Select Page

Greenleighton Quarry

Greenleighton Quarry is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)[1][2] in Northumberland, England. It is located near the village of Rothley. This protected area is renowned for its Brachiopod fossils and is owned by the National Trust.[3][4]

The protected area comprises the older of two quarries (excavation occurred in eighteenth and nineteenth centuries). There is a nearby newer quarry outside the protected area that was excavated as recently as 1982.[4]

Details

The strata exposed in Greenleighton Quarry includes sections of the Great Limestone and overlying sediments of the Namurian age, from around 330 million years old.[1]

Fossils from the Brachiopod genus Pleuropugnoides and the Mollusc genus Cravenoceras have been identified from this protected area.[1]

This protected area is a popular starting point for walking hikes.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b c "SSSI detail". designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
  2. ^ "Protected Planet | Greenleighton Quarry". Protected Planet. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
  3. ^ "Mapping the habitats of England's ten largest institutional landowners". Who owns England?. 2020-10-06. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
  4. ^ a b "Greenleighton moor walk | Northumberland". National Trust. Retrieved 2024-11-15.
  5. ^ "Greenleighton Quarry and Fontburn Reservoir". www.ramblers.org.uk. 2024-05-12. Retrieved 2024-11-15.