Banwell Ochre Caves
Encyclopedia
Banwell Ochre Caves are a 12.46-hectare
geological Site of Special Scientific Interest near the village of Banwell
, North Somerset
, notified in 1983.
There are five caves in total which contain the most extensive and accessible yellow ochre workings in the Mendip Hills
. A wide variety of ochre
types and iron hydroxides (limonite
s) can be examined in situ, and the evidence of their accumulation as residual ore-bodies associated with Ice Age
(Pleistocene
) sediments is clearly visible.
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
geological Site of Special Scientific Interest near the village of Banwell
Banwell
Banwell is a village and civil parish on the River Banwell in the North Somerset district of Somerset, England. Its population was 2,923 according to the 2001 census.-History:...
, North Somerset
North Somerset
North Somerset is a unitary authority in England. Its area covers part of the ceremonial county of Somerset but it is administered independently of the non-metropolitan county. Its administrative headquarters is in the town hall in Weston-super-Mare....
, notified in 1983.
There are five caves in total which contain the most extensive and accessible yellow ochre workings in the Mendip Hills
Mendip Hills
The Mendip Hills is a range of limestone hills to the south of Bristol and Bath in Somerset, England. Running east to west between Weston-super-Mare and Frome, the hills overlook the Somerset Levels to the south and the Avon Valley to the north...
. A wide variety of ochre
Ochre
Ochre is the term for both a golden-yellow or light yellow brown color and for a form of earth pigment which produces the color. The pigment can also be used to create a reddish tint known as "red ochre". The more rarely used terms "purple ochre" and "brown ochre" also exist for variant hues...
types and iron hydroxides (limonite
Limonite
Limonite is an ore consisting in a mixture of hydrated iron oxide-hydroxide of varying composition. The generic formula is frequently written as FeO·nH2O, although this is not entirely accurate as limonite often contains a varying amount of oxide compared to hydroxide.Together with hematite, it has...
s) can be examined in situ, and the evidence of their accumulation as residual ore-bodies associated with Ice Age
Ice age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
(Pleistocene
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
) sediments is clearly visible.
Source
- English Nature citation sheet for the site (accessed 9 July 2006)