Cranford St John SSSI facts for kids
| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
 |
|
| Area of Search | Northamptonshire |
|---|---|
| Interest | Geological |
| Area | 2.8 hectares |
| Notification | 1987 |
| Location map | Magic Map |
Cranford St John SSSI is a special place in Cranford St John, a village east of Kettering in Northamptonshire. SSSI stands for Site of Special Scientific Interest. This means it's a protected area because of its important natural features. This particular SSSI is important for its geology, which is the study of rocks and how the Earth was formed. It covers an area of 2.8 hectares, which is about the size of two or three football fields.
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What Makes Cranford St John SSSI Special?
This site used to be a quarry, where rocks were dug out of the ground. Now, it's a great place to see very old rock layers. These rocks are part of something called the Rutland Formation and the White Limestone Formation. Think of these as different chapters in Earth's history book, each made of different types of rock.
How Old Are These Rocks?
The rocks you can see at Cranford St John SSSI are incredibly old! They formed during a time called the Middle Jurassic period. This was about 169 to 166 million years ago. To give you an idea, dinosaurs were roaming the Earth during this time!
Why Is This Site Important for Science?
Cranford St John SSSI is a very important spot for geologists. It's known as a Geological Conservation Review site. This means it's one of the best examples in the country for studying certain types of rocks and how they formed.
One of the most interesting things here is a special layer of freshwater clay. Scientists believe this clay layer was left behind by a huge, widespread storm that happened millions of years ago. This site is considered the "type section" for this clay bed. This means it's the best place to study and understand this particular type of rock layer.
Can You Visit Cranford St John SSSI?
Unfortunately, you cannot go directly onto the site itself. However, you can get a good view of the southern part of the site from a public footpath. This footpath starts from the village of Cranford St John.
