Godminster Lane Quarry & Railway Cutting
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Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ST681345 | — | Unfavourable Declining | 0.32 | 2023-01-18 |
Geology & landscape
Geological Period: Jurassic · Rock Type: Limestone
Description
Area, 0.8 hectares 1.9 ac. Description 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. Deposition of these rocks took place in a series of separated sedimentary basins, each of which tended to contain different associations of rock types and fossils. The rocks seen here contain a rich and varied fauna of marine fossils, with abundant ammonites which are of great importance in sub dividing the rock sequence. 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 so 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.