  Stone Museum of Geology | Lewes, the county town of East Sussex, sits on the edge of the fossiliferous chalk South Downs. This ammonite statue, by Peter Randall-Page, is at the north east entrance to the town (the A26 from Tunbridge Wells) and was erected in 1983 in recognition of the numerous fossils found in this area. Lewes is noted as the birthplace of Dr Gideon Mantell (1790-1852), discoverer in 1822 of the first Iguanodon dinosaur remains to be found in England. During his life he also discovered and named the first remains of the dinosaurs Hylaeosaurus (1832) and Pelorosaurus (1849). He was also the discoverer of the dinosaurs Cetiosaurus, Regnosaurus and Hypsilophodon, but found too few remains of each to be able to name the specimens he found. There are local fossils to be seen in the town museum next to Lewes Castle. |
Very much a local hero, displays about Dr Mantell, and his wife Mary Ann, can also be seen in nearby Cuckfield Museum. A monument to Gideon Mantell has been erected on the site of the quarry where Mantell made his first historic finds in Whitemans Green, on the outskirts of Cuckfield.
 Science Photo Library | Click here to view Castle Place, home of Gideon Mantell. Click here to view the commemorative plaque outside Castle Place. Click here to view The museum Mantell opened in Brighton to display his collection. Click here to view The monument erected at Whiteman's Green. Click here to view Dr. Mantell's grave at West Norwood Cemetary in SW London. |
