Runswick Bay
Also within
North Yorkshire County NORTH YORK MOORS National Park Cleveland Way National TrailKing Charles Way - Filey Brigg to Newport Bridge National Trail
Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NZ808168 | — | Favourable | 5.91 | 2024-04-04 |
| NZ809169 | — | Favourable | 4.1 | 2024-04-04 |
Climate exposure
This is about exposure to a nationwide pressure this habitat type carries — not a verdict on this site's own management.
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: Jurassic · Rock Type: Ironstone
Landscape processes: Coastal
Description
Area, 9.86 hectares 24.38 ac Description An ironstone band exposed in Runswick Bay has yielded a Middle Jurassic fossil flora of unusually fine preservation, including fourteen species of bennettites, cycads, ginkgos, conifers, ferns and equisetes and differing in composition from other Middle Jurassic floras in the area. However, its main significance lies in the three dimensional preservation of the fructifications, which provide important and in some cases unique structural information. The bennettite 'flower' Williamsonia is only known in this mode of preservation from one other locality, in northern India, where it is of a different species. It is of special interest, since it is the type genus of the extinct class Bennettitopsida. The three dimensional cycad fructification Androstrobus and the cone of the conifer Elatides are unique to Runswick Bay. The site is of international standing for the important information that is supplied on the structure of these organs. Other Information 1. This is a new site identified as of international importance in the Geological Conservation Review. 2. The site lies within the North Yorkshire Heritage Coast.