Maesbury Railway Cutting facts for kids
| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
| Area of Search | Somerset |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 51°13′31″N 2°33′56″W / 51.22532°N 2.56560°W |
| Interest | Geological |
| Area | 2 hectares (0.020 km2; 0.0077 sq mi) |
| Notification | 1995 |
Maesbury Railway Cutting is a special place in Somerset, England. It's a 2-hectare area that has been protected since 1995. This site is known as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) because of its amazing geology.
It's located between the villages of East Horrington and Gurney Slade. This area was once part of an old railway line called the Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway.
Contents
What is Maesbury Railway Cutting?
Maesbury Railway Cutting is a deep cut made into the ground for a railway track. This cut goes through different layers of rock, like slicing a cake to see its layers. These rock layers tell us a lot about Earth's history.
Why is it a Special Scientific Site?
This cutting is a Geological Conservation Review site. This means it's very important for studying geology. It shows about 135 meters of rock layers. These layers include the middle and upper parts of the Lower Limestone Shales. They also show the bottom part of the Black Rock Limestone.
What are Limestone Shales and Black Rock Limestone?
These are types of rock formations. They formed a very long time ago, during a period called the early Carboniferous period. This period was about 359 to 318 million years ago! The specific time these rocks formed is called the Courceyan age. By studying these rocks, scientists can learn about ancient environments and life forms.
History of the Area
Maesbury Railway Cutting is not just important for geology. It's also close to an ancient site called Maesbury Castle. This was an Iron Age hill fort. People lived and defended themselves there thousands of years ago. This shows that the area has been important to humans for a very long time.
