Beckfoot Quarry
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Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NY164003 | — | Favourable | 1.64 | 2015-10-07 |
Geology & landscape
Mining / Industrial: Quarry · Geological Period: Ordovician · Rock Type: Granite
Landscape processes: Volcanic / Igneous
Description
Description Beckfoot Quarry is situated in Eskdale, between the small villages of Boot and Eskdale Green and about 25 kilometres south east of Whitehaven. The geological interest of this site, in technical terms, may be defined as follows, One of two sites within the Eskdale Granite a large granitic intrusion of Ordovician age. The so called 'normal granite' which is a pink perthite granite, is exposed in this quarry. This is a key exposure, showing the non homogeneous nature of this rare Ordovician rock type. In layman's terms, the interest of this site may be expressed more simply and such a statement is provided below, The quarry faces and rock outcrops within this site provide important exposures of a rocktype known as perthite granite. This locality lies within the area of the Eskdale Granite, which was injected into the earth's crust from below during the late Ordovician Period of geological history. The rock type perthite granite is rare in igneous rocks of this age in England and the quarry provides excellent exposures illustrating the nature and variability of the Eskdale Granite.