Greylake

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 51.0991, -2.8791

Also within

Somerset County

Condition (Natural England)

Favourable (2)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
ST382338 Favourable 8.7 2009-11-30
ST385336 Favourable 8.7 2009-11-30

Climate exposure

This is about exposure to a nationwide pressure this habitat type carries — not a verdict on this site's own management.

Coastal

Coastal habitats are exposed to sea-level rise and storm erosion. Where hard sea defences sit behind them, there's nowhere landward to retreat to — a squeeze that keeps compressing the habitat no matter how well it's managed.

Geology & landscape

Geological Period: Quaternary

Landscape processes: Coastal, Fluvial, Glacial

Description

Area, 9.3 ha. 22.9 ac. Description This classic locality is the type section for the Pleistocene Burtle Beds, an interglacial shallow marine formation of Ipswichian Interglacial age. A sequence of fluvial or possibly glacial gravels, marine intertidal silts and marine subtidal sands is present here. Rich molluscan, ostracod and foraminifer assemblages and a mammalian fauna, including Cervus elephus red deer, Bos primigenius Aurochs and Dama cf dama Fallow Deer have been recorded. This is probably the most complete Burtle Beds sequence in Somerset and as such it is a Pleistocene site of very great importance.

Species mentioned

English name
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Latin name
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IUCN / Red List Type Family
cattle Bos primigenius Not listed in GB list cattle bovidae