Abstract The Neogene System of Britain and its surrounding continental shelf have received relatively little attention. This is due, in part, to their limited geographical distribution, relatively complex stratigraphy and unim-portance in terms of offshore hydrocarbons (Fig. 1 ). However, during the last decade, interest has grown as palaeontologists and climatologists work towards documenting and reconstructing the warmer climate of the Middle Pliocene ( Dowsett et al. 1992 ; Wood et al. 1993 ; Haywood et al. 2000, 2002 ), thus providing new insight into the mechanisms and effects of global warming ( Dowsett et al. 1999 ; Haywood & Valdes 2004 ). Onshore Miocene deposits are poorly represented, with the exception of the Lenham Beds, Kent, and the Trimley Sands, SE Suffolk. Wilkinson (1974, 1980) examined samples from the former site, but recovered no ostracods. Although Pliocene deposits are more common than Miocene in the British Isles, they are also of limited extent. Pliocene ostracods have only been described from two regions on the British mainland – the diminutive St Erth Beds, Cornwall, and the more extensive crags of eastern England. ‘Crag’ was an East Anglian dialect term for any sand rich in shells ( Moorlock et al. 2000 ). Taylor (1824) first applied this term in a strictly geological sense, although Funnell (1961) extended its use to all formations containing such deposits.

Abstract Marine deposition dominated the Early Pleistocene and parts of the early Middle Pleistocene. The region experienced glaciation on at least two occasions; during the Anglian and Late Devensian. There may also be some localities that show evidence of additional glacial episodes (Gibbard et al . 1991a, 1992). Evidence of fluvial activity is significant, with major reorganization of the drainage system as a result of glaciation during the Anglian. Early Pleistocene deposits are mainly marine in origin, and were deposited at the margins of the southern North Sea basin. The Red Crag and Norwich Crag Formations occur in the southern and eastern parts of East Anglia. Coastal sections together with boreholes through the deeper Crag basins provided reference sections for Early Pleistocene stages defined by Mitchell et al . (1973). These provide lithostratigraphical and biostratigraphical information for correlation of the British sequence with those of the Netherlands (Gibbard et al . 1991 b ). These correlations reveal a gap of about I Ma in the British sequence.

Abstract The lower limit of this chapter is within the Langhian (as explained in Chapter 12) corresponding to the base of the Hodde Formation and corresponding levels in onshore areas, except that, in the Netherlands and adjacent areas, the lowest Breda Formation, predating this level, is included. In the northern North Sea, this interval corresponds to the lower part of the Nordland Group, but owing to discrepancies in the de?nition of the base of the Nordland Group elsewhere, summarized below, the highest part of the Lark Formation is also included. The base of the Calabrian has been chosen as the upper limit. Although this is within the Early Pleistocene, it corresponds approximately to a well-marked seismic reflector throughout much of the North Sea, and to a foraminiferid zonal boundary that is documented throughout the Basin. In addition, the earliest Pleistocene (Gelasian) was for a long period classi?ed as Late Pliocene, and has often generally been included in Tertiary rather than Quaternary studies in offshore areas.