Highlands Farm Pit facts for kids
| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
 |
|
| Area of Search | Oxfordshire |
|---|---|
| Interest | Geological |
| Area | 0.6 hectares |
| Notification | 1986 |
| Location map | Magic Map |
Highlands Farm Pit is a special place in Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, England. It is a geological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). This means it is a very important spot for studying the Earth's history and how it has changed over time. It is also a Geological Conservation Review site, which highlights its importance for geology across the UK.
Contents
What is Highlands Farm Pit?
Highlands Farm Pit is a small area, about the size of one and a half football fields. It is important because it shows us what the land looked like a very long time ago. Scientists can study the layers of gravel here to learn about ancient rivers and ice ages.
The Ancient River Thames
This site has gravel from an old path of the River Thames. Imagine the Thames flowing in a completely different direction! Before a huge ice age, the river flowed in a different channel. The gravel at Highlands Farm Pit is a clue to where that old river used to be.
The Anglian Ice Age
Around 450,000 years ago, a massive ice age called the Anglian ice age covered much of Britain. This ice sheet was so powerful that it pushed the River Thames south to where it flows today. Highlands Farm Pit shows us gravel from the river's path before this big change. It might be the very last place where we can see the gravel from that old river channel. This makes it a really important discovery!
Tools from Early Humans
Scientists have found many ancient stone tools at Highlands Farm Pit. These tools are called Palaeolithic flints. They were made by early humans who lived in the area hundreds of thousands of years ago. Finding these flints helps us understand how early people lived and used tools. Some of these flints are among the oldest of their kind ever found. This makes the site even more special.
Visiting Highlands Farm Pit
Highlands Farm Pit is a long, narrow piece of land. There is a public footpath that goes through the site. You can walk along this path from the lane to the farm. It is a great way to see a place that holds so much history!
