Greatness Brickworks

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 51.2979, 0.2014

Also within

Kent County

Condition (Natural England)

Favourable (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
TQ535577 Favourable 7.78 2012-03-07

Geology & landscape

Geological Period: Cretaceous

Description

Area, 7.5 ha. 18.5 ac. Description This pit is a classic Cretaceous ammonite locality and is of vital importance in biostratigraphic research on the Gault of the Weald. The celebrated and extremely fossiliferous 'lautus Zone nodule bed' which represents local condensation in, very slowly deposited beds and containing faunal elements of nitidus, daviesi and cristatum Subzone ages, is well exposed near the top of the succession. The lautus Zone Gault is absent or greatly attenuated over much of the Weald and therefore its presence here fills a considerable gap in the local succession.