Downend Chalk Pit
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Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SU600065 | — | Unfavourable Recovering | 4.36 | 2013-03-19 |
Geology & landscape
Mining / Industrial: Quarry · Geological Period: Cretaceous · Rock Type: Chalk
Description
Area, 4.43 hectares Description A unique and internationally important Upper Cretaceous site. Quarrying here has exposed a complex of contemporaneously folded and disturbed beds which include folded hard grounds. Well exposed chalk of this age early to mid Campanian is rare in Britain and there are no other exposures of this age with a comparable density of hard grounds. The site yields a rich and important fauna, particularly in association with the hard grounds. There are several rare fossils, such as the compound corals Synhelia and Diblasus and heteromorph ammonites previously unknown in Britain.