Merrivale
Also within
Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SX530761 | — | Favourable | 193.44 | 2024-03-05 |
| SX542762 | — | Favourable | 292.89 | 2024-03-05 |
| SX546752 | — | Favourable | 2.75 | 2024-03-05 |
Geology & landscape
Mining / Industrial: Quarry · Geological Period: Quaternary
Landscape processes: Periglacial
Description
Merrivale SSSI Description The Merrivale area encompasses Cox Tor, Staple Tors and Roos Tor and Merrivale Quarry (currently working) on the west side of Dartmoor, about 5 kilometres east-north-east of Tavistock. Merrivale is an area of outstanding geomorphological importance for its assemblage of tors and periglacial landforms. It illustrates many of the classic features of tor morphology and their relationships to bedrock jointing and rock type. The clearly demonstrated association of tors with periglacial landforms, including altiplanation terraces, block fields, blockstreams and solifluction lobes is particularly significant in the context of the different theories of tor formation and slope evolution. Further, on the slopes below Cox Tor, there is an occurrence of earth hummocks. This feature is extremely rare in southern England. Although they have been described as periglacial features, their mode of origin remains unclear. The variety of landforms and the clear relationships between the individual features make Merrivale a prime area for the study of this type of Quaternary landform assemblage.