Burrington Sections

Also within

Herefordshire County

Condition (Natural England)

Geology & landscape

Geological Period: Silurian · Rock Type: Limestone

Description

Description The rock outcrops within the two portions of this site provide important exposures of the top of the Coalbrookdale Formation and the overlying Wenlock Limestone. Of particular importance here are the graptolite fossils contained in these rocks, which are key indicators of the age of the formations. These Silurian rocks lie near the top of the Wenlock Serieswhich is overlain by the Ludlow Series. The accurate definition of the boundary between these two Series is an important objective in geological science. This is the area in which these Series were first defined, making it a key reference area for study of the Silurian System. The graptolite fossils which occur in Silurian rocks, all over the world, provide a means of accurately dating the rock sequence, allowing it to be divided into a series of zones, each defined by a characteristic graptolite. The Wenlock Series rocks exposed at Burrington contain the fossil Monograptus ludensis which defines one of these zones, giving an accurate indication of the age of the upper parts of the Wenlock Series and helping to define the exact age of the boundary between the Wenlock and Ludlow Series, this is thus a very important site for study of the Silurian Period of geological history.