Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
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Location | Berkshire |
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Grid reference | SU 430 719[1] |
Coordinates | 51°26′38″N1°22′59″W / 51.444°N 1.383°W /51.444; -1.383 |
Interest | Geological |
Area | 0.4 hectares (0.99 acres)[1] |
Notification | 1993[1] |
Location map | Magic Map |
Boxford Chalk Pit is a 0.4-hectare (0.99-acre) geologicalSite of Special Scientific Interest inBoxford inBerkshire.[1][2] It is aGeological Conservation Review site.[3][4]
This site has a unique succession of tilted beds dating to theUpper Cretaceous, between the lateConiacian and theSantonian, from around 87 to 84 million years ago. The beds are overlain by chalk which contains fractured and folded pieces ofhardground, which are interpreted as evidence of localisedtectonism unknown in the rest of Britain in this period. There are alsocoprolites and many tiny fish teeth.[5]