Ardleigh Gravel Pit
Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
Location | Essex |
---|---|
Grid reference | TM 055281 TM 052281 |
Interest | Geological |
Area | 1.2 hectares |
Notification | 1992 |
Location map | Magic Map |
Ardleigh Gravel Pit is a 1.2-hectare (3.0-acre) geological Site of Special Scientific Interest south of Ardleigh in Essex.[1][2] It is a Geological Conservation Review site.[3]
The site exposes a succession of Pleistocene levels, with an interglacial between two glacial periods. The interglacial may date back 700,000 years. The site has plant microfossils rare or unique in Britain, and according to Natural England's description in 1992, it may become the type site for a previously unrecognised British early middle Pleistocene interglacial.[1][4]
The site is divided into two areas. The main one is L-shaped, forming the sloping south-east and north-east borders of a water filled pit. A footpath between Slough Lane and Park Farm runs along its north-east boundary. East of the main site is a small linear feature which has been filled in. It is on private land with no public access.
References
- ^ a b "Ardleigh Gravel Pit citation" (PDF). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
- ^ "Map of Ardleigh Gravel Pit". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
- ^ "Ardleigh Gravel Pit (Martells Quarry) (Quaternary of the Thames)". Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
- ^ "Ardleigh Gravel Pit SSSI (Martells Quarry)". The Essex Field Club. Retrieved 8 May 2016.
51°54′50″N 0°59′10″E / 51.914°N 0.986°E / 51.914; 0.986
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- t
- e
- Abberton Reservoir
- Ashdon Meadows
- Basildon Meadows
- Belcher's and Broadfield Woods
- Benfleet and Southend Marshes
- Blackwater Estuary
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- Bovingdon Hall Woods
- Bullock Wood
- Canvey Wick
- Cattawade Marshes
- Chalkney Wood
- Colne Estuary
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- Cornmill Stream and Old River Lea
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- Curtismill Green
- Danbury Common
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- Epping Forest
- Foulness
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- Glemsford Pits
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- Great Wood and Dodd's Grove
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- Hamford Water
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- Inner Thames Marshes
- Little Hallingbury Marsh
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- Nunn Wood
- Pitsea Marsh
- Quendon Wood
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- Roman River
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- Stour and Copperas Woods, Ramsey
- Stour Estuary
- Thorndon Park
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- Thundersley Great Common
- Tiptree Heath
- Turnford and Cheshunt Pits
- Upper Colne Marshes
- Vange and Fobbing Marshes
- Waltham Abbey
- Weeleyhall Wood
- West Thurrock Lagoon and Marshes
- West Wood, Little Sampford
- Woodham Walter Common
- Ardleigh Gravel Pit
- Clacton Cliffs and Foreshore
- The Cliff, Burnham-on-Crouch
- Colne Estuary
- Dengie
- Globe Pit
- Goldsands Road Pit
- Hall's Quarry
- Harwich Foreshore
- Holland-on-Sea Cliff
- Lion Pit
- Little Oakley Channel Deposit
- Lofts Farm Pit
- Maldon Cutting
- Marks Tey Brickpit
- The Naze
- Newney Green Pit
- Purfleet Chalk Pits
- Purfleet Road, Aveley
- River Ter
- St Osyth Pit
- Stour Estuary
- Wivenhoe Gravel Pit