Kershope Bridge

Site of Special Scientific Interest · 55.1423, -2.7870

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Also within

Cumbria CountyRoxburgh, Ettrick and Lauderdale County

Condition (NatureScot)

Favourable (1)
UnitFeatureConditionArea (ha)Assessed
F1 Carboniferous - Permian Igneous Favourable — 2005-03-31

Habitats

Fast flowing river and stream

Geology & landscape

Geological Feature: Rock Outcrop · Mining / Industrial: Quarry · Geological Period: Carboniferous · Rock Type: Basalt

Landscape processes: Volcanic / Igneous

Description

KERSHOPE BRIDGE Kershope Bridge SSSI is located 3 km east of the village of Kershopefoot in Liddesdale, and occurs on and alongside the Kershope Burn. At this point, the border between Scotland and England is the mid-line of the Kershope Burn, and so whilst the bulk of the geological interest feature of this SSSI lies in Scotland, a small area of the feature is present along the south side of the Kershope Burn and is located in England. This land is also designated as SSSI, under English legislation. In the Langholm area, the stratigraphy of the Lower Carboniferous is characterised by the occurrence of three groups of volcanic (igneous) rocks intercalated with sediments of the Northumberland Basin. The stream section and disused quarry at Kershope Bridge furnish the best sections of the series of igneous rocks collectively known as the Kershopefoot Basalt, as well as the sediments almost directly above and below. The weight of evidence supports an extrusive origin for the Kershopefoot Basalt at this locality. The rock is known to occupy more or less the same stratigraphic horizon over all of its outcrop, but may be locally more than one lava flow. The Kershopefoot Basalt is important in any geochemical or detailed mineralogical study of comparable volcanic rocks in the Midland Valley outcrops of Lower Carboniferous volcanics and, because of its position within the developing Northumberland Basin, it may be considered important in any reconstruction of the crustal evolution and palaeogeography of this part of northern Britain during Permo-Carboniferous times.

Plant communities

A9 — Fast flowing river and stream, Marginal and inundation, Pond ditch and canal, Sluggish river and stream

Potamogeton natans community

Schoenoplectus lacustris, Juncus bulbosus, Sparganium angustifolium, Sparganium erectum, Sparganium minimum, Alisma plantago-aquatica, Lobelia dortmanna, Equisetum fluviatile, Myriophyllum alterniflorum, Elodea canadensis, Lemna minor, Lemna trisulca, Nymphaea alba, Callitriche platycarpa, Callitriche stagnalis, Littorella uniflora, Potamogeton natans, Ranunculus trichophyllus, Glyceria fluitans, Chara subspinosa

A14 — Fast flowing river and stream

Myriophyllum alterniflorum community

Isolepis fluitans, Juncus bulbosus, Fontinalis antipyretica, Lobelia dortmanna, Equisetum fluviatile, Myriophyllum alterniflorum, Lemna minor, Callitriche stagnalis, Littorella uniflora, Potamogeton filiformis, Potamogeton gramineus, Potamogeton natans, Ranunculus peltatus, Chara spp., Nitella hyalina

A17 — Chalk river and stream, Fast flowing river and stream

Ranunculus penicillatus ssp. pseudofluitans community

Berula erecta, Nasturtium officinale, Elodea canadensis, Lemna minor, Callitriche stagnalis, Veronica beccabunga, Polygonum amphibium, Polygonum hydropiper, Potamogeton crispus, Potamogeton pectinatus, Ranunculus penicillatus ssp. pseudofluitans

A18 — Fast flowing river and stream

Ranunculus fluitans community

Fontinalis antipyretica, Fontinalis squamosa var. curnowii, Myriophyllum alterniflorum, Myriophyllum spicatum, Elodea canadensis, Mentha aquatica, Lemna gibba, Lemna minor, Potamogeton perfoliatus, Ranunculus fluitans, Glyceria fluitans, Phalaris arundinacea