Shillingstone Quarry

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 50.8871, -2.2524

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Also within

Dorset County Dorset Scenic Area

Condition (Natural England)

Favourable (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
ST823097 — Favourable 8.08 2021-11-17

Habitats

Fast flowing river and stream

Geology & landscape

Mining / Industrial: Quarry · Geological Period: Cretaceous · Rock Type: Chalk

Description

Description Shillingstone Quarry, located on the scarp slope of the North Dorset Downs south west of the River Stour gap, exposes a stratigraphically important sequence of Cretaceous aged chalks representing the Cenomanian, Turonian and Coniacian stages. The quarry provides a virtually complete section through the Middle Chalk extending from the basal fossiliferous Melbourn Rock up into nodular chalky limestones with conspicuous hardgrounds attributed to both the Chalk Rock and the Spurious Chalk Rock. The site lies at the margin of an area covering east Dorset and south Hampshire which was affected by major periods of non deposition during late Cretaceous times. These pauses in sedimentation are related totectonic or eustatic events and are responsible for the formation of the hardgrounds exposed in the upper parts of the quarry. Shillingstone Quarry is of great scientific importance for studies of late Cretaceous stratigraphy and tectonics.

Plant communities

A9 — Fast flowing river and stream, Marginal and inundation, Pond ditch and canal, Sluggish river and stream

Potamogeton natans community

Schoenoplectus lacustris, Juncus bulbosus, Sparganium angustifolium, Sparganium erectum, Sparganium minimum, Alisma plantago-aquatica, Lobelia dortmanna, Equisetum fluviatile, Myriophyllum alterniflorum, Elodea canadensis, Lemna minor, Lemna trisulca, Nymphaea alba, Callitriche platycarpa, Callitriche stagnalis, Littorella uniflora, Potamogeton natans, Ranunculus trichophyllus, Glyceria fluitans, Chara subspinosa

A14 — Fast flowing river and stream

Myriophyllum alterniflorum community

Isolepis fluitans, Juncus bulbosus, Fontinalis antipyretica, Lobelia dortmanna, Equisetum fluviatile, Myriophyllum alterniflorum, Lemna minor, Callitriche stagnalis, Littorella uniflora, Potamogeton filiformis, Potamogeton gramineus, Potamogeton natans, Ranunculus peltatus, Chara spp., Nitella hyalina

A17 — Chalk river and stream, Fast flowing river and stream

Ranunculus penicillatus ssp. pseudofluitans community

Berula erecta, Nasturtium officinale, Elodea canadensis, Lemna minor, Callitriche stagnalis, Veronica beccabunga, Polygonum amphibium, Polygonum hydropiper, Potamogeton crispus, Potamogeton pectinatus, Ranunculus penicillatus ssp. pseudofluitans

A18 — Fast flowing river and stream

Ranunculus fluitans community

Fontinalis antipyretica, Fontinalis squamosa var. curnowii, Myriophyllum alterniflorum, Myriophyllum spicatum, Elodea canadensis, Mentha aquatica, Lemna gibba, Lemna minor, Potamogeton perfoliatus, Ranunculus fluitans, Glyceria fluitans, Phalaris arundinacea