Godminster Lane Quarry and Railway Cutting

Infobox SSSI


name=Godminster Lane Quarry and Railway Cutting
aos=Somerset
interest=Geological
gridref=gbmappingsmall|ST682345
area=0.8 hectare
notifydate=1971

http://www.natureonthemap.org.uk/map.aspx?
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Godminster Lane Quarry and Railway Cutting (gbmapping|ST682345) is a 0.8 hectare geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Somerset, notified in 1971.This is an important locality for study of the Inferior Oolite limestones, of Middle Jurassic age, laid down in a warm shallow sea some 175 million years ago. The site is unique in that the limestones seen here are much more closely comparable with rocks of similar age found in the Cotswolds than with rock sequences seen elsewhere in Somerset. However, the rocks do contain the rich assemblage of fossil ammonites which are typical of the north Dorset/south Somerset area and it is this feature, combined with the unusual limestone sequence, which makes this site unique. It is also important as a reference site for three sub-divisions (zones) of the Inferior Oolite - the laeviscula, discites and concavum Zones.

ource

* [http://www.english-nature.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1000063.pdf English Nature citation sheet for the site] (accessed 10 August 2006)

External links

* [http://www.english-nature.org.uk English Nature website] (SSSI information)