Geology
Shingle at Dungeness (S Young)
Romney Marshes have formed as a result of tens of thousands of years of geomorphological processes.
The Dungeness headland exists as a result of shingle being moved by waves over thousands of years along the south coast of England through a process known as 'longshore drift' to form gravel ridges. It is the largest shingle spit in Britain and a site of international importance.
As the shingle accreted on the coastline, this forced rivers to change their course and enabled a protected stretch of land to silt up and develop into what are now known as the Marshes.
The landscape which surrounds Romney Marshes is formed from hard wearing sandstone and clays from the Lower Cretaceous period and the old sea cliff which stretches from Hythe to Cliff End is a clear visual indication of this geological boundary. These relict cliffs still form a significant landward feature and are now protected from further coastal and fluvial erosion by the shingle foreland and marshland.
RomneyMarsh.net
http://www.liv.ac.uk/geography/RomneyMarsh/index.htm
Romney Marsh Research Trust
www.rmrt.org.uk
