Kirtlington Quarry
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These pages do not provide any risk assessments. Be aware of your surroundings at all times in the field and do not undertake excursions unless you are comfortable with the risks associated with going into the field. Be mindful of both your safety and the safety of those around you if you choose to undertake any excursions.
These pages do not provide any risk assessments. Be aware of your surroundings at all times in the field and do not undertake excursions unless you are comfortable with the risks associated with going into the field. Be mindful of both your safety and the safety of those around you if you choose to undertake any excursions.
Overview
Kirtlington Quarry is a nature reserve set in an old quarry located approximately 8.2 miles NNW of the Department, 0.7 miles SE of Tackley train station and 0.4 miles WNW of Kirtlington village. Access around the site was via paths. This site is an SSSI; damaging the bedrock is prohibited.Outcrops
Outcrops were mainly in the form of quarry faces, most of which were fenced off but could be observed from a distance. The faces are grouped into two areas:- Area 1: Open-air part of the old quarry.
- Area 2: Wooded part of the old quarry.
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Fragments of the White Limestone Formation (including boulders) were common, with lithologies ranging from buff bioclastic and oolitic grainstones to white micrites/chalks, sometimes with frequent cm-scale shelly fossils (brachiopods and bivalves). Although not observed by the author, coral and vertical burrow trace fossils have also been reported[2]. The Forest Marble Formation exposed here is also reported to contain important mammal fossils[3] though these were also not observed at the site.
See Also
- https://readinggeology.org.uk/docs/reports/RP201802 Kirtlington.pdf
- https://www.oxfordshiregeologytrust.org.uk/projects/kirlington-bletchingdon-trail-guide/
- https://depositsmag.com/2021/08/18/fossil-hunting-in-oxfordshire-uk/
- https://ougs.org/london/event-reports/761/field-trip-kirlington-and-bletchingdon/
References
- British Geological Survey (2023). Geology of Britain Viewer, http://mapapps.bgs.ac.uk/geologyofbritain/home.html
- York, R. (2018). RGS visit to Kirtlington Quarry. Reading Geological Society Newsletter. https://readinggeology.org.uk/docs/reports/RP201802 Kirtlington.pdf
- Natural England, 1977, Kirtlington Quarry Citation, https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/PDFsForWeb/Citation/1002700.pdf