Godminster Lane Quarry and Railway Cutting
Encyclopedia
Godminster Lane Quarry and Railway Cutting is a 0.8 hectare
geological Site of Special Scientific Interest at Pitcombe
in Somerset
, notified in 1971.
This is an important locality for study of the Inferior Oolite
limestones, of Middle Jurassic
age, laid down in a warm shallow sea some 175 million years ago. The site is unique in that the limestones seen here are much more closely comparable with rocks of similar age found in the Cotswolds
than with rock sequences seen elsewhere in Somerset. However, the rocks do contain the rich assemblage of fossil
ammonites which are typical of the north Dorset
/south Somerset area and it is this feature, combined with the unusual limestone sequence, which makes this site unique. It is also important as a reference site for three sub-divisions (zones) of the Inferior Oolite — the laeviscula, discites and concavum Zones.
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 at Pitcombe
Pitcombe
Pitcombe is a village and civil parish south-west of Bruton and from Wincanton in Somerset, England. It has a population of 549. The parish includes the hamlets of Cole and Godminster....
in Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, notified in 1971.
This is an important locality for study of the Inferior Oolite
Oolite
Oolite is a sedimentary rock formed from ooids, spherical grains composed of concentric layers. The name derives from the Hellenic word òoion for egg. Strictly, oolites consist of ooids of diameter 0.25–2 mm; rocks composed of ooids larger than 2 mm are called pisolites...
limestones, of Middle Jurassic
Middle Jurassic
The Middle Jurassic is the second epoch of the Jurassic Period. It lasted from 176-161 million years ago. In European lithostratigraphy, rocks of this Middle Jurassic age are called the Dogger....
age, laid down in a warm shallow sea some 175 million years ago. The site is unique in that the limestones seen here are much more closely comparable with rocks of similar age found in the Cotswolds
Cotswolds
The Cotswolds are a range of hills in west-central England, sometimes called the Heart of England, an area across and long. The area has been designated as the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...
than with rock sequences seen elsewhere in Somerset. However, the rocks do contain the rich assemblage of fossil
Fossil
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of animals , plants, and other organisms from the remote past...
ammonites which are typical of the north Dorset
Dorset
Dorset , is a county in South West England on the English Channel coast. The county town is Dorchester which is situated in the south. The Hampshire towns of Bournemouth and Christchurch joined the county with the reorganisation of local government in 1974...
/south Somerset area and it is this feature, combined with the unusual limestone sequence, which makes this site unique. It is also important as a reference site for three sub-divisions (zones) of the Inferior Oolite — the laeviscula, discites and concavum Zones.
External links
- English Nature website (SSSI information)