Aldeburgh Brick Pit facts for kids
Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
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Area of Search | Suffolk |
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Interest | Geological |
Area | 0.9 hectares |
Notification | 1990 |
Location map | Magic Map |
The Aldeburgh Brick Pit is a small, important area in Aldeburgh, Suffolk, England. It's about the size of a football field, covering 0.9 hectares. This site is officially recognized as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). This means it's a protected place because it holds very important natural features, especially its unique geology. It's also part of the beautiful Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
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Why Aldeburgh Brick Pit is Special
The Aldeburgh Brick Pit is a geological treasure. It contains layers of earth and rock that tell us about Earth's past. These layers are called "deposits."
Ancient Earth Layers
The deposits at this site date back to a time called the Pleistocene epoch. This was a very long time ago, starting about 2.6 million years ago and ending around 11,700 years ago. During the Pleistocene, there were many ice ages, and huge glaciers covered parts of the Earth.
The Bramertonian Stage
What makes Aldeburgh Brick Pit extra special is that it has deposits from a very specific period within the Pleistocene. This period is called the Bramertonian Stage. These particular layers are about two million years old! It's rare to find such old deposits in this area.
Important for Science
Because of these ancient layers, the Aldeburgh Brick Pit has been extremely helpful for scientists. Researchers have used this site to learn more about the early part of the Pleistocene epoch in this region. It helps them understand how the landscape changed and what life was like millions of years ago.
Visiting Aldeburgh Brick Pit
It's important to know that the Aldeburgh Brick Pit is on private land. This means there is no public access to the site. It is protected to preserve its unique geological features for future study.