Brewin's Canal Section
Also within
Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SO935873 | — | Favourable | 1.26 | 2022-11-02 |
| SO936876 | — | Favourable | 1.26 | 2022-11-02 |
Geology & landscape
Geological Period: Carboniferous, Silurian · Rock Type: Conglomerate, Sandstone
Description
Area, 1.34 ha. 3.3 ac. Description The site shows a section through the rocks of the Ludlow and Pridoli Series of the Silurian Period. The lowest units of the Ludfordian yield common brachiopods and cephalopods. The highest Ludfordian beds are marginal marine with a high clastic content and common plant debris. Shelly inter beds have yielded important conodont faunas. The Downton Castle Sandstone caps the late Silurian section. This is the best available exposure showing the conglomeratic base of the Westphalian sequence in this part of the South Staffordshire Coalfield. Although Carboniferous strata older than the Westphalian have been reported occasionally in this coalfield, normally the lowest sediments are Westphalian A or Westphalian B and typically are a conglomerate. In this case, the conglomerate can be shown to be just below the Westphalian B Thick Seam present in the nearby Doulton’s Claypit SSSI. This site, therefore, provides an invaluable insight into the development of coal deposits in the English Midlands.