Perton Roadside Section and Quarry

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 52.0552, -2.5929

Also within

Herefordshire County

Condition (Natural England)

Favourable (1) Unfavourable Recovering (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
SO594398 Favourable 6.1 2014-08-22
SO596402 Unfavourable Recovering 0.28 2015-02-23

Geology & landscape

Geological Period: Silurian

Description

Description This site contains the longest, continuous Late Silurian section in the Woolhope Inlier, with rocks of late Gorstian, Ludfordian and Downtonian age. The Upper Bringewood and Leintwardine Beds here have yielded a diverse shelly macrofauna, dominated by brachiopods and diverse acritarch and spore floras. It is also a significant locality for stratigraphic studies of Silurian rocks. In addition the site is important for studies of ancient arthropod faunas. The Silurian rocks have yielded elements of the famous Welsh borders eurypterid fauna, seven species having been collected from deposits of Downtonian age. Fossil material here is well preserved and amongst the most abundant available in this key area for fossil arthropod studies.