Shepshed Cutting
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Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SK461185 | — | Destroyed | 6.04 | 2011-10-17 |
Geology & landscape
Geological Period: Triassic
Description
Description The mineral deposits occurring at Shepshed Cutting Tickow Lane Mine are of a type unknown anywhere else in Britain and for which no exactly comparable deposits are known anywhere in the world. The ore body is unique, taking the form of a flat sheet of galena lead sulphide resting horizontally on a bed of red clay, the whole being completely enclosed in a tubular area of white and green Triassic sandstones. Other British Triassic lead deposits have galena occurring as a cementing agent within the sandstones rather than as a discrete body. Lead chlorides and phosphates also occur and are of great importance to understanding the origin of the ore body. Considerable colour variations occur within the sandstones of the mine and these have never been satisfactorily explained. Molybdenum rich "wad" also occurs with the ore body and has been found nowhere else associated with this kind of mineralisation. The site is of international importance for developing a better understanding of the origins of mineral deposits and the processes which form them.