (Tilgate stone). 



The High Rocks to the south-west and Penn's and Harrison's Rocks ^(the 

 Eridge Rocks), south of Tunbiidge Wells, are formed of the Tunl^ridge Wells 

 Sand. There is also the Toad Rock on Rusthall Common west of that town, and 

 there are other rocks at West Hoathly and Buxted. Their form is partly owing to 

 the varied induration of the sand-rock, and to the effects of weathering along old 

 joints, by rain, frost and wind.^ NearTunbridge Wells the rocks are so smoothed, 

 polished and striated by human agency as to present the appearance of roches 

 7noutoimees ! 



WEALD CLAY. 



The term Weald Clay was introduced by Conybeare in 1822. 

 The beds consist for the most part of clay or shale, generally 

 brown or blue, containing in places layers of shelly limestone, 

 and sometimes sand, sandstone, and nodules of clay-ironstone 

 and iron-pyrites. Among the fossils are Plant-remains, Ptero- 

 phyllum, etc. ; Elytra of Coleoptera ; Ostracoda, Cypridai Valdensis ; 

 Mollusca, Ostrea distorta (in top beds), Cyrcna media, and other 

 species, Unio, Corbula, Melanopsis, Paludma elongata, etc. ; and 

 Fish-remains, Lepidotus Fittoni, Hybodus diihius, etc. 



The limestones (called Sussex Marble) are composed almost entirely of Pahuiina 

 of two or more species, large and small. The lowest bed of marble is seen near 

 Biddenden, Staplehurst, and Crowhurst ; another kind, with P. Siissexiensis, has 

 been worked near Chiddingfold ; while still higher in the series is the most 

 constant bed, containing P. fluvioj-iim, known as Petworth and Bethersden 

 Marble, and Laughton Stone. Bethersden lies to the south-west of Ashford. 



The thickness of the Weald Clay has been estimated at 1000 feet 

 in the neighbourhood of Leith Hill. Mr. Topley states that ex- 

 tremely few junction-sections with the Atherfield Clay above are to 

 be seen ; and those with the Tunbridge Wells Sands below are not 

 frequent. 



The Weald Clay forms a low-lying tract of country, extending 

 from Romney Marsh to Ashford and Tunbridge, and thence south 

 of Reigate, by Ockley to the west of Haslemere, and again from 

 Petworth to Hailsham and Pevensey Level. 



The Weald Clay forms wet and rather poor land : much of it is in pasture. It 

 was in former times extensively covered with forests ; hence many of the village 

 names end in hurst. It was termed Oak-tree Clay by William Smith, although 



^ See Topley, op. cit. p. 246. 



