Blue Anchor to Lilstock Coast

Also within

Somerset County Quantock Hills Scenic Area King Charles Way - Brean Down to Minehead National Trail

Condition (Natural England)

Unit	Feature	Condition	Area (ha)	Assessed
ST050435	—	Favourable	25.95	2011-09-15
ST052436	—	Favourable	133.7	2011-09-15
ST087430	—	Favourable	7.05	2012-03-19
ST089434	—	Favourable	153.36	2012-03-30
ST098433	—	Favourable	7.05	2012-03-19
ST108430	—	Favourable	6.15	2012-03-19
ST120437	—	Favourable	6.15	2012-03-19
ST124440	—	Favourable	153.13	2012-03-19
ST130439	—	Favourable	6.15	2012-03-19
ST141442	—	Favourable	6.15	2012-03-19
ST154449	—	Favourable	3.75	2011-08-25
ST175451	—	Favourable	3.75	2011-08-25
ST180455	—	Favourable	192.0	2011-08-25
ST184454	—	Favourable	3.75	2011-08-25
ST190457	—	Favourable	3.75	2011-08-25

Climate exposure

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

Habitats

Coastal vegetated shingle, Fast flowing river and stream

Geology & landscape

Geological Period: Jurassic, Quaternary, Triassic

Landscape processes: Coastal, Fluvial, Periglacial

Description

Area, 742.8 hectares 1835.5 ac Description 1. Blue Anchor Lilstock Coast Hettangian Pliensbachian An outstanding series of sections through the Lover Lias, spanning the Hettangian and Lover Pliensbachian Stages. This sequence and the good Rhaetian succession beneath are repeatedly affected by faulting, making many sections available in comparison to the same interval on the Glamorgan and Dorset casts. In a British context the Watchet coast is the thickest succession for this interval. This makes it of international significance, for Britain's Lias sequences are arguably the best in N. W. Europe. In addition it has been proposed that this coast be accepted as the standard for the base of the Hettangian Stage and thus by definition the Jurassic as a whole. An internationally important stratigraphic locality. 2. Blue Anchor Point Rhaetian A site showing the complete Rhaetian succession developed locally, from the Grey Marls to the Blue Lias. The Sully Beds are noteworthy for their fish, reptiles and coprolites and the early mammal Hypsoprymnopsis. Abundant ostracode occur in the Cotham Beds. Sully, Westbury. Cotham, Langport, Watches and Pre planorbis Beds are all represented in these classic late Triassic sections. 3. Doniford Pleistocene of Somerset This classic site shows Pleistocene sediments, including a fine example of alluvial sediments formed in a cold stage river valley, superbly exposed in the low sea cliffs. Mid Acheulian and Late Upper Paleolithic implements as well as bones and tusks of Elephas primigenius have been found in the deposits, together with a vide range of fluvial and cryoturbation structures. The stratigraphy of the deposits has, however, only been described in very general terms and is long overdue for re description. This site is of great importance as one of the best localities in the country for periglacial phenomena and cold stage river valley sediments and it has considerable regional stratigraphic significance. 4. St Audries Bay Rhaetian A site showing a complete Rhaetian section from the Grey Marls to the Pre planorbis Beds. The Grey Marl sequence including the Sully Beds is very thick, approaching twenty six metres. First recorded in the mid 1800's the section here still has great potential for future research and with the Blue Anchor section affords the best available Rhaetian exposures on the classic Watchet coast. 5. Blue Anchor Watchet Lilstock Coastal Geomorphology Blue Anchor Watchet Lilstock is important for coastal geomorphology. It demonstrates a particularly well developed series of intertidal shore platforms varying in width from about 200 to 600 metres. The platforms are veneered in part by shingle, sand and mud and in details of form reflect the variable resistance to erosion of the Rhaetica and Lower Lias bedrock. A key feature of the platforms is their development in a macro tidal environment and they are among the best examples of such coastal features in Britain.

Plant communities