Broom Railway Cutting

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 52.1741, -1.8743

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Also within

Warwickshire County

Condition (Natural England)

Favourable (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
SP086528 — Favourable 0.29 2011-08-10

Habitats

Fast flowing river and stream

Geology & landscape

Geological Period: Quaternary

Landscape processes: Glacial

Description

Area, 0.3 ha. 0.7 ac. Description The disused railway cutting south of broom cuts through gravels of the 2nd Terrace of the Avon system, which is believed to date from the last glacial period. Interest in these deposits in this particular area is enhanced by the inter relationship between the Avon and its tributary, the River Arrow. The upper part of the Pleistocene sequence at broom is an Arrow deposit, recognised from its composition, overlying an Avon gravel which contains molluscan remains. Mammoth teeth have also been discovered in the gravels at broom. This sequence indicates that during early Terrace 2 times the Avon looped to the north of Marriage Hill, which separates broom cutting from the present Avon valley. It is hoped that molluscan fossils from this site will contribute to an 'amino stratigraphy' which is being established from the study of the chemistry of shells from Avon terrace deposits. The combination of palaeontological, stratigraphic and palaeogeographic evidence from broom cutting make it an important British Pleistocene locality.

Plant communities

A9 — Fast flowing river and stream, Marginal and inundation, Pond ditch and canal, Sluggish river and stream

Potamogeton natans community

Schoenoplectus lacustris, Juncus bulbosus, Sparganium angustifolium, Sparganium erectum, Sparganium minimum, Alisma plantago-aquatica, Lobelia dortmanna, Equisetum fluviatile, Myriophyllum alterniflorum, Elodea canadensis, Lemna minor, Lemna trisulca, Nymphaea alba, Callitriche platycarpa, Callitriche stagnalis, Littorella uniflora, Potamogeton natans, Ranunculus trichophyllus, Glyceria fluitans, Chara subspinosa

A14 — Fast flowing river and stream

Myriophyllum alterniflorum community

Isolepis fluitans, Juncus bulbosus, Fontinalis antipyretica, Lobelia dortmanna, Equisetum fluviatile, Myriophyllum alterniflorum, Lemna minor, Callitriche stagnalis, Littorella uniflora, Potamogeton filiformis, Potamogeton gramineus, Potamogeton natans, Ranunculus peltatus, Chara spp., Nitella hyalina

A17 — Chalk river and stream, Fast flowing river and stream

Ranunculus penicillatus ssp. pseudofluitans community

Berula erecta, Nasturtium officinale, Elodea canadensis, Lemna minor, Callitriche stagnalis, Veronica beccabunga, Polygonum amphibium, Polygonum hydropiper, Potamogeton crispus, Potamogeton pectinatus, Ranunculus penicillatus ssp. pseudofluitans

A18 — Fast flowing river and stream

Ranunculus fluitans community

Fontinalis antipyretica, Fontinalis squamosa var. curnowii, Myriophyllum alterniflorum, Myriophyllum spicatum, Elodea canadensis, Mentha aquatica, Lemna gibba, Lemna minor, Potamogeton perfoliatus, Ranunculus fluitans, Glyceria fluitans, Phalaris arundinacea