Lummaton Quarry

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 50.4886, -3.5343

Also within

Devon County

Condition (Natural England)

Favourable (1) Unfavourable Declining (1) Part Destroyed (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
SX912665 Favourable 2.22 2021-11-11
SX913664 Unfavourable Declining 0.96 2023-01-17
SX913665 Part Destroyed 1.73 2022-03-30

Geology & landscape

Geological Feature: Rock Outcrop · Mining / Industrial: Quarry · Geological Period: Devonian · Rock Type: Limestone

Description

Lummaton Quarry SSSI Description Lummaton Quarry is a key palaeontological site in the Torquay Limestone. This quarry in the Devonian Walls Hill Limestone shows a good example of a stromatoporoid reef. This locality is, however, more important for its exposure of the lower horizons of the overlying Barton Limestone, the Lummaton Shell Beds Member. This unit comprises discontinuous pockets and lenses containing an extremely rich shelly fauna of Givetian age. Although the exact position and extent of the outcrop varies with quarrying operations, this locality is now unique as other exposures of the Lummaton Shell Beds are no longer available.