Cromer Forest Bed

The Cromer Forest-bed Formation, sometimes known as the Cromer Forest Bed, is a Pleistocene aged geological formation in Norfolk, England. It consists of river gravels, estuary and floodplain sediments predominantly silt, sand, and muds as well as peat along the coast of northern Norfolk. The formation records a number of glacial cycles, with deposition occurring in both relatively cold environments during glacial periods, as well during interglacial periods when the area had a temperate climate. The Cromer Forest Bed itself varies in age from about 2 to 0.5 million years ago, from the Early Pleistocene to early Middle Pleistocene, though the most fossiliferous strata, such as the West Runton Freshwater Bed date to towards the end of deposition during the early Middle Pleistocene. The fossiliferous West Runton Freshwater Bed is the type locality for the Cromerian Stage of the early Middle Pleistocene between 0.8 and 0.5 million years ago. Some fossils from the Cromer Forest Bed likely come from Early Pleistocene layers, though many finds are found out of stratigraphic context.
It is about thick and is exposed in cliff section near the village of West Runton.

Paleontology and paleoanthropology

For over a century this formation, named after the local town of Cromer, has been famous for its assemblage of fossil mammal remains, containing the diverse remains of numerous taxa.
The West Runton Mammoth, a largely complete skeleton of the steppe mammoth is one of the most best preserved finds found in the West Runton Freshwater Bed. The oldest human footprints outside Africa, the Happisburgh footprints as well as handaxes and bison bones with cut marks were also found in layers considered to belong to this deposit near Happisburgh, dated to around 1 million to 780,000 years ago.

Birds

A variety of birds are known from the Cromer Forest Bed.

Species	Locality	Notes	Image
Phalacrocorax cf. carbo	West Runton Freshwater Bed	Remains closely resembling and possibly conspecific with the living great cormorant
Cygnus sp.'	West Runton Freshwater Bed	A swan
Anser sp.'	West Runton Freshwater Bed	A goose
Anatinae spp.'	West Runton Freshwater Bed	Remains of several species of ducks
Grus cf. Grus grus'	West Runton Freshwater Bed	Remains closely resembling and possibly conspecific with the living common crane
cf. Gallinula chloropus	West Runton Freshwater Bed	Remains closely resembling and possibly conspecific with the living common moorhen
Turdus sp.'	West Runton Freshwater Bed	A thrush
Sturnus sp. '	West Runton Freshwater Bed	A starling
Corvidae indet	West Runton Freshwater Bed	A small bird belonging to the crow family
Gallus europaeus		Remains closely resembling Gallus gallus, dated to the middle Pleistocene
Aythya ferina		The Common Pochard	-
Netta rufina		Red Crested Pochard	-
Melanitta nigra		Common Scoter	-
Passeriformes indet		A perching bird

Insects

A variety of beetles are known from the Cromer Forest Bed, including the West Runton Freshwater Bed, representing a temperate climate, and from Sidestrand, representing a cold glacial climate.

Flora

Pollen and macrofossils from the West Runton Freshwater Bed indicates the presence of a variety of plants at the time of deposition, representing a forest and wetland environment with a temperate climate near to the North Sea coast.

Species	Locality	Notes	Image
Alnus glutinosa	West Runton Freshwater Bed	Commonly known as European alder, species extant
Betula	West Runton Freshwater Bed	Commonly known as birch
Plantago major	West Runton Freshwater Bed	Commonly known as broadleaf plantain, species extant
Urtica dioica	West Runton Freshwater Bed	Commonly known as stinging nettles, species extant
Picea sp.	West Runton Freshwater Bed	Commonly known as spruce
Heracleum sphondylium	West Runton Freshwater Bed	Commonly known as hogweed, species extant
Stellaria media	West Runton Freshwater Bed	Commonly known as chickweed, species extant
Schoenoplectus lacustris	West Runton Freshwater Bed	Known as the common club-rush, species extant
Sparganium erectum	West Runton Freshwater Bed	Known as the simplestem bur-reed, species extant
Typha ''sp.	West Runton Freshwater Bed	Commonly known as bullrush or cattail
Bidens tripartita	West Runton Freshwater Bed	Known as the three-lobe beggarticks, species extant
Epilobium cf. hirsutum	West Runton Freshwater Bed	Commonly known as the great or hairy willowherb, species extant
Eupatorium cannabinum	West Runton Freshwater Bed	Commonly known as the hemp-agrimony, species extant
Ajuga reptans	West Runton Freshwater Bed	Commonly known as the bugleherb, species extant
Thalictrum flavum	West Runton Freshwater Bed	Commonly known as the yellow meadow-rue, species extant
Cyperus fuscus	West Runton Freshwater Bed	Commonly known as the brown galingale, species extant
Eleocharis palustris	West Runton Freshwater Bed	Known as the common spike-rush, species extant
Juncus sp.	West Runton Freshwater Bed	Indeterminate rushes
Persicaria lapathifolia	West Runton Freshwater Bed	Known by several common names including pale persicaria and pale smartweed, species extant
Potentilla sp.	West Runton Freshwater Bed	Commonly known as cinquefoils
Ranunculus	West Runton Freshwater Bed	Includes indeterminate members of the subgenera Ranunculus subgenus Ranunculus and Batrachium
Azolla filiculoides	West Runton Freshwater Bed	An aquatic fern. Became extinct in Europe during the Pleistocene, but was reintroduced to the region in historic times
Hydrocharis morsus-ranae	West Runton Freshwater Bed	Commonly known as the European frog-bit, species extant
Nuphar lutea	West Runton Freshwater Bed	Commonly known as the yellow water-lily, species extant
Nymphaea alba	West Runton Freshwater Bed	Commonly known as the white water-lily, species extant
Stratiotes aloides	West Runton Freshwater Bed	Commonly known as the water soldier, species extant
Ceratophyllum demersum	West Runton Freshwater Bed	Commonly known as hornwort, species extant
Groenlandia densa	West Runton Freshwater Bed	An aquatic plant, species extant
Chara sp.	West Runton Freshwater Bed	An alga
Rubus idaeus	West Runton Freshwater Bed	Commonly known as the red raspberry, species extant
Rabelera holostea	West Runton Freshwater Bed	Commonly known as the greater stitchwort, species extant. Labelled in study under previous name Stellaria holostea
Oxybasis cf. rubra	West Runton Freshwater Bed	Commonly known as the red goosefoot, species extant. Labelled in study under previous name Chenopodium rubrum
Salix sp.	West Runton Freshwater Bed	Commonly known as willow, represented by pollen
Corylus	West Runton Freshwater Bed	Commonly known as hazel represented by pollen
Pinus	West Runton Freshwater Bed	Commonly known as pine, represented by pollen
Quercus	West Runton Freshwater Bed	Commonly known as oak, represented by pollen
Ulmus	West Runton Freshwater Bed	Commonly known as elm, represented by pollen
Polypodium vulgare	West Runton Freshwater Bed	Known as the common polypody, species extant, represented by spores
Pteridium aquilinum	West Runton Freshwater Bed	Commonly known as bracken, species extant, represented by spores
Anemone	West Runton Freshwater Bed	Commonly known as windflowers, represented by pollen
Mercurialis perennis	West Runton Freshwater Bed	Commonly known as dogs mercury, species extant
Aster	West Runton Freshwater Bed	Represented by pollen
Centaurea scabiosa	West Runton Freshwater Bed	Commonly known as greater knapweed, represented by pollen
Cirsium/Carduus	West Runton Freshwater Bed	Commonly known as thistles, represented by pollen
Anthemis	West Runton Freshwater Bed	Commonly known as camomile, represented by pollen
Taraxacum	West Runton Freshwater Bed	Commonly known as dandelions, represented by pollen
Hypericum perforatum	West Runton Freshwater Bed	Commonly known as St. John's wort, represented by pollen
Plantago lanceolata	West Runton Freshwater Bed	Commonly known as ribwort, represented by pollen
Rumex acetosa	West Runton Freshwater Bed	Commonly known as sorrel, represented by pollen
Vicia/Lathyrus	West Runton Freshwater Bed	Pollen representing either vetches, peavines, or both
Capsella	West Runton Freshwater Bed	Commonly known as sherpard's purse, represented by pollen
Sinapis	West Runton Freshwater Bed	Commonly known as mustard, represented by pollen
Rumex crispus	West Runton Freshwater Bed	Commonly known as curly dock, represented by pollen
Persicaria maculosa	West Runton Freshwater Bed	Commonly known as lady's thumb, represented by pollen
Plantago maritima	West Runton Freshwater Bed	Commonly known as sea plantain, represented by pollen
Armeria	West Runton Freshwater Bed	Commonly known as thrifts, represented by pollen
Ballota nigra''	West Runton Freshwater Bed	Commonly known as black horehound, species extant
	West Runton Freshwater Bed
Poaceae	West Runton Freshwater Bed	Unidentified grass pollen