Lee Quarry
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Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SD863209 | — | Favourable | 49.13 | 2012-03-23 |
Geology & landscape
Mining / Industrial: Quarry · Geological Period: Carboniferous · Rock Type: Millstone Grit
Description
Description This site consists of a large disused quarry on the south side of the Rossendale Valley, just south of Bacup. Lee Quarry shows one of the best available exposures in the Upper Carboniferous Haslingden Flags Formation, a unique development within the Millstone Grit of central England, probably of Yeadonian age. The formation consists mainly of fine grained sandstones, siltstones and shales. Sedimentary structures including large scale cross bedding, ripple lamination and a variety of bed forms are visible in the sandstones. Through the overall form of the sedimentary units and their internal sedimentary structures, this formation has been interpreted as having been deposited in a ‘Mississippi type’ birdfoot delta. Such deltas are otherwise unknown in the Upper Carboniferous of Britain. Also of great importance are the suite of trace fossils described from the area. These include the escape shafts and resting traces of bivalves Pelecypodichnus, sinuous worm trails Cochlichnus and limulidi. e. King Crab walking traces Kouphichnus and resting traces Limnulicubichnus. This assemblage indicates shallow non marine conditions, possibly with periodic intervals of emergence. The combination of rich trace fossil assemblages and good sedimentary features marks Lee Quarry as being of great importance to studies of late Carboniferous environments and palaeogeography.