Kildale Hall

Also within

North Yorkshire County NORTH YORK MOORS National Park

Condition (Natural England)

Geology & landscape

Landscape processes: Glacial

Description

Description Kildale Hall is important for a sequence of minerogenic and organic deposits infilling a former kettlehole. These deposits have been researched using a number of borehole transects across the area and have yielded a continuous palaeoenvironmental record from the Late Devensian to the Middle Flandrian. The pollen record in the basal deposit of the kettlehole indicates a sparse cover of vegetation in the area with species such as sedges and dwarf sallow. A thick deposit of shell marl overlying the basal clay has been dated to 16713 -6340 years BP usin gradio-carbon dating techniques. Overlying this deposit is evidence of a return to more temperate conditions with an increase in birch pollen and an abundance of Filipendula pollen. The upperpart of the pollen sequence at Kildale Hall shows a further steady increase in the deciduous forest component of the vegetation and has also yielded an almost complete skeleton of wild auroch Bos primigenius. The entire sequence of sediments demonstrates the change from glacial conditions in the Late Devensian to the temperate environment of the Middle Flandrian. Of further interest is the radio-carbon date of 16713 to 6340 years BP obtained from the base of the sequence. This indicates that this part of north east Yorkshire was ice free at this time, whereas radio-carbon dates obtained from the Dimlington Moss Silts 30 kilometres to the north indicate ice withdrew from this area at 18500 to 6400 years BP. This suggests a rapid retreat of the ice sheet northwards in response to climatic amelioration. Other Information This site lies within the North York Moors National Park. The site is listed as of national importance in the Geological Conservation Review.

Species mentioned