Sandy Lane Pit, Barham

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 52.1213, 1.1180

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Also within

Suffolk County

Condition (Natural England)

Favourable (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
TM135515 — Favourable 11.07 2023-03-06

Habitats

Fast flowing river and stream

Geology & landscape

Geological Period: Quaternary · Rock Type: Glacial Till

Landscape processes: Glacial

Description

Description This locality shows the best development of the unique early middle Pleistocene succession present in the area, spanning the Beestonian Anglian Stages. A palaeosol'fossil' soil horizon, considered to have a composite origin dating from both the Cromerian and early Anglian Stages, is developed on Kesgrave Sands and Gravels, thought to have been deposited by a former river a proto Thames during the Beestonian Stage. The palaeosol is overlain in turn by a loess, out wash sands and gravels and glacial till all correlated with the Anglian Cold Stage. The importance of the site lies in the well developed palaeosol representing a former land surface and the stratigraphical interpretation of the sequence; both of which are subjects of current controversy.

Plant communities

A9 — Fast flowing river and stream, Marginal and inundation, Pond ditch and canal, Sluggish river and stream

Potamogeton natans community

Schoenoplectus lacustris, Juncus bulbosus, Sparganium angustifolium, Sparganium erectum, Sparganium minimum, Alisma plantago-aquatica, Lobelia dortmanna, Equisetum fluviatile, Myriophyllum alterniflorum, Elodea canadensis, Lemna minor, Lemna trisulca, Nymphaea alba, Callitriche platycarpa, Callitriche stagnalis, Littorella uniflora, Potamogeton natans, Ranunculus trichophyllus, Glyceria fluitans, Chara subspinosa

A14 — Fast flowing river and stream

Myriophyllum alterniflorum community

Isolepis fluitans, Juncus bulbosus, Fontinalis antipyretica, Lobelia dortmanna, Equisetum fluviatile, Myriophyllum alterniflorum, Lemna minor, Callitriche stagnalis, Littorella uniflora, Potamogeton filiformis, Potamogeton gramineus, Potamogeton natans, Ranunculus peltatus, Chara spp., Nitella hyalina

A17 — Chalk river and stream, Fast flowing river and stream

Ranunculus penicillatus ssp. pseudofluitans community

Berula erecta, Nasturtium officinale, Elodea canadensis, Lemna minor, Callitriche stagnalis, Veronica beccabunga, Polygonum amphibium, Polygonum hydropiper, Potamogeton crispus, Potamogeton pectinatus, Ranunculus penicillatus ssp. pseudofluitans

A18 — Fast flowing river and stream

Ranunculus fluitans community

Fontinalis antipyretica, Fontinalis squamosa var. curnowii, Myriophyllum alterniflorum, Myriophyllum spicatum, Elodea canadensis, Mentha aquatica, Lemna gibba, Lemna minor, Potamogeton perfoliatus, Ranunculus fluitans, Glyceria fluitans, Phalaris arundinacea