Fuller's Earth Walk
Published: 08 August 2022
Fuller’s Earth Walk
Edgewick Farm, Woodland Way, Woburn Sands, Buckinghamshire
A geological walk around the Greensand Ridge at Woburn Sands, focusing on the record of fuller’s earth extraction as revealed by remaining landscape clues of former workings.
Within the local Woburn Sands Formation of the Lower Greensand (Early Cretaceous age, 113 million years old), which forms the Greensand Escarpment overlooking Milton Keynes to the north, are discrete layers of a pale clay known as ‘fuller’s earth’. It accumulated as weathered volcanic ash that became ponded in depressions within shallow marine sand deposits. Because of its special absorptive properties, this clay was used historically for ‘fulling’ (de-greasing) wool and hence was of considerable importance in the medieval economy of England. More recently it has been used as a bonding agent for foundry sands and for drilling-mud, cat-litter, cosmetics, etc. In the local area it has been excavated since at least the 13th C (and possibly in Roman times) – initially by digging at outcrop, but later by sub-surface mining in the 19th C and then from opencast pits in the 20th C. Historical documentary records of such extraction are good from the late 19th C, but are much more limited for the earlier, smaller-scale workings, some of which appear only as stylised ‘pitts’ shown in old maps. For the majority of older workings local minor topographical features are the only remaining evidence. The trail focuses on such remaining topographical clues, both for the older workings and the more recent back-filled opencast pits, emphasizing the idea of ‘reading the landscape’ in order to understand the historical relationship between geology and human activity.
Event Times
Sunday 18 September: 1400 - 1730
Booking Details
Pre-booking: Required
Pre-Booking is required via Woburn Sands Town Council office.
Call: 01908 585368
Email: s.townend@wstc.org.uk
Access
This is a 3 mile walk on uneven countryside and public footpaths through fields and woods, including a few short, moderately steep slopes. It is therefore only suitable for those used to walking in such terrain without difficulty.
COVID-19 Considerations
This event will run in line with local & national government guidelines at the time of the festival.
Additional Information
Limited off-road parking is available here, otherwise on nearby roads. Contact for the day: Caretaker 07772 241214
Directions
Meet outside the barn at Edgewick Farm
Organised by
Peter Skelton