GLA 1:Abbey Wood(Abbey Wood) Current geological designation: SSSI
Not the Crossrail station but the actual wood a short walk away. Pass the ruins of the medieval abbey, which are worth a visit all by themselves, and step into the trees round the back of the gothic-windowed viewpoint. A little climbing will bring you to a carved coryphodon just off the path, and behind that a fenced off patch of sand that's really very special indeed. [pdf]
These fossiliferous deposits, known as the ‘Lessness Shell Bed’, include the remains of a diverse mammal assemblage from the early Eocene, i.e. about 55 million years ago. At the time the area was beneath shallow coastal waters, the climate was tropical and Europe was still connected to North America by land. Bits of animals found here include bony fish, crocodiles, sharks, turtles and (washed in from the shore) bats, horses, birds, horses and the aforementioned herbivorous coryphodons. Bird fossils from this period are exceptionally rare in Britain, indeed the lower mandible of Marinavis longirostris found here is thus far unique.
But what you mostly find if you dig here is mollusc, and you are allowed to dig here which is quite frankly incredible. There are strict rules (dig no more than 45cm deep, remove no more than 2kg of material, please refill large holes, no groups without prior permission) and these are displayed prominently by the gate. And of course all the really decent fossils are believed to be more than 60cm down so they're not being that generous, merely tolerating curiosity. But it is great fun to break the surface and dig down, and if you're really lucky you might find a fossilised shark's tooth in amongst the sand and smooth black pebbles.
I got lucky on my first visit and I think I got lucky again yesterday, wiping the sand from a small triangular lump to reveal a slightly-curved smoothed-off fang. It felt amazing to be holding what is effectively a 55 million year-old murder weapon, and certainly more exciting than my other finds (which I haven't successfully identified). Best of all I had the fossil pit all to myself, at least until a park ranger wandered in off the main path, mumbled something and opened the gate slightly wider as he departed. I took this as confirmation that I hadn't been breaking any of the rules.
I met absolutely nobody else in the woods, despite roaming a multitude of shady slopes for a good fifteen minutes, because such are the benefits of keeping well away from the cafe and gardens on a sunny Monday morning. The bluebells are sadly past their best now, but the trees are just coming into their own and the mud is now down to manageable levels throughout. Lesnes Abbey Woods are a natural treasure any time of year but also a fossil-rich marvel, if you find the right path and know where to dig.
