Knap House Quarry, Birdlip facts for kids
| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
Disused quarry, Birdlip Hill
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| Area of Search | Gloucestershire |
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| Coordinates | 51°49′53″N 2°06′34″W / 51.831313°N 2.109516°W |
| Interest | Geological |
| Area | 1.80 hectare |
| Notification | 1974 |
Knap House Quarry, Birdlip is a special place in Gloucestershire, England. It's a geological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), which means it's protected because of its important rocks and landforms. This quarry covers about 1.80 hectares. It was officially recognized as an SSSI in 1974.
This site is also known as a Key Wildlife Site (KWS). Plus, it's a Regionally Important Geological Site (RIGS). These titles show how important the quarry is for both nature and understanding Earth's history.
Where is Knap House Quarry?
This quarry is located in the beautiful Cotswolds. The Cotswolds is a special area known as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. This means its landscape is protected because it's so pretty and important.
Knap House Quarry is about 400 meters north of a village called Birdlip. It's also about 8 kilometers southwest of the city of Gloucester. The quarry itself is now disused, meaning it's no longer used for digging rocks. It sits quietly within a wooded area. Another important natural site, the Cotswold Commons and Beechwoods SSSI, is located nearby to the southwest.
What Makes the Rocks Special?
The rocks you can see at Knap House Quarry are from the Middle Jurassic period. This was a time in Earth's history about 174 to 163 million years ago! These rocks are very important for scientists studying this period in the United Kingdom.
The quarry shows different layers of rock. One main layer is called the Lower Inferior Oolite. On top of this, there's another layer known as the Upper Trigonia Grit. What's really interesting is that a layer called Middle Inferior Oolite is missing here.
This missing layer tells us something important about Earth's past. It shows that at one point, the land here was lifted up and warped. This movement of the Earth's crust caused some rock layers to be worn away or not form at all. Knap House Quarry is a great example of how these big Earth movements can change the landscape over millions of years.
