SSI Noticeboard showing Geology and typical fossils that can be found at location.ĭuring the Inferior Oolite and Great Oolite times this area was low-lying between shallow sea to the south-west and a swampy, coastal region to the north-east. This limestone makes excellent building material as has been used in the Cotswolds to give the buildings there distinctive golden yellow colour. The Inferior Oolite group of formations is so called not because of any inferior quality but because it’s rocks are older than, and therefore stratigraphically below, those of the Great Oolite. The name comes from the Greek word on – meaning egg – because a densely oolitic limestone has the appearance of fish eggs. These are little spheres of calcium carbonate, typically half to one millimetre in diameter. The word Oolite refers to a rock containing a proportion of polite. The accumulations of carbonate mud and carbonate sand have been transformed into a variety of limestones which are grouped into two series called the Inferior Oolite and the Great Oolite. Low sea levels persisted for 15 million years and in clear, warm, shallow waters the most important sediment was calcium carbonate. Towards the end of Upper Lias times sea levels fell somewhat, bringing a change of conditions which initiated the Middle Jurassic. These rocks belong to the Inferior Oolite and comprise the Clypeus Grit, overlain by the Chipping Norton Limestone and the Hook Norton Limestone. GEOLOGYĬross Hands Quarry exposes rocks of Middle Jurassic age that were deposited in a shallow marine environment, not too dissimilar to that of the modern-day Bahamas. The rocks exposed in the quarry faces are mostly limestones, formed from the remains of shelly creatures living in the warm tropical seas which covered large areas of England in the Middle Jurassic Period, about 175 million years ago. The quarry was once used to supply building stone for the local town of Chipping Norton, which is located in the Cotswolds famous for its rich honey coloured stone buildings.Ĭross Hands Quarry is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) for its geological features. Therefore we had quite a few families on our trip. As the trip is now centred around these spoil heaps, this location is perfect for families to visit. Mr Newman had kindly created a couple of fresh spoil heaps especially for our trip, so our party had fresh pickings as will be seen below lots of fossils were found. We were blessed with a warm sunny day on the 21st October to Cross Hands Quarry which is located on private land owned by Mr Newman. UKAFH field trip to Cross hands quarry, Warwickshire on 21st October 2018
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