III. — Observations on the Strata at Ilastitigs, in Sussex. 

 By Thomas WEBSTER^ Esq.^ Secretary to the Geological Society. 



[Read June 4th 1824.] 



XHE sea-cliffs on each side of the town of Hastings exhibit a section of the 

 beds which He below the clay of the wealds of Kent, Surrey, and Sussex, and 

 fiirnish a key to understanding- the structure of the high country which is 

 surrounded by this clay and has hitherto been but imperfectly explored. In 

 the present communication, I propose to give some account of the line of coast 

 extending from the White Hock on the west of Hastings to Cliff End near to 

 Winchelsea on the east. 



Along this extent (PI. V.) several valleys of denudation occur, which have 

 separated the cliff into different portions. One of these valleys divides the 

 White Rock from the West Cliff on which are the ruins of the ancient castle; 

 in another, which divides the East from the West Cliff, the town of Hastings 

 is built. In the middle of East Cliff is the romantic valley where the stream 

 called Eaglesbourne forms the well-known fish-ponds ; and to the east of East 

 Cliff, and between it and Fairlee Cliff, is the place called the Covers. At Cliff 

 End the cliff terminates, and gives place to the valley that goes up to Win- 

 chelsea. 



When we view this coast from the sea, we may perceive that the beds of 

 rock form a vast, but irregular, arch, dipping at each end under the Weald clay, 

 and rising in the middle to the greatest height in the neighbourhood of Hast- 

 ings, where they may be advantageously studied. 



In endeavouring to subdivide this mass of strata, a remarkable want of con- 

 tinuity and regularity may be noticed, which renders their examination difficult. 



The distinguishing features in the detail appear to be, that in the upper 

 part a hard grey-coloured calciferous sandstone abounds ; the middle part con- 

 sists mostly of a yellow soft friable sandstone ; and the lower part is composed 

 of beds of clay, shale, and ferruginous sandstone, with several layers of iron- 

 stone, and numerous fragments of carbonized vegetables. 



The grey calciferous rock is that which, several years since, first drew my 



