Hackness Head Quarry

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 54.3006, -0.5186

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Also within

North Yorkshire County NORTH YORK MOORS National Park

Condition (Natural England)

Favourable (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
SE965904 — Favourable 3.24 2016-01-14

Geology & landscape

Mining / Industrial: Quarry · Geological Period: Jurassic · Rock Type: Limestone

Description

Area, 3.0 hectares 7.41 ac Description Hackness Head Quarry shows sponge coral development at the base of the Hambleton Oolitewhich occurs in a very restricted area. A three metres thick coral sponge reef is seen here overlying clays and sandy limestone, the latter attributed to the Passage Beds at the base of the Coralline Oolite Formation. This accumulation of compound, reef forming corals is the earliest known in the Corallian formation of Britain. A number of sponge species are associated with the corals and many specimens were figured in Hinde's classic monograph of British fossil sponges. This is a key stratigraphic and palaeontological site for the Upper Jurassic.