Soudley Quarry

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 52.5219, -2.7722

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Also within

Shropshire County Shropshire Hills Scenic Area

Condition (Natural England)

Unfavourable No Change (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
SO477918 — Unfavourable No Change 0.4 2009-02-17

Geology & landscape

Geological Period: Ordovician · Rock Type: Limestone, Sandstone

Description

Description This is an important geological site providing exposures of rocks of the Caradoc Series of the Ordovician System. The section exposed shows the Horderly Sandstone Formation overlain by the Alternata Limestone Formation. The Alternata Limestone is itself overlainby the Cheney Longville Formation and this locality provides the only exposure in this area of the contact between these formations. The Alternata Limestone is named after the fossil marine animal Heterorthis alternata which was first defined from specimens collected at this locality. These exposures have also yielded many other fossil species including a number of trilobites which were first described from here.