Brimble Pit and Cross Swallet Basins
Also within
Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ST507503 | — | Favourable | 1.79 | 2011-07-05 |
| ST509508 | — | Favourable | 5.5 | 2011-07-05 |
| ST511504 | — | Favourable | 146.5 | 2011-07-05 |
| ST515499 | — | Unfavourable No Change | 1.56 | 2011-07-05 |
Geology & landscape
Geological Feature: Karst, Sinkhole / Pothole · Mining / Industrial: Quarry · Geological Period: Quaternary
Landscape processes: Karst
Description
Area, 154.3 ha. 381.3 ac. Description The site covers the two adjacent karstic basins draining into Brimble Pit and Cross Swallet. These are the two best defined of the belt of large shallow closed depressions which account for the total topography along the southern edge of the Mendip Hills. The Brimble Pit depression has a large old lake sediment floor now pitted with sinkholes, while the Cross Swallet Basin feeds to a single active sinkhole around which are well preserved terraces of both rock and sediment. Both depressions have marginal cols feeding to overflow channels now permanently dry. The site also contains important Pleistocene / Quaternary mammal remains within sediments infilling former caverns exposed on the north east face of Westbury Quarry.