Foss Cross Quarry

Foss Cross Quarry
Site of Special Scientific Interest
	Location within Gloucestershire
Location	Gloucestershire
Grid reference	SP056092
Coordinates	51°46′55″N1°55′10″W / 51.781886°N 1.919501°W
Interest	Geological
Area	0.67 hectare
Notification	1972
	Natural England website

Last updated April 27, 2024

Foss Cross Quarry (grid reference SP056092 ) is a 0.67-hectare (1.7-acre) geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire, notified in 1972.^[1]^[2] The site is listed in the 'Cotswold District' Local Plan 2001-2011 (on line) as a Key Wildlife Site (KWS) and a Regionally Important Geological Site (RIGS).^[3]^[4]

Location and geology

The site lies in the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and provides important exposures of White Limestone Formation (Middle Jurassic) in the county. The rocks have been interpreted as deposits which were laid down c.165 million years ago in a warm, shallow sea. The conditions for that exist today on the Bahama Banks in the Caribbean. There is a well-developed sedimentary structure with a variety of fossils.^[1]

The site is also important for the red fossil alga (Solenopora jurassica). This is called Beetroot Stone. Areas of hardened sea floor also occur. The site is a significant research area and has enabled geologists to reconstruct the environments of the ancient seas which covered much of Gloucestershire and Oxfordshire during the Middle Jurassic time interval.^[1]

Related Research Articles

Veizey's Quarry is a 1.4 hectare geological Site of Special Scientific Interest near Tetbury in Gloucestershire, notified in 1974. It is in the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The site is listed in the 'Cotswold District' Local Plan 2001-2011 as a Key Wildlife Site (KWS) and a Regionally Important Geological Site (RIGS).

Wellacre Quarry is a 12.3 hectare geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire, notified in 1974. It is within the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the site was formerly known as Blockley Station Brickworks. The site is listed in the 'Cotswold District' Local Plan 2001-2011 as a Key Wildlife Site (KWS) and a Regionally Important Geological Site (RIGS).

Stenders Quarry is a 2.8-hectare (6.9-acre) biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, England, notified in 1966 and renotified in 1990. The site is designated as an SSSI for its important geological features, although there is also a diversity of plants and animals recorded.

Wotton Hill is a hill on the edge of the Cotswold Hills in Gloucestershire, England, 0.5 miles (0.80 km) north of Wotton-under-Edge. The Cotswold Way passes over the hill.

Hobbs Quarry, Longhope is a 1-hectare (2.5-acre) geological and biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire, England, notified in 1966. It is situated midway between Longhope and Dursley Cross in the Forest of Dean. Adjacent woods are Kiln Wood and Coleman's Wood. The site was managed by the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust. Ownership changed to an independent Charitable Trust - Hobbs Nature Reserve Trust - on 1 August 2023. The Management Plan is similar to the one GWT had agreed with Natural England, combining conservation and research work on the geological exposures and preservation of the valuable natural environment. An explanatory website is under development to aid any groups planning educational visits. Local specialists are available to assist with these if required.

Bull Cross, The Frith and Juniper Hill is a 42.33-hectare (104.6-acre) biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire, notified in 1954. The site is listed in the ‘Stroud District’ Local Plan, adopted November 2005, Appendix 6 as an SSSI and Regionally Important Geological Site (RIGS).

Cleeve Common is a 455-hectare (1,120-acre) biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire, England, notified in 1974. It is looked after by a small charity called Cleeve Common Trust, formally Cleeve Common Board of Conservators.

Coaley Wood Quarries is a 4.85-hectare (12.0-acre) geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire, notified in 1974.

Crickley Hill and Barrow Wake is a 56.8-hectare (140-acre) biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire, notified in 1974.

Edge Common is a 20.47-hectare (50.6-acre) biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire, notified in 1974.

Hampen Railway Cutting is a 3.9-hectare (9.6-acre) geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire, notified in 1974. The site is listed in the 'Cotswold District' Local Plan 2001-2011 as a Key Wildlife Site (KWS) and Regionally Important Geological Site (RIGS).

Hornsleasow Quarry is a 3.5-hectare (8.6-acre) geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire, notified in 1974. The site is listed in the 'Cotswold District' Local Plan 2001-2011 as a Regionally Important Geological Site (RIGS).

Huntsman's Quarry is a 1.6-hectare (4.0-acre) geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire, notified in 1974. The site is listed in the 'Cotswold District' Local Plan 2001-2011 as a Key Wildlife Site (KWS) and a Regionally Important Geological Site (RIGS).

Kemble Railway Cuttings is a 2.72-hectare (6.7-acre) geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire, England, notified in 1996. The site is listed in the Cotswold District Local Plan 2001–2011 as a Regionally Important Geological Site (RIGS).

Knap House Quarry, Birdlip is a 1.80-hectare (4.4-acre) geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire, notified in 1974. The site is listed in the 'Cotswold District' Local Plan 2001-2011 as a Key Wildlife Site (KWS) and a Regionally Important Geological Site (RIGS).

Leckhampton Hill and Charlton Kings Common is a 63.8-hectare (158-acre) biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire, notified in 1954. There are five units of assessment.

Minchinhampton Common is a 182.7-hectare (451-acre) biological and geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire, notified in 1972.

New Park Quarry is a 1.3-hectare (3.2-acre) geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire, notified in 1987. The site is listed in the 'Cotswold District' Local Plan 2001-2011 as a Regionally Important Geological Site (RIGS).

Notgrove Railway Cutting is a 1.7-hectare (4.2-acre) geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire, notified in 1974. The site is listed in the 'Cotswold District' Local Plan 2001-2011 as a Key Wildlife Site (KWS) and Regionally Important Geological Site (RIGS).

Stony Furlong Railway Cutting is a 2.7-hectare (6.7-acre) geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire, notified in 1987. The site is listed in the 'Cotswold District' Local Plan 2001-2011 as a Key Wildlife Site (KWS) and a Regionally Important Geological Site (RIGS).

References

1 2 3 Natural England SSSI information on the citation ^{[ permanent dead link ]}
↑ Cotswold District Local Plan, Appendix 1, Sites of Special Scientific Interest Archived March 26, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
↑ Cotswold District Local Plan, Appendix 2, Key Wildlife Sites Archived October 13, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
↑ Cotswold District Local Plan, Appendix 3, Regionally Important Geological Sites Archived March 26, 2012, at the Wayback Machine

SSSI Source

External links

Natural England (SSSI information)

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[NE_citation-1] 1 2 3 Natural England SSSI information on the citation ^{[ permanent dead link ]}

[2] Cotswold District Local Plan, Appendix 1, Sites of Special Scientific Interest Archived March 26, 2012, at the Wayback Machine

[3] Cotswold District Local Plan, Appendix 2, Key Wildlife Sites Archived October 13, 2013, at the Wayback Machine

[4] Cotswold District Local Plan, Appendix 3, Regionally Important Geological Sites Archived March 26, 2012, at the Wayback Machine

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v t e Geological Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Gloucestershire
Summarised data for all sites (biological and geological)
Alderton Hill Quarry Bull Cross, The Frith and Juniper Hill Campden Tunnel Gravel Pit Cleeve Common Coaley Wood Quarries Crickley Hill and Barrow Wake Easter Park Farm Quarry Edgehills Quarry Foss Cross Quarry Garden Cliff Hampen Railway Cutting Haresfield Beacon Harford Railway Cutting Hobbs Quarry Hornsleasow Quarry Huntsman's Quarry Jackdaw Quarry Kemble Railway Cuttings Knap House Quarry, Birdlip Land Grove Quarry, Mitcheldean Leckhampton Hill and Charlton Kings Common Longhope Hill Lower Woods Lower Wye Gorge Lydney Cliff May Hill Meezy Hurst Minchinhampton Common New Park Quarry Nibley Knoll Notgrove Railway Cutting Oakenhill Railway Cutting Puddlebrook Quarry River Wye Robin's Wood Hill Quarry Rodborough Common Salmonsbury Meadows Scully Grove Quarry Severn Estuary Slade Brook Stenders Quarry Stony Furlong Railway Cutting Swift's Hill Upper Severn Estuary The Malvern Hills Purton Passage Selsley Common Upper Wye Gorge Veizey's Quarry Wainlode Cliff Wellacre Quarry Wood Green Quarry & Railway Cutting Wotton Hill
Neighbouring areas Avon Herefordshire Oxfordshire Wiltshire Worcestershire