Dead Maid Quarry
Also within
Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ST802323 | — | Unfavourable Declining | 0.08 | 2022-02-15 |
| ST803323 | — | Unfavourable Declining | 0.31 | 2022-02-15 |
Geology & landscape
Mining / Industrial: Quarry · Geological Period: Cretaceous · Rock Type: Chalk, Chert, Greensand
Description
Area, 0.44 ha. 1.10 ac. Description This site is of importance both for the Chalk and for the Upper Greensand units of the Cretaceous. The quarry provides the finest available section in south west England of the Upper Greensand / Chalk transition as developed in the area to the north of a shallow area in the Cretaceous sea known as the 'mid Dorset Swell'. The unique and highly fossiliferous 'Popple Bed' is well exposed above the Chert Beds and is of importance for the rich and diverse assemblage of fossil bivalves, gastropods, ammonites, brachiopods and echinoids which it contains, mainly as phosphatised casts. This is a key locality for study of the palaeontology of the lowermost part of the Chalk the Cenomanian Stage in Britain.