Tunbridge Wells Sand Formation

Tunbridge Wells Sand Formation
Stratigraphic range: Late Valanginian PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Cliffs of Tunbridge Wells Sand at Bexhill-on-Sea
Type	Geological formation
Unit of	Wealden Group
Sub-units	Upper Tunbridge Wells Sand Member Grinstead Clay Member Ardingly Sandstone Member Lower Tunbridge Wells Sand Member
Underlies	Weald Clay
Overlies	Wadhurst Clay Formation
Thickness	Generally 75 m, but varies from 46 to 122 m
Lithology
Primary	Sandstone, Siltstone
Other	Mudstone, Limestone
Location
Region	Europe
Country	UK
Extent	Weald Basin
Type section
Named for	Royal Tunbridge Wells

The Tunbridge Wells Sand Formation is a geological unit which forms part of the Wealden Group and the uppermost and youngest part of the unofficial Hastings Beds. These geological units make up the core of the geology of the Weald in the English counties of West Sussex, East Sussex and Kent.

The other component formations of the Hastings Beds are the underlying Wadhurst Clay Formation and the Ashdown Formation. The Hastings Beds in turn form part of the Wealden Group which underlies much of southeast England. The sediments of the Weald, including the Tunbridge Wells Sand Formation, were deposited during the Early Cretaceous Period, which lasted for approximately 40 million years from 140 to 100 million years ago. The Tunbridge Wells Sands are of Late Valanginian age.^[1] The Formation takes its name from the spa town of Tunbridge Wells in Kent.