Drewton Lane Pits

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 53.7842, -0.6055

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East Riding of Yorkshire County

Condition (Natural England)

Favourable (2)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
SE918332 — Favourable 0.55 2010-02-17
SE919328 — Favourable 4.65 2011-06-22

Habitats

Mixed scrub, Montane scrub

Geology & landscape

Geological Feature: Cave / Cavern · Mining / Industrial: Quarry · Geological Period: Jurassic · Rock Type: Sandstone

Landscape processes: Karst

Description

Area, 5.1 hectares 12.6 ac Description This site is notified for its international geological interest, the nationally important populations of great crested newts and outstanding assemblage of breeding amphibians. The site known as Drewton Lane Pit's includes two separate and neighbouring quarries known historically as South Cave Station Quarry southern area and Kettlethorpe Quarry northern area. Both quarries show important sections through the Humberside facies of the Kellaways Formation, dominantly of Lower Callovian age. Several metres of the Kellaways Sand Member, with sporadic large calcareous concretions, is overlain by up to 3m of ferruginous sand and sandstone, the Cave Rock Member = 'Kellaways Rock' sensu lato. Station Quarry is the type locality for the Cave Rock Member and only here is the overlying' Middle' Oxford Clay Middle Callovian seen. The Cave Rock Member of both quarries yields a rich shelly fauna including many ammonites, belemnites, bivalves and brachiopods and detailed palaeoecological reconstructions are possible. The ammonites are particularly important and the Cave Rock Member yields the best preserved Enodatum Subzone Calloviense Zone faunas known in Britain. Station Quarry is historically the type locality for the Enodatum Subzone and is the probable type locality for five characteristic nominal ammonite species Catasigoloceras planicercius Buckman 1923; Catasigaloceras curvicercius Buckman 1923; Catasigaloceras crispatum Buckman 1923; Cadoceras Catacephalites durum Buckman 1922; Anaplanulites difficilis Buckman 1922. Although Station Quarry has the largest exposures of the Kellaways Sand and Cave Rock Members in the district, only at Kettlethorpe can a detailed succession of ammonite faunas be made out. The two quarry sites are therefore complementary and together form one of Britain's most important geological localities one of great significance to European Jurassic stratigraphy. Station Quarry includes a series of ponds which hold nationally important numbers of breeding great crested newts Triturus cristatus. great crested newts are protected under Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Annual counts over the last 5 years suggest a total population exceeding 1,000 individuals. The ponds also support large numbers of breeding toads Bufo bufo with smaller populations of smooth newts T. vulgaris and common frogs Rana temporaria, all of which contribute to an outstanding assemblage of amphibians at this site. Whilst the amphibians breed in the ponds, the surrounding grassland and scrub habitats provide essential feeding and hibernating areas. Other Information This site is identified as being of national importance in the Geological Conservation Review. * Under Section 23 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981, as amended.

Species mentioned

English name
search for this in other sites		 Latin name
search with Google		 IUCN / Red List Type Family
common toad Bufo bufo NT amphibian buffonidae
common frog Rana temporaria LC amphibian ranidae
great crested newt Triturus cristatus LC amphibian salamandridae

Plant communities

W20 — Montane scrub

Salix lapponum-Luzula sylvatica scrub

Salix arbuscula, Salix cinerea, Salix lapponum, Salix myrsinites, Salix phylicifolia, Salix reticulata, Empetrum nigrum, Calluna vulgaris, Salix lanata, Vaccinium myrtillus, Vaccinium uliginosum, Carex atrata, Carex bigelowii, Carex binervis, Carex flacca, Luzula multiflora, Luzula sylvatica, Huperzia selago, Selaginella selaginoides, Aulacomnium palustre, Mnium hornum, Philonotis fontana, Plagiomnium undulatum, Rhizomnium punctatum, Dicranum bonjeanii, Dicranum majus, Dicranum scoparium, Fissidens adianthoides, Racomitrium lanuginosum, Calliergonell cuspidatum, Ctenidium molluscum, Hylocomium splendens, Hypnum callichroum, Hypnum cupressiforme, Palustriella commutatum, Plagiothecium denticulatum, Plagiothecium undulatum, Pleurozium schreberi, Ptilium crista-castrensis, Rhytidiadelphus loreus, Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus, Rhytidiadelphus triquetrus, Sanionia uncinata, Scorpidium revolvens, Thuidium tamariscinum, Atrichum undulatum, Polytrichastrum alpinum, Sphagnum capillifolium, Sphagnum fallax, Sphagnum girgensohnii, Sphagnum palustre, Sphagnum russowii, Sphagnum squarrosum, Sphagnum subnitens, Sphagnum teres, Barbilophozia barbata, Chiloscyphus polyanthos, Diplophyllum albicans, Lophocolea bidentata, Plagiochila porelloides, Ptilidium ciliare, Scapania undulata, Cladonia squamosa, Peltigera canina, Angelica sylvestris, Caltha palustris, Hieraclium spp., Saussurea alpina, Solidago virgaurea, Campanula rotundifolia, Succisa pratensis, Valeriana officinalis, Rhodiola rosea, Vaccinium vitis-idaea, Thymus praecox, Epilobium anagallidifolium, Dactylorhiza viridis, Euphrasia officinalis, Rhinanthus minor, Oxalis acetosella, Oxyria digyna, Polygonum viviparum, Rumex acetosa, Anemone nemorosa, Ranunculus acris, Thalictrum alpinum, Alchemilla alpina, Alchemilla glabra, Filipendula ulmaria, Geum rivale, Galium boreale, Galium saxatile, Saxifraga aizoides, Saxifraga hypnoides, Saxifraga oppositifolia, Saxifraga stellaris, Viola riviniana, Agrostis canina, Agrostis capillaris, Anthoxanthum odoratum, Deschampsia cespitosa, Deschampsia flexuosa, Festuca ovina, Festuca rubra, Nardus stricta, Dryopteris dilatata, Phegopteris connectilis

W21 — Hedgerow scrub, Mixed scrub

Crataegus monogyna-Hedera helix scrub

Hedera helix, Salix cinerea, Acer pseudoplatanus, Ilex aquifolium, Betula pendula, Corylus avellana, Fagus sylvatica, Quercus robur, Fraxinus excelsior, Malus sylvestris, Sorbus aria, Taxus baccata, Ulmus glabra, Ulmus procera, Sambucus nigra, Viburnum lantana, Euonymus europaeus, Cornus sanguinea, Juniperus communis, Ligustrum vulgare, Clematis vitalba, Rhamnus cathartica, Crataegus laevigata, Crataegus monogyna, Prunus spinosa, Juncus effusus, Plagiomnium undulatum, Brachythecium rutabulum, Kindbergia praelonga, Rhynchostegium confertum, Tamus communis, Heracleum sphondylium, Torilis japonica, Arum maculatum, Arctium minus, Cirsium arvense, Lonicera periclymenum, Moehringia trinervia, Silene dioica, Stellaria graminea, Stellaria holostea, Stellaria media agg., Calystegia sepium, Mercurialis perennis, Geranium robertianum, Iris foetidissima, Glechoma hederacea, Lamium purpureum, Origanum vulgare, Stachys sylvatica, Teucrium scorodonia, Allium ursinum, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Circaea lutetiana, Rumex sanguineus, Anemone nemorosa, Ranunculus repens, Fragaria vesca, Geum urbanum, Potentilla sterilis, Poterium sanguisorba, Rosa arvensis, Rosa canina, Rubia peregrina, Rubus fruticosus agg., Galium aparine, Urtica dioica, Viola riviniana, Anisantha sterilis, Arrhenatherum elatius, Brachypodium pinnatum, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Bromopsis erecta, Dactylis glomerata, Elytrigia repens, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Poa trivialis, Asplenium scolopendrium, Pteridium aquilinum, Dryopteris filix-mas

W22 — Hedgerow scrub, Mixed scrub

Prunus spinosa-Rubus fruticosus scrub

Hedera helix, Acer campestre, Corylus avellana, Ulex europaeus, Prunus spinosa, Plagiomnium undulatum, Brachythecium rutabulum, Eurhynchium striatum, Kindbergia praelonga, Thuidium tamariscinum, Atrichum undulatum, Lophocolea bidentata, Achillea millefolium, Cardamine flexuosa, Lonicera periclymenum, Moehringia trinervia, Silene dioica, Silene uniflora, Stellaria media agg., Mercurialis perennis, Geranium robertianum, Stachys sylvatica, Teucrium scorodonia, Hyacinthoides non-scripta, Oxalis acetosella, Digitalis purpurea, Plantago lanceolata, Veronica chamaedrys, Armeria maritima, Rumex acetosa, Filipendula ulmaria, Geum urbanum, Rosa canina, Rubus fruticosus agg., Rubus idaeus, Galium aparine, Urtica dioica, Viola riviniana, Agrostis capillaris, Brachypodium sylvaticum, Dactylis glomerata, Festuca rubra, Holcus lanatus, Holcus mollis, Poa trivialis, Asplenium scolopendrium, Pteridium aquilinum, Dryopteris borreri, Dryopteris filix-mas