Nine Acres Pit facts for kids
| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
 |
|
| Area of Search | Bedfordshire |
|---|---|
| Interest | Geological |
| Area | 20.7 hectares |
| Notification | 1986 |
| Location map | Magic Map |
Nine Acres Pit is a special place in Bedfordshire, England. It's a 20.7-hectare area known for its amazing geology. This site is so important that it's called a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). It's located north-east of Leighton Buzzard.
The site was officially recognized as an SSSI in 1986. This means it's protected because of its unique geological features. It's also part of the Geological Conservation Review, which identifies the most important geological sites in Great Britain.
What Makes Nine Acres Pit Special?
Nine Acres Pit used to be a sand quarry. Companies like J. Arnold and Sons Limited dug sand here a long time ago, even in the late 1800s. In 1897 alone, they dug out over 9,500 tons of sand!
This site is like a window into Earth's past. It shows rocks from the Lower Cretaceous period. This was a very long time ago, between 145 and 100 million years ago, when dinosaurs roamed the Earth.
Ancient Rocks and Fossils
According to Natural England, Nine Acres Pit has some incredible features:
- It shows different layers of rock from the Aptian and Albian stages of the Lower Cretaceous period.
- You can find special types of rock here, like the Carstone and Shenley Limestone. These are some of the best examples in the Leighton Buzzard area.
- The site also has amazing sand formations that look like ancient sand dunes, called "dune bedding," in the Upper Woburn Sands.
The Shenley Limestone found here is especially famous. It contains a unique collection of fossils. Scientists have found many different kinds of ancient creatures here that are rarely seen anywhere else from the Albian stage. It's like a treasure chest of ancient life!
Can You Visit Nine Acres Pit?
It's important to know that Nine Acres Pit is still a working quarry. This means it's an active site where sand is dug out. Because of this, the public cannot visit the site for safety reasons.
