Shap Fell Road Cuttings
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Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NY556054 | — | Favourable | 17.28 | 2021-11-04 |
Geology & landscape
Geological Period: Silurian
Description
Description The site comprises a cutting on the east side of the A6 and the rocky exposures of Crookdale Crag on Shap Fells, 11 kilometres south of Shap village. The cutting provides excellent exposures of Silurian rocks of the Ludlow Series displaying structural features of considerable geological interest. The rock sequence here is contorted by a major downfold known as Bannisdale Syncline. This is a very large structure of regional extent, formed by intense compressive stress generated during the Caledonian mountain building episode orogeny. These outcrops provide an excellent illustration of the characteristic features of the small and medium scale structures associated with the major syncline. Amongst the features displayed are nine folds with numerous associated structures such as cleavage closely spaced parallel fractures, complementary faulting and accommodation structures. One unusual aspect of these folds, which is not yet fully understood, is the obliquity of their surfaces of symmetry axial surfaces with respect to cleavage. Normally fold axial surfaces and cleavage surfaces are exactly or very close to parallel. There are also a number of wrench faults exposed here, of both dextral and sinistral kinds.