ALBIAN - ZONAL AND SUB-ZONAL SCHEME FOR FOLKESTONE (based on Ammonites)

The Lower Cretaceous Albian Stage in Europe is divided into Early, Middle and Late Substages. In Kent the Early Albian is represented within the top beds of the Lower Greensand (Folkestone Beds) and its junction with the overlying Gault Clay; the Middle Albian by the Lower Gault; and the Late Albian by the Upper Gault and the contiguous Upper Greensand.

Since a large number of the fossils illustrated on this web-site are from the UK Type Locality for the Albian at Folkestone in Kent, which as a coastal site is still accessible, it is appropriate to provide a reasonable level of detail of the stratigraphy at this locality.
Follow the Highlighted Links under the Column "ALBIAN STAGE" for detailed Stratigraphy at Folkestone

Conventional Bed Nomenclature at Folkestone (part)

ALBIAN STAGE

Bed X

Late Albian

Bed IX

Bed VIII

Bed VII

MiddleAlbian

Bed VI

Bed V

Bed IV

Bed III

Bed II

Bed I

'mammillatum' Zone

Early Albian

 

This view of the sea-facing cliff at Copt Point at is taken from the low-tide mark.   

Beds I through X are superimposed on the photograph at the approximate levels they occur in the cliff.    

Beds XI through XIII are better seen during winter and spring months in beach exposures towards Dover, between East-Wear Bay and Horses Head Point. 

Since Spath completed his Monograph on the Ammonoidea of the Gault in 1931, knowledge of the Gault at Folkestone has been increased by various workers (principally H. G. Owen and R. Casey ) although this is still based essentially on FGS Price’s description in Jukes-Browne (Mem Geol Survey “The Cretaceous Rocks of Britain” 1900).

For the purposes of this Guide, in the broad sense, Owen’s stratigraphy of the Lower and Upper Gault and Casey’s stratigraphy of the uppermost Lower Greensand at Folkestone are used and this, based on ammonite zonation and subzonation, together with descriptions of the basic lithology are given in the following links:

LATE ALBIAN (Upper Gault)

MIDDLE ALBIAN (Lower Gault)

EARLY ALBIAN (Part) - Folkestone Beds

Warning:  It is extremely dangerous to climb in the cliffs and this should not be undertaken.  Digging in the cliffs for fossils should not to be undertaken.  Extreme caution must be adopted when collecting on the beach below the cliffs at Copt Point or elsewhere on the Folkestone section.
Hard hats and high visibility jackets should be worn at all times.
At all times obey the Geological Fieldwork Code