Wayne Herbert Quarry

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 51.9828, -2.9697

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Herefordshire County

Condition (Natural England)

Unfavourable No Change (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
SO335320 — Unfavourable No Change 0.17 2022-04-25

Habitats

Fast flowing river and stream

Geology & landscape

Geological Period: Devonian · Rock Type: Siltstone

Description

Area, 0.2 ha. 0.5 ac. Description In the 1930’s a siltstone lens here yielded complete, articulated specimens of many species of early Devonian fossil 'fish'. Other disarticulated material was collected from the related sandstones. Wayne Herbert is the type locality for five species. These creatures lived in rivers and their remains have almost always been preserved as separate plates and fragments laid down during deposition in an actively flowing river. It is highly unusual to find them in a complete state resulting from preservation in a dried up, ephemeral pool. This provides us with a sample of fish preserved en masse, showing growth stages and predator prey relationships. An acanthodian contains a cephalaspid within it. The acanthodians are the earliest known complete specimens of their kind. A piece of a thelodont is one of only four specimens of articulated thelodont in Britain although they have been found elsewhere, in Canada and the Russia. Pteraspids, found here form the basis of all reconstructions of pteraspids and also other heterostracans. These specimens have added greatly to our ability to interpret the morphology of these early 'fish', which are found normally as disarticulated plates, scales and spines. This is a key site for the study offossil vertebrates.

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