Alderton Hill Quarry
52°00′34″N 1°59′31″W / 52.009382°N 1.991941°W / 52.009382; -1.991941
Alderton Hill Quarry (grid reference SP006345) is a 0.34-hectare (0.84-acre) geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire, notified in 1997. It is a Geological Conservation Review (GCR) site.[1]
Location and geology
The site is located on Alderton Hill to the south west of Dumbleton Wood, approximately 2 kilometres south west of Dumbleton village which is in north Gloucestershire.[1]
The site is a significant location for research because of its well preserved Lower Jurassic insect fauna. There is a range of publications which detail the findings on this site, which include fossil insects. Particular findings are specimens of dragonflies (Gomphites) and a large cockroach. Fish remains have been found, and well-preserved cephalopods.[1] The strata exposed are part of the Whitby Mudstone. In April 2024, Swaby et al. published the first comprehensive taxonomic and taphonomic analysis of the entire insect assemblage from Alderton Hill, based on all known museum specimens. Through comparison with the Lower Jurassic insect fauna of Strawberry Bank, Ilminster, Somerset, this study concluded that the Alderton Hill palaeoentomofauna is the best-preserved and most representative insect assemblage from the Toarcian strata of the UK.[2]
The site is located in hedges which are species-rich. They include ash, oak, holly, hawthorn, hazel and spindle. The common blue butterfly is recorded.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d Natural England SSSI information on the citation
- ^ https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0299551
SSSI Source
- Natural England SSSI information on the citation
- Natural England SSSI information on the Alderton Hill Quarry unit
External links
- Natural England (SSSI information)
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Geological Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire
- Alderton Hill Quarry
- Bull Cross, The Frith and Juniper Hill
- Campden Tunnel Gravel Pit
- Cleeve Common
- Coaley Wood Quarries
- Crickley Hill and Barrow Wake
- Easter Park Farm Quarry
- Edgehills Quarry
- Foss Cross Quarry
- Garden Cliff
- Hampen Railway Cutting
- Haresfield Beacon
- Harford Railway Cutting
- Hobbs Quarry
- Hornsleasow Quarry
- Huntsman's Quarry
- Jackdaw Quarry
- Kemble Railway Cuttings
- Knap House Quarry, Birdlip
- Land Grove Quarry, Mitcheldean
- Leckhampton Hill and Charlton Kings Common
- Longhope Hill
- Lower Woods
- Lower Wye Gorge
- Lydney Cliff
- May Hill
- Meezy Hurst
- Minchinhampton Common
- New Park Quarry
- Nibley Knoll
- Notgrove Railway Cutting
- Oakenhill Railway Cutting
- Puddlebrook Quarry
- River Wye
- Robin's Wood Hill Quarry
- Rodborough Common
- Salmonsbury Meadows
- Scully Grove Quarry
- Severn Estuary
- Slade Brook
- Stenders Quarry
- Stony Furlong Railway Cutting
- Swift's Hill
- Upper Severn Estuary
- The Malvern Hills
- Purton Passage
- Selsley Common
- Upper Wye Gorge
- Veizey's Quarry
- Wainlode Cliff
- Wellacre Quarry
- Wood Green Quarry & Railway Cutting
- Wotton Hill
- Neighbouring areas
- Avon
- Herefordshire
- Oxfordshire
- Wiltshire
- Worcestershire
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