Steeple Ashton
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Condition (Natural England)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ST913558 | — | Favourable | 26.47 | 2024-03-13 |
Geology & landscape
Geological Period: Jurassic · Rock Type: Limestone
Description
Description The Steeple Ashton site comprises several fields approximately one kilometre southeast of the village of Steeple Ashton which is five kilometres east of Trowbridge. It is Britain's richest known Jurassic coral limestone locality. This site has been famous since the earliest years of geological study for its very localised coral bed, the fauna of which was first recorded by John Aubrey as earlyas 1656, ploughed up in fields near the village. Forty six scleractinian species have been recorded from Steeple Ashton, in contrast to the normally impoverished species lists of other British Corallian sites. Dated as being of Glosense Zone age, the fauna can in its composition be equated with the rich mid Oxfordian zonal assemblages of the Jura, but it has few affinities with other sites in Europe. This is a key Jurassic invertebrate locality with considerable stratigraphic, palaeogeographic and palaeoecological interest.