Hobbs Quarry
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Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ST622446 | — | Favourable | 0.04 | 2012-03-26 |
Geology & landscape
Mining / Industrial: Quarry · Geological Period: Carboniferous, Jurassic · Rock Type: Carboniferous Limestone, Limestone
Description
Description During early Jurassic times, some 200 million years ago, the area now occupied by the Mendip Hills stood up as an island area surrounded by sea. As the sea deepened it progressively encroached higher onto the flanks of the island, which was eventually submerged. At Hobbs Quarry can be seen a sequence of rocks which demonstrate this early Jurassic transgression, with steeply dipping Carboniferous Limestone which formed the island being overlain by flatter lying massive limestones of early Jurassic age known as the Downside Stone. The Downside Stone can be seen to rest upon an eroded surface of Carboniferous Limestone and also displays many sedimentary and faunal features which indicate that it was laid down very close to the shore of the Jurassic sea. The extent of the Downside Stone is very limited and its study is of great importance in understanding the development of the Mendip area in early Jurassic times.