Collyweston Quarries facts for kids
| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
 |
|
| Area of Search | Northamptonshire |
|---|---|
| Interest | Biological |
| Area | 6.6 hectares |
| Notification | 1983 |
| Location map | Magic Map |
Collyweston Quarries is a special natural area in Northamptonshire, England. It covers about 6.6 hectares, which is roughly the size of nine football fields! This site is located near Easton on the Hill, south of Stamford. It's a very important place for wildlife.
The area is looked after by the Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire. They work hard to protect the plants and animals that live here.
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What is Collyweston Quarries?
Collyweston Quarries is known as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. This means it's a protected area because of its unique plants, animals, or geology. The site used to be a place where people dug up limestone. This limestone was formed millions of years ago during the Jurassic period.
Over time, the quarry has changed. It is now a beautiful area of rough grassland. This grassland grows on the old limestone. It provides a perfect home for many different kinds of wildlife.
A Home for Nature
This former quarry is now full of life. It has a wide variety of plants and many insects. Scientists have found more than a hundred types of flowering plants here. It is a great place to see nature thriving.
Amazing Plants
The grassland at Collyweston Quarries is home to many interesting plants. You can find beautiful wild flowers growing here. Some of these include wild thyme. This plant has small, fragrant flowers.
Another plant found here is dropwort. It has creamy-white flowers. You might also spot dyer's greenweed. This plant has bright yellow flowers. Clustered bellflower also grows here. It has pretty purple, bell-shaped flowers.
Busy Butterflies
Collyweston Quarries is also famous for its large number of butterflies. The many different flowers provide food for them. This makes it a great place to watch these colorful insects. They flutter around, adding beauty to the landscape.
Visiting the Quarries
You can visit Collyweston Quarries and explore its natural beauty. There is a public footpath that leads to the site. This path is next to a house called Deep Side. You can find it on Stamford Road. It's a wonderful place to enjoy nature and see the local wildlife.
