Tankerton
Region: Kent
Nearest Town: Whitstable
Geological Age: Ypresian • Eocene • Palaeogene • Cenozoic
Site Type: Foreshore
About the Site
Tankerton is a London Clay fossil locality on the north Kent coast, immediately east of Whitstable.
Unlike the large eroding cliffs of the Isle of Sheppey, the fossil-bearing London Clay at Tankerton is exposed mainly in patches across the foreshore, particularly when tides have removed overlying sand, shingle and modern sediment.
When conditions are favourable the site can be productive, with fossil fish, sharks, crustaceans, molluscs and plant material all recorded. Small phosphatic nodules are especially characteristic and can contain the remains of crabs, lobsters and fish.
Productivity varies considerably between visits. At times much of the fossil-bearing clay is hidden, while periods of strong tidal scouring can expose considerably larger areas.
Geology & Stratigraphy
The fossil-bearing rock at Tankerton belongs to the London Clay Formation, part of the Thames Group and of Ypresian age.
The London Clay consists mainly of silty clay and clayey silt, commonly containing pyrite, concretions and locally sandy or silty layers.
At Tankerton it is exposed principally on the foreshore rather than as a continuous natural cliff. Much of the higher ground behind the beach has been affected by landslipping, landscaping and coastal modification, while the London Clay platform itself is frequently concealed beneath modern beach sediment. BGS records London Clay along this coast and notes that the Tankerton cliff has been obscured by landslipping and reconstructed ground.
Traditional collecting literature generally places the Tankerton fossil beds around Divisions B1 and B2 of the London Clay.
Under the modern BGS lithostratigraphic framework, Division B forms part of the Aveley Member of the London Clay Formation. The Aveley Member consists predominantly of silty clay with concretionary horizons and occasional fine sandy, silty or glauconitic layers.
The historical B1 and B2 terminology remains useful when comparing older collecting records but is not used as a formal modern Geological Unit.
Palaeoenvironment & Palaeoecology
The London Clay at Tankerton was deposited in a warm marine shelf environment during the Early Eocene.
Fine mud settled onto the seabed while sharks, bony fish, crustaceans, molluscs and other marine organisms occupied the surrounding sea.
The traditional Division B interval represents part of the continuing marine deepening and changing shelf environments recorded through the London Clay succession.
Plant material and wood were also carried into the sea from nearby land. Some of this organic material became mineralised or pyritised after burial.
The modern Whitstable coastline therefore bears little resemblance to the original environment. Today’s waves and tides simply expose the sediments of the much older London Clay sea.
Fossil Preservation & Taphonomy
Many Tankerton fossils occur in or alongside small phosphatic nodules.
Crustaceans may be preserved as pieces of carapace, claws or other skeletal parts within these nodules. More complete crabs and lobsters occur much less frequently.
Fish remains can also occur within nodules, while shark and fish teeth may weather completely free of the clay and become mixed with shingle and other beach material.
Pyritised wood and other plant material can also be released from the London Clay.
Once fossils have weathered onto the beach, modern waves and tides move them away from their original position. Loose material can therefore become concentrated in patches of shingle or washed sediment.
A fossil found loose on the beach should not automatically be assigned to the precise bed beneath its collection point.
Collecting Guidance
The best conditions occur around low tide, particularly after tidal action has scoured away some of the sand and shingle that normally covers the London Clay.
Look for patches where darker clay is exposed amongst the ordinary beach sediment.
Recently washed patches of shingle and grit can concentrate small teeth and other hard fossils.
The site is highly variable. A productive London Clay patch present during one visit may be completely buried on the next.
There is therefore no guarantee that low tide alone will expose good collecting ground.
Useful equipment includes:
- sturdy waterproof footwear
- gloves
- knee pads
- a hand lens
- small specimen bags or boxes
- a small hand sieve
- labels or a notebook
- a phone for tide information
A geological hammer is generally unnecessary.
What to Look For
Start by looking for patches of dark London Clay exposed between the shingle and sand.
Small rounded or irregular phosphatic nodules are particularly worth checking. Crustacean remains may appear as patterned shell, sections of carapace or recognisable claw material.
Fish remains can occur within similar nodules.
Small shark and fish teeth may occur loose amongst shingle and grit. Look for genuine enamel, organised tooth shape and, where preserved, a root.
Pieces of fossil wood may be dark brown or black and can retain recognisable grain or other organic structure.
Pyrite-rich material also occurs. Whitstable historically became known for collecting pyrite-rich “copperas stones” weathered from the local London Clay, and pyritised wood can still occur amongst Tankerton beach material.
Molluscan shells and fragments may also occur.
Use Fossils at this Site for individual species identification rather than reproducing the fauna manually.
Fossils at this Site
Explore fossils recorded from this site, see how to recognise them and, where enough LBPS records exist, what collectors are actually finding.
What collectors are finding
Typical examples from this site
Different anatomical parts or preservation styles can look very different. Choose an example to view it larger.
About this information
Fossil occurrences come from reviewed LBPS records. Encounter frequency and abundance use eligible collecting sessions where all finds were recorded. Preservation rarity uses the condition recorded at the time of collecting. Identification photographs may come from dedicated Fossil Examples or linked public LBPS Specimens; neither influences rarity or frequency calculations.
Visitor & Access Information
General Location
Tankerton, immediately east of Whitstable in Kent.
The LBPS locality represents the fossil-bearing foreshore below Tankerton Slopes and the adjoining Tankerton coastline.
It should not be expanded westwards into Seasalter or eastwards to encompass the separate Hampton / Herne Bay collecting localities.
Directions
Travel to Tankerton on the eastern side of Whitstable and head towards Marine Parade or Marine Crescent.
Canterbury City Council gives Marine Crescent, Whitstable as the road approach for Tankerton Slopes.
From the coastal park, follow one of the established paths down to the promenade and beach.
The fossil-bearing London Clay occurs intermittently across the foreshore and is most readily examined around low tide.
Parking
Parking is available in the Tankerton area.
Canterbury City Council's current Tankerton Coastal Park management plan confirms that Marine Parade and Marine Crescent provide visitor access and parking.
There is also a council-controlled Tankerton Road car park.
Check current signs and restrictions when visiting.
Terrain
Tankerton has a generally accessible shingle beach beneath grassed coastal slopes.
The fossil-bearing parts of the foreshore can include:
- shingle
- patches of exposed London Clay
- sand
- seaweed
- shallow channels and pools
- slippery clay surfaces
The London Clay platform can become slick when wet.
The grassed slopes are considerably easier to walk than many natural London Clay cliff localities, although some beach access points involve steps or sloping paths.
Access, Permissions & Responsible Collecting
Tankerton beach and the promenade are publicly accessible.
Use the established paths running down through Tankerton Coastal Park to reach the beach. Canterbury City Council describes recreational access throughout the coastal park, including the promenade and routes to the foreshore.
Collecting should concentrate on naturally exposed and loose material on the foreshore.
There is little reason to dig into the grassed slopes or landscaped banks behind the beach, and these areas contain protected habitats.
Take only a reasonable amount of material and avoid damaging vegetation, beach defences or other coastal infrastructure.
Safety & Legal Information
Safety Information
The main hazards are tides, slippery clay, uneven shingle and coastal structures.
Check tide times before entering the lower foreshore.
Wet London Clay can be extremely slippery, particularly where algae or shallow water covers the surface.
Take care around wooden groynes and other beach structures, which can become slippery when wet.
Do not walk onto the offshore shingle bank known as The Street without understanding the tide. The incoming water can cover its connection to the shore and leave walkers cut off.
Avoid disturbing the grassed slopes and use established paths when returning from the beach.
SSSI / Legal Restrictions
Tankerton Slopes is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and forms part of the Tankerton Slopes and Swalecliffe Special Area of Conservation.
Importantly, these designations primarily protect the coastal grassland, hog’s fennel and the habitat of the rare Fisher’s estuarine moth, rather than designating Tankerton as a geological fossil SSSI.
Visitors should therefore avoid trampling, digging into or disturbing the protected vegetated slopes.
Low-impact collection of naturally exposed loose fossils on the public foreshore should be kept separate from activity that could damage the protected terrestrial habitat.
Any signs, temporary conservation measures or local restrictions in force at the time of a visit should be followed.