Upware Bridge Pit North facts for kids
| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
 |
|
| Area of Search | Cambridgeshire |
|---|---|
| Interest | Geological |
| Area | 2.5 hectares |
| Notification | 1987 |
| Location map | Magic Map |
Upware Bridge Pit North is a special place in Cambridgeshire, England. It covers about 2.5 hectares, which is like 5 football fields! This site is north-west of a village called Wicken. It's known as a Site of Special Scientific Interest because of its amazing geology. This means it's a protected area important for understanding Earth's history. It's also part of the Geological Conservation Review, which helps protect important geological sites across the country.
What Makes Upware Bridge Pit North Special?
This site is famous for its rocks that are very, very old. These rocks are from a time called the Oxfordian period. This period was about 160 million years ago! Imagine how long ago that was.
An Ancient Sea and Its Creatures
During the Oxfordian period, this area was covered by a sea. This ancient sea was connected to a much larger ocean called the Tethys Ocean. Because of this connection, the site has many fossils of sea creatures. These creatures lived in the Tethys Ocean.
Scientists from Natural England say this site is key. It helps them study ancient life, like fossils. It also helps them understand how the Earth looked long ago. This includes how the land and seas were shaped in the English midlands.
Visiting Upware Bridge Pit North
Upware Bridge Pit North is still a working quarry. This means rocks are still being dug out from the ground. Because of this, you cannot walk around inside the site. However, there is a special viewing platform. From here, you can safely look at the quarry and its interesting rock layers.
A walking path called the Fen Rivers Way goes right past the site. So, you can see the area from a distance while enjoying a walk.
