Wootton Bassett Mud Spring
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Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SU077815 | — | Favourable | 0.78 | 2024-03-13 |
Habitats
Description
Description Wootton Bassett Mud Spring is situated on low boggy ground in a small coppice approximately one kilometre south east of Wootton Bassett. The spring consists of several vents which emit liquid mud all year round and at accentuated rates after periods of prolonged rainfall. This mud dries and then accretes around the vents forming mud 'blisters'. The spring emerges from clays the Ampthill Clay Formation through five vents described above. It is most active during the winter and also about a month after a period of heavy rain. The vents have been shown to contain liquid mud to a depth of about six metres. Geochemical evidence indicates that the water contained in the mud appears to originate from an aquifer in the Coral Rag Formation, the top of which underlies the Ampthill Clay Formation at a depth of 20 metres and has a sufficient hydrostatic head to drive the spring. Augering in the vicinity of the springs revealed that the area is underlain by very soft clay at depth, possibly up to 20 metres, indicating that the coppice may be underlain by large pockets of soft clay and mud. Wootton Bassett Mud Spring is an example of an hydrogeological phenomenon which is only represented by a few other examples in Britain. This site is the site where the mechanism of the phenomenon has been studied in detail.