Tower Hill to Cockham Wood facts for kids
| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
 |
|
| Area of Search | Kent |
|---|---|
| Interest | Biological Geological |
| Area | 47.8 hectares (118 acres) |
| Notification | 1987 |
| Location map | Magic Map |
Tower Hill to Cockham Wood is a really special place near Rochester in Kent, England. It covers about 47.8 hectares, which is like 118 football fields! This area is so important that it's called a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). It's protected because it has amazing wildlife and unique rocks.
Contents
What Makes This Place Special?
Tower Hill to Cockham Wood is important for two main reasons: its amazing living things (biological) and its ancient rocks (geological). It became an SSSI in 1987 to help protect these valuable features.
Wildlife Wonders
This site is home to many different animals without backbones, called invertebrates. Think of insects like bees, wasps, and other tiny creatures! It has sandy areas and woodlands. These different habitats help many kinds of animals live here. Some of the bees and wasps found here are very rare in the UK. There are seven types that are nationally rare! This makes Tower Hill to Cockham Wood a super important spot for protecting these tiny but vital creatures.
Ancient Earth Stories
This area is also special for its geology, which is the study of rocks and how the Earth was formed. The rocks here tell a story about a time long, long ago called the Tertiary period. This period started about 66 million years ago.
Upnor Quarry: A Window to the Past
Inside Tower Hill to Cockham Wood, there's a place called Upnor Quarry. A quarry is where rocks are dug out of the ground. But this quarry is special because it shows a complete sequence of rocks from the Tertiary period. This means you can see layers of rock that were formed one after another over millions of years. It's like a giant history book made of stone! Scientists can study these layers to learn about what the Earth was like in the past. This quarry is so important that it's one of two Geological Conservation Review sites within the SSSI.
Visiting Tower Hill to Cockham Wood
You can explore parts of Tower Hill to Cockham Wood! There are public footpaths that let you walk through some of the beautiful woodlands and sandy areas. However, remember that some parts of the site are private land, so always stick to the marked paths. It's a great place to enjoy nature and see some of the special plants and animals that call this area home.
