Barrington Chalk Pit
| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
 | |
| Location | Cambridgeshire |
|---|---|
| Grid reference | TL 392 512[1] |
| Interest | Geological |
| Area | 97.1 hectares[1] |
| Notification | 1997[1] |
| Location map | Magic Map |
Barrington Chalk Pit is a 97.1-hectare (240-acre) geological Site of Special Scientific Interest near Barrington in Cambridgeshire.[1][2] It is a Geological Conservation Review site.[3]
This large quarry is the only surviving exposure of the Cretaceous Cambridge Greensand. Fossils include brachiopods and fish teeth. It is overlain by thick sequences of chalk and Totternhoe Stone.[4]
Large parts of the site are a working quarry which is closed to the public, while other areas have been filled in and are now fields which are crossed by footpaths.
History
[edit]The works were acquired by Cemex in 2005.[5] Most quarrying ceased in 2008, however, limited quarrying continued for a further few years.[6] In 2012, Cemex confirmed that the plant would be fully closed and demolished.[7] The site has continued to be used as a landfill, with waste building materials arriving by train.[8] Since 2021, the site has been used for disposal of spoil transported by rail from High Speed 2 construction sites.[9]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "Designated Sites View: Barrington Chalk Pit". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
- ^ "Map of Barrington Chalk Pit". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
- ^ "Barrington Chalk Pit (Cenomanian, Turonian, Senonian, Maastrichtian)". Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
- ^ "Barrington Chalk Pit citation" (PDF). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 29 September 2016.
- ^ "Former Barrington cement works chimney to be demolished". BBC News. 9 October 2018. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
- ^ "Barrington Landfill quarry, Barrington, Cambridgeshire, England, UK". www.mindat.org. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
- ^ "Cemex to demolish mothballed Barrington works". The Construction Index. 4 May 2021. Archived from the original on 14 May 2012. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
- ^ Thomas, Josh (8 September 2018). "Barrington quarry decision deferred amid noise and pollution concerns". Royston Crow. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
- ^ "HS2 tunnel spoil to fill in a Cambridgeshire open-pit mine". ianVisits. 2 July 2021. Archived from the original on 2 July 2021. Retrieved 3 July 2021.
External links
[edit]- Geological Conservation Review, Volume 23: British Upper Cretaceous Stratigraphy, Chapter 4: Transitional Province, England, 1980-2007, Barrington Chalk Pit Archived 2 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine
