Court Hill
Also within
Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ST436723 | — | Favourable | 6.31 | 2012-12-06 |
| ST438722 | — | Favourable | 4.28 | 2012-12-06 |
Geology & landscape
Geological Period: Carboniferous, Cretaceous, Jurassic, Quaternary, Triassic · Rock Type: Carboniferous Limestone, Chert, Conglomerate, Flint, Greensand, Limestone
Landscape processes: Fluvial, Glacial
Description
Description This site shows a deep channel widening to the north cut in the Carboniferous Limestone of the Failand Ridge. It contains a fill of Pleistocene deposits, including gravels, boulder beds, sands and till, overlain by cover sands. The deposits contain erratics of flint and Greensand chert and have also yielded a number of Jurassic and Cretaceous foraminifera micro fossils clearly distinguishing this fill deposit from the earlier Triassic Dolomitic Conglomerate. The channel has been interpreted as an ice marginal col gully cut by glacial meltwater flowing northwards and infilled by a variety of glacial sediments. This is probably the most unequivocal evidence for the glaciation of the Kenn lowlands during the Anglian cold stage c. 250,000 years ago and is the only example of this type of glacial landform in southern England. For both these reasons the site is of fundamental importance for our understanding of the direction and limit of ice sheet encroachment during the Pleistocene.