Clee Hill Quarries
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Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SO594762 | — | Favourable | 63.99 | 2019-01-31 |
Geology & landscape
Mining / Industrial: Quarry · Geological Period: Carboniferous · Rock Type: Granite
Landscape processes: Volcanic / Igneous
Description
Description Sporadic and localised, episodes of igneous activity characterised the English Midlands and the Peak District during the Carboniferous Period. The quarries at Clee Hill provide excellent exposures of the Clee Hills Sill, which was emplaced into unconsolidated Coal Measure sediments. The exposures are notable for providing fresh, nepheline normative olivine dolerites, which show geochemical evidence for being part of more than one magmatic lineage. The three quarries in the site are important in illustrating the mechanism of sill emplacement and the relationship between alkaline magmatism, tectonics and sedimentation in the later stages of the Carboniferous Period in the Midlands. In the so called 'granite' quarry the upper contact of the sill is well exposed. The two other quarries provide good sections through the sill and the transgressive character of the intrusion can be demonstrated.