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Edgehills Quarry facts for kids

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Edgehills Quarry
Site of Special Scientific Interest
Edgehills Quarry, Plump Hill (geograph 3902333).jpg
Edgehills Quarry
Area of Search Gloucestershire
Coordinates 51°50′54″N 2°29′39″W / 51.848306°N 2.494261°W / 51.848306; -2.494261
Interest Geological
Area 0.4 hectare
Notification 1974

Edgehills Quarry is a very special place in Gloucestershire, England. It's a protected area called a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). This means it has unique natural features that are important for science.

The quarry is about 0.4 hectares in size. That's roughly the size of half a football field! It was officially recognized as an SSSI in 1974. It's also listed as a Key Wildlife Site (KWS) in the 'Forest of Dean Local Plan Review'.

What Makes Edgehills Quarry Special?

Edgehills Quarry is located in the beautiful Forest of Dean. It's like an open-air textbook for geologists and anyone interested in rocks. The quarry lets us see about 75 meters (that's about 250 feet!) of rock layers. These layers are made of something called Drybrook Sandstone.

What is Drybrook Sandstone?

Drybrook Sandstone is a type of rock that formed a very long time ago. Inside these sandstones, you can find cool patterns and traces left by ancient life. These features are called sedimentary structures and fossil traces. They tell us that the area was once a shallow ocean environment. Imagine a calm, warm sea covering this spot millions of years ago!

How Old Are These Rocks?

The Drybrook Sandstone sits between two other important rock layers. Below it is the Chadian Whitehead Limestone. Above it are the Coal Measures. The Coal Measures are younger rocks that often contain coal. The way these layers sit on top of each other, especially the Coal Measures, tells geologists a lot about how the Earth changed over time.

Exploring Nearby Natural Sites

Edgehills Quarry isn't the only interesting natural spot in the area. It's close to several other cool places that are also important for nature and science. These include:

These sites, along with Edgehills Quarry, help us understand the natural history and geology of the Forest of Dean.

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