Plaistow Quarry
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Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SS567372 | — | Favourable | 4.07 | 2012-03-21 |
| SS569372 | — | Favourable | 8.96 | 2012-03-21 |
Geology & landscape
Mining / Industrial: Quarry · Geological Period: Carboniferous, Devonian
Description
Plaistow Quarry SSSI Description This is the best locality for the Upper Devonian Baggy Beds flora. This flora consists mainly of lycopods and pteridosperms, the latter being the oldest known gymnosperms in Britain. No definite seeds are known, but several examples of what are probably empty cupules have been found. There are also some possible equisete stems, which if their identification is confirmed will also be the oldest British examples of their group. The scarcity of Upper Devonian floras in Britain makes this site of national importance, providing one of the few links between the primitive Middle Devonian floras and the more Advanced Lower Carboniferous floras. In addition to its plant fossils, the site has also yielded a very rich invertebrate fauna. This makes the locality the best shelly fossil site within the late Devonian Baggy Beds (Famennian).