Neepsend Brickworks
Also within
Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SK350890 | — | Favourable | 4.24 | 2021-03-02 |
Geology & landscape
Mining / Industrial: Quarry · Geological Period: Carboniferous · Rock Type: Sandstone
Description
Area, 4.3 ha. 10.6 ac. Description Situated in open space within the City of Sheffield, this site displays a series of sheet rock faces of an abandoned quarry. Adjacent to the SSSI is an industrial estate*, behind which are the rock faces of special geological interest. This is the best available exposure of the Greenmoor Rock Formation, a local variant of the Elland Flags Formation to the north and the Wingfield Flags Formation to the south. It is one of the most important sandstone intervals in the lower Westphalian A Middle Carboniferous of the Pennines area and its sedimentology has been thoroughly investigated. Exposed here are sediments which show three coarsening upward cycles, with a wide variety of trace fossils and other sedimentary structures, including well preserved examples of Limulicubichnus, the resting traces of limulid arthropods. It is interpreted as a rapidly deposited deltaic system which extended into a flood basin lake. It is a site of considerable importance for understanding the genesis of the non marine deltaic systems in the Middle Carboniferous and is of national scientific importance.* N B The industrial estate is only partially marked on the SSSI boundary map.