Geology
South east England is dominated by the Weald. Geologically, the Weald is the remains of a rock dome [an anticline] thrown up in that period of time when the Alps, the Pyrenees and other Mediterranean mountains were formed. The dome, known as the Weald-Artois anticline, stretched across what is now the English Channel into France :
As the dome was eroded over the millennia the underlying rocks were exposed by wind, rain, ice and snow. [Note, however, that the icecap of the last ice age did not reach this far south.]
The 'High' Weald is, ironically, on the exposed sandstones at the lowest levels of the original dome. This can be clearly seen on the north/south geological section. Peasmarsh is on the very southern fringe of the High Weald, almost in the cream coloured area on the map above which is the silted-up marsh of the Rother levels.
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One of the most important characteristics of the Wealden geology, a strong influence on the history of East Sussex as it is known today, is the presence of ironstone - an iron ore. The region was therefore an important source of iron goods from Roman times onwards as there was plentiful wood for fuel, the ironstone itself and streams easily harnessed to provide water power for the works. It is reported that bloomery slag has been found up at the western end of Van's Gill near the source of Woodside Stream so just 500 metres from The Old Rectory. A bloomery was the original means of making iron [it made 'sponge iron'], dating back to about 1200 BC. However they were in use until replaced by blast furnaces, something which only happened in the late 15th, early 16th centuries in the Weald.
At a more local level, another characteristic of Peasmarsh geology is the clay subsoil. At one time, the village had its own brickworks as evidenced in the OS Second Edition map of the late 19th century. Unfortunately, the next edition from the early 20th century drops the description although the image is the same. By the end of the 1920's it is described as a wood yard on the OS maps.
