Wurt Pit and Devil's Punchbowl facts for kids
| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
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| Area of Search | Somerset |
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| Coordinates | 51°16′50″N 2°39′24″W / 51.2806°N 2.6566°W |
| Interest | Geological |
| Area | 0.2 hectares (0.0020 km2; 0.00077 sq mi) |
| Notification | 1987 |
Wurt Pit and Devil's Punchbowl are two fascinating natural holes in the ground. You can find them in the Mendip Hills in Somerset, England, between East Harptree and the Priddy Circles. These unique spots are officially known as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). They were given this special protection in 1987 because of their important geology.
Contents
What Makes These Places Special?
A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) is a protected area in the United Kingdom. It means the land is important for its wildlife, plants, or geology. Wurt Pit and Devil's Punchbowl are geological SSSIs. This means they are valued for their rocks and how the land was formed. The site covers about 0.2 hectares, which is roughly half an acre.
How Were These Giant Holes Made?
These two large holes are called "subsidence depressions." This means they formed when the ground above collapsed. Imagine a giant underground cave! Here is how it happened:
- Deep below the surface, there are limestone rocks.
- Underground water slowly dissolved these limestone rocks over a very long time.
- This created empty spaces or "voids" under the ground.
- Eventually, the surface rocks above these voids could no longer hold up.
- They collapsed downwards, creating the big holes we see today.
Scientists know these are collapse structures and not just holes worn away by water. This is because the rocks on the surface at Devil's Punchbowl are marls, which don't dissolve easily. At Wurt Pit, the surface rocks are a mix of limestones and clays that have been hardened by silica.
Special Rocks and Minerals
The rocks at Wurt Pit are very interesting. They are known as the 'Harptree Beds' and formed a long time ago, during the early Jurassic period. These rocks are special because they contain a lot of silica. This silica was added during a major period when many minerals were formed in the Mendip Hills.
The Harptree Beds also have small amounts of other minerals. These include:
- Limonite and yellow ochre: These are types of iron oxides, which can give rocks a yellow or brown color.
- Barite: This is a mineral made of barium sulphate.
- Sphalerite: This mineral is a source of zinc.
- Galena: This mineral is a source of lead.
A Bit of History
In 1929, two writers named Wade and Wade wrote a book called Somerset. In their book, they described the Devil's Punch Bowl. They said it was one of the most notable "Swallet Holes" on the Mendips. A swallet hole is another name for a place where a stream disappears underground, often into a cave system.
