Bradford Abbas Railway Cutting

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 50.9281, -2.5820

Also within

Dorset County

Condition (Natural England)

Favourable (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
ST591144 Favourable 1.38 2018-12-13

Geology & landscape

Geological Period: Jurassic

Description

Area, 1.4 hectares 3.4 ac Description An internationally important Middle Jurassic locality comprising the only remaining section in an area where the condensed limestones of the Inferior Oolite were once well exposed and famous for their palaeontology. Many type specimens particularly of molluscan species came from here. The Bradford Fossil Bed section constitutes a reference section for parts of the Aalenian and Bajocian Stages the concavum and discites Zones. The Bradford Abbas cutting is the standard section for these internationally applicable time units.