Gilbert's Pit

Gilbert's Pit is a 5.2-hectare (13-acre) geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Charlton in the Royal Borough of Greenwich.

[2] It is also part of the Maryon Wilson Park and Gilbert's Pit Local Nature Reserve.

From the late eighteenth century to 1889 it was worked for sand, and it was named after one of the managers, Mr E. Gilbert.

[5][6] Gilbert's Pit is an important Paleogene site, displaying one of the most complete sequences of sediments in Greater London.

There is access to the part which is open from Charlton Lane and a path from the Gilbert's Pit information board in Maryon Park leads up to Cox's Mount, which has fine views over London.

Hanging Wood, with the Pit to the north (1920)
Paleogene succession exposed in the old quarry face. The grey sand making up the lower two-thirds of the face is the Thanet Formation , This is overlain by the yellow-brown weathering sands of the Upnor Formation (the lower part of the Lambeth Group ). The overlying Woolwich Formation consists of the distinctive light grey shell bed, followed by dark grey clays. The top of the slope has the distinctive black flint pebbles of the Harwich Formation (better known locally as the Blackheath Beds)
View north west from Cox's Mount at the top of Gilbert's Pit