Great Blakenham Pit facts for kids
| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
 |
|
| Area of Search | Suffolk |
|---|---|
| Interest | Geological |
| Area | 2.2 hectares |
| Notification | 1992 |
| Location map | Magic Map |
Great Blakenham Pit is a very important natural site located south of Great Blakenham in Suffolk, England. It covers an area of 2.2 hectares, which is about the size of five football fields! This site is special because it helps scientists learn about Earth's ancient history, especially during the Ice Ages.
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What Makes Great Blakenham Pit Special?
Great Blakenham Pit is officially recognized as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). This means it's a place that has special plants, animals, or geological features that need to be protected. For this pit, its importance comes from its amazing geology.
A Window into the Ice Age
This site is like a time capsule, showing layers of earth that tell a story from the Pleistocene epoch. The Pleistocene is often called the "Ice Age" because it was a time when huge glaciers covered much of the Earth. At Great Blakenham Pit, you can find deposits from both the early and middle parts of this period.
Traces of an Ancient River
One of the cool things about this pit is that it contains evidence of the Ancestral Thames. This was a much older version of the River Thames that flowed through East Anglia millions of years ago. The layers of sand and gravel here show where this ancient river once ran.
The Anglian Ice Age
The pit also holds clues about a very cold time known as the Anglian ice age. This was one of the most severe ice ages in Britain's history. The deposits at Great Blakenham Pit help scientists understand how the landscape changed during this incredibly cold period.
Protecting Our Past
Great Blakenham Pit is also part of the Geological Conservation Review. This is a program that identifies and protects the most important geological sites in Great Britain. By protecting places like this pit, we ensure that scientists can continue to study and learn from Earth's long history.
Visiting Great Blakenham Pit
It's important to know that Great Blakenham Pit is on private land. This means there is no public access to the site. While you can't visit in person, its scientific importance helps us all understand more about our planet's past.
