Barkway Chalk Pit facts for kids
Barkway Chalk Pit is a special small area of land, about the size of half a football field (0.3 hectares), located in the village of Barkway in North Hertfordshire. It's a place where nature is protected and studied.
For a while, a group called the Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust (HMWT) helped look after it. But in February 2016, they decided to hand it back to its owner, the North Hertfordshire District Council. This happened because the Trust found it too expensive to manage Barkway Chalk Pit and two other similar places (Hill End Pit and Pryor's Wood). Now, the Council is in charge of looking after this interesting site.
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What Makes Barkway Chalk Pit Special?
Barkway Chalk Pit is known as a Regionally important geological site (RIGS). This means it's a very important place for understanding the Earth's history and geology in the region.
A Peek into Earth's Past
The pit shows a large block of chalk that isn't in its original spot. This chalk block was moved by a huge sheet of ice, called the Anglian ice sheet. This massive ice sheet covered Hertfordshire about 450,000 years ago, pushing and moving rocks and land as it slowly spread across the area. Studying this chalk helps scientists learn about how the ice age changed the landscape.
Plants and Animals
The plants growing here are mostly "chalk scrub," which are tough shrubs and bushes that like to grow in chalky soil. This type of habitat is perfect for many different kinds of birds.
- Yellowhammer
- Spotted flycatcher
- Blue tit
- Tawny owl
These birds find food and shelter among the plants and trees at Barkway Chalk Pit, making it a lively place for wildlife.
How to Visit Barkway Chalk Pit
If you want to visit this interesting nature reserve, the entrance is easy to find. It's a short walk along an unnamed road. This road goes north from where "The Joint" and "Royston Road" meet.