Geology of West Sussex

 

West Sussex has a wealth of geological interest although exposures are not always easy to find or are tidally dependent around the coast. All our rocks are sedimentary in origin and often fossilferous. For more information, see the Sussex Geodiversity Partnership web site.

 

Earth movements have subsequently folded the layers of sediment, creating a giant upfold known as the Wealden Anticline with a central axis running east-west through the northern part of the county. The Wealden Anticline is complicated by various minor folds but generally the older rocks are found to the north of West Sussex and progressively younger rocks to the south, with the youngest at Selsey Bill.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Due to copyright issues, I can’t reproduce a modern geology map here but the map below is reasonably accurate. An excellent mapping facility is provided by the British Geological Survey here and if you have a smartphone, then you must try their award-winning app.