Pitstone Quarry facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Pitstone Quarry

Site of Special Scientific Interest
Area of Search	Buckinghamshire
Interest	Geological
Area	10.3 hectares
Notification	1988
Location map	Magic Map

Pitstone Quarry is a very special place in Pitstone, Buckinghamshire, England. It's known for its amazing geology, which means it's important for studying Earth's history. This area is about 10.3 hectares big, which is like 15 football fields! It's part of the College Lake nature reserve, located between the lake and the railway line. Because it's so important for science, it's called a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

Discovering Ancient Earth at Pitstone Quarry

Pitstone Quarry is like a giant history book made of rock and soil. It shows us what the Earth was like during the Middle and Late Pleistocene period. This time was about the last half-million years.

How the Land Changed Over Time

Most of the soil and rocks you see here were moved by something called solifluction. Imagine a very slow-motion landslide! This happened many times during the Ice Ages. During these cold periods, the ground would freeze and thaw. This made the soil and rocks slowly slide down slopes. These moving layers created channels, which then filled up with more soil and sediment.

Fossils from a Warmer Past

Pitstone Quarry also holds clues about warmer times. About 125,000 years ago, there was a warm period called the Ipswichian. During this time, the climate was much warmer than today. Scientists have found fossils of hippopotamuses from this period at Pitstone Quarry! Finding hippopotamus fossils tells us that the area was once much warmer and wetter, like parts of Africa today.

Visiting Pitstone Quarry

You can visit the College Lake nature reserve from Upper Icknield Way. However, the most important part of Pitstone Quarry, where the best geological features are, is in an area that is closed to the public. This helps protect the site for scientific study.