Speeton is a small village, a place of no great note in the business-world, yet of much fame amongst the lovers of geology, inasmuch as in its neighbourhood there are several interesting formations, to one of which—the Speeton clay—it gives a name.
In these days of rapid travelling, the village has the great convenience of a railway-station, from whence the cliffs below can be reached without the slightest difficulty.
Lign. 1.—Map of Part of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Norfolk, showing the Outcrop and Range of the Red Chalk.
As I wish to conduct the members of the Association to the Red Chalk in sitû, let us suppose that, starting from some locality near the Hull and Scarborough Railway, we have taken tickets for Speeton station, and have in due time arrived at that latter place. On alighting from the train we must direct our steps to the houses in front, and then inquire the way to the sea-shore, above which we shall be standing at some considerable height—say four hundred feet. We shall be told to walk by the church, to turn to the right along a little lane, and then to look for an obscure path which passes across the fields. We shall soon afterwards, being on high ground, be able, by the light of nature, to find a way down to the sands below.
Whilst descending, let us survey the scene that lies before us. It is a grand one, rendered picturesque by the broken ground, the solitude, and the sounding of the waves. Right ahead, there is the open Bay of Filey; on the left hand, the town of Filey and its Brig; not a ship, as one might imagine, but a huge mass of rocks of the coralline oolite, jutting out to sea at right angles from the shore, like a pier formed by human hands, and crowned on the land-side by strangely cut pinnacles of pink and rugged drift. On the right hand there are the high and perpendicular white chalk cliffs of the Flamborough range. As we pass down we shall meet with a gulley or bed of a small stream, in all probability quite dry, by following the winding course of which we shall reach the shore. This gulley passes over an escarpment of diluvial matter (the whole place being in confusion through the effects of small landslips), and traverses the Red Chalk itself, the first trace of which will be rendered visible by means of rolled fragments, which the force of the stream has at different times detached.
It will be only here and there that we shall find the Red Chalk in sitû, because sometimes vegetation, sometimes diluvium, sometimes fallen masses, entirely conceal its real position. However, there will be plenty of rounded pieces at the feet. Some of these had better be examined on the spot, in order that we may gain a clear perception of the appearance of the bed, should we meet with it again. These pieces are found to be hard and rough to the touch, and of a bright red tinge, though occasionally marked with streaks of white. Most likely on some of their sides a fossil or two will be seen peeping out; a blow from a hammer will divulge still more. So plentiful are the rolled fragments, that a few hours' work will satisfy the conscience, and fill the pockets of the traveller.
If I might be permitted to give advice to any member of our Association who should hereafter visit the place, it would be this—that it would be well for him to carry away moderate sized boulders entire, rather than to break them on the spot. The fossils will best be developed at leisure. The material is so hard, and the fossils so brittle (especially the belemnites and serpulæ), that imperfect specimens only will result from the quick and rough treatment of the hammer. The "find" will not produce any very great variety, only numbers; terebratulæ, serpulæ, and belemnites will be all that will be obtained.
Having now procured specimens, we had better walk southward along the shore; after a short time will be seen a fine perpendicular section of this particular stratum; we shall notice it is bounded on the one side by the White Chalk, to which it is parallel; on the other by the Speeton clay, which is not conformable to it, that is, not parallel.