Epping Forest through geological time

48^th Percy Evans Lecture given by Mike Lambert, HGS Honorary President

As a child, Epping Forest was my playground, where I climbed trees, made dams and rode my bike. But there was one way in which it disappointed me. When I began collecting fossils and minerals and taking an interest in Geology, it seemed to have nothing to offer. Real Geology, so it seemed to me, only existed in places like Lyme Regis and Scotland.

This talk is my attempt to set the record straight and appreciate the many wonders that exist in and under Epping Forest. After describing the Epping Forest Ridge in its regional context, I’ll work my way up a stratigraphic column, from the oldest rocks of the Palaeozoic basement to the youngest superficial deposits. Along the way, we’ll examine discoveries made from roadworks in the 1970s, see how Anglian ice turned rivers back-to-front and visit a Neanderthal hunting and butchery site.

View this talk in the Members’ Section.