Alderton Hill Quarry

Also within

Gloucestershire County Cotswolds Scenic Area

Condition (Natural England)

Geology & landscape

Mining / Industrial: Quarry · Geological Period: Jurassic

Description

Description Located on Alderton Hill, to the immediate south west of Dumbleton Wood, Alderton Hill Quarry is approximately two kilometres south west of Dumbleton village, north Gloucestershire. This locality has long been famous for its well preserved Lower Jurassic insect fauna. Fossil insects, recovered from nodules in the Upper Lias Lower Toarcian 'Fish Bed', have been described in several publications and include type specimens of Mesozoic dragonflies Heterophlebia Westwood and Gomphites Handlirsh as well as the remains of a large cockroach. Other faunal remains include fish, isolated ichthyosaur bones, well preserved cephalopods and the holotype of the crustacean Eryon richardsoni. The insects from Alderton Hill Quarry are often more complete than those from comparable Lower Jurassic localities. Alderton Hill Quarry is a key palaeoentomological locality, in particular, for understanding the anatomy and evolution of early insect faunas and as such is an important reasearch locality. The field boundaries are formed by species rich hedges with ash Fraxinus excelsior, pedunculate oak Quercus robur, English elm Ulmus procera, holly Ilex aquifolium, hawthorn Crataegus monogyna, hazel Corylus avellana and spindle Euonymus europaeus. The invertebrate fauna includes common blue butterfly Polyommatus icarus.

Species mentioned