The disused part of Wangford Quarry has very thick Norwich Crag shell beds. These run for several meters and are packed with a vast number of various molluscs and small mammal remains. Below this, larger mammal bones have been found.
DIRECTIONS
♦ From the A12, take the main Southwold road through the village.
♦ When you reach a sharp bend where two other roads also split from the road, take the narrow road directly in front of you until you reach the quarry.
♦ Ref: 52.34347°N, 1.61620°E
PROFILE INFO
FIND FREQUENCY: ♦♦♦ – The shell beds at Wangford Quarry are rich in finds. However, the best way to find small mammals and particular molluscs is to take back samples for sieving.
CHILDREN: ♦ – Quarries are not suitable for children. Therefore, this location is not recommended for families with young children.
ACCESS: ♦♦♦♦ – Wangford and Wangford Quarry are easy to find. The exposures are also close to the roadside.
TYPE: – This location is a working quarry, although the actual Norwich Crag beds are now in the disused part. Therefore, standard quarry safety wear is required, including hard hats and high visibility clothing.
FOSSIL HUNTING
Most of the fossils from Wangford Quarry are found by carefully scanning the shell beds or by taking back samples and sieving at home. Within the shell bed itself, there is a vast number of different molluscs to be found. Small mammals, such as shrews and voles, can also be found in the shell bed, along with bird and fish remains and the occasional larger mammal tooth (for example, a deer molar has been found).
Below the shell bed is a bed, which is now covered up by crag, but was once rich in mammal remains. Mammoth bones, deer, horse and whale where found when this end of the quarry was being excavated. The area you need to look in is the north end of the quarry, which is now disused. There is a large pool of water in the middle, with cliffs of shell beds around the outside. Search in the weathered cliff face by scanning each layer, as this often reveals mammal remains that have been exposed by the wind and rain. It can also result in finding molluscs. Take samples back home and sieve, because you are by far more likely to find fossils this way.
GEOLOGY
The new working part of Wangford Quarry is of the Westleton Member of the Norwich Crag Formation. The Westleton Member is one of the four stratigraphical units within the Norwich Crag, which are well-sorted, clast- to matrix-supported gravels dominatedby well-rounded, high sphericity, chattermarked flintpebbles and cobbles. Clearly, it was deposited at a gravelly shore-line. The Westleton Member is of Baventian/pre-Pastonian age. The fossils come from the old disused part of the quarry.
SAFETY
Stay away from the working part of the quarry – you will not find any fossils here. Hard hats and high-vis jackets are essential. The old, disused part of the quarry, where the Norwich Crag can be seen, contains a very deep pool of water, so keep away.
EQUIPMENT
Most of the fossils from Wangford Quarry are found by carefully scanning the shell beds or by taking back samples and sieving at home.
ACCESS RIGHTS
Access can be made by calling
RMC Aggregates – Eastern Counties
01502 578669
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