Asham Quarry
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Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TQ440059 | — | Part Destroyed | 2.63 | 2022-03-30 |
| TQ441058 | — | Part Destroyed | 2.63 | 2022-03-30 |
Geology & landscape
Mining / Industrial: Quarry · Geological Period: Quaternary
Landscape processes: Glacial
Description
Description Asham Quarry is a key site for Quaternary studies, providing critical biostratigraphical and lithostratigraphical evidence for Devensian late glacial and early Flandrian environmental conditions. The late glacial deposits, comprising stratified chalky rubble and cryoturbated silts, are overlain by post glacial palaeosols and colluvium. Detailed studies of molluscan faunas contained in the deposits have allowed a particularly full reconstruction of palaeoenvironmental conditions. Compared with other sites, Asham Quarry is exceptional for the thickness of early and mid Flandrian deposits present, which has permitted a particularly detailed study of faunal changes during mollusc biozones e and f. It is also exceptional in having yielded a series of radio-carbon dates. Asham Quarry is potentially a key reference site for biostratigraphical studies in south east England.