Upper Common Pits facts for kids
| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
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| Area of Search | Surrey |
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| Interest | Geological |
| Area | 3.0 hectares (7.4 acres) |
| Notification | 1992 |
| Location map | Magic Map |
Upper Common Pits is a special place in Surrey, England. It covers about 3 hectares (which is around 7.4 acres) and is located north of Gomshall. This area is known as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) because of its important geological features. It's also a Geological Conservation Review site, which means it's recognized for its unique rocks and fossils.
Contents
What Makes Upper Common Pits Special?
Upper Common Pits was officially named a Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1992. This title is given to places in the UK that have rare wildlife, plants, or, like here, important geological features. It's a way to protect these special natural areas.
Ancient Rocks and Fossils
The pits at Upper Common Pits contain very old rock layers. These layers are part of something called the Netley Heath Beds. These beds date back to a time called the Early Pleistocene period. This was a long, long time ago, about 2.5 million to 11,700 years ago, when Earth's climate was much colder and ice ages were common.
The rocks here are also connected to the Red Crag Formation, which is found in a different part of England called East Anglia.
How the Land Changed Over Time
Scientists have noticed something interesting about the rocks at Upper Common Pits. They are much higher up than similar rocks in East Anglia. This suggests that the land itself has moved or "warped" over millions of years. Imagine the Earth's surface slowly bending and changing shape!
Closer to the bottom of the pits, there are sandy layers. These sandy parts are full of marine fossils. Marine fossils are the remains of plants and animals that used to live in the sea. Finding them here tells us that this area was once covered by an ancient ocean.
Visiting Upper Common Pits
It's important to know that Upper Common Pits is on private land. This means there is no public access to the site.
