Holton Pit

Holton Pit
Site of Special Scientific Interest
LocationSuffolk
Grid referenceTM 405 774[1]
InterestGeological
Area1.6 hectares[1]
Notification1988[1]
Location mapMagic Map

Holton Pit is a 1.6-hectare (4.0-acre) geological Site of Special Scientific Interest east of Halesworth in Suffolk.[1][2] It is a Geological Conservation Review site.[3]

This was thought to be the only site known to show the sequence of the early Pleistocene Westleton Beds overlain by "quarttzose gravels" deposited by the proto-Thames river as the Kesgrave Sands & Gravels. The "quartzose gravels" are now thought most likely to be Anglian glacial outwash. The Westleton Beds mainly consist of sand but were quarried here for gravels that were a coastal gravel accumulation, especially gravels washed into large channels, and the site is close to their known inland boundary and throws light on their spatial limits.[4]

Footpaths from Holton go through the site.

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Designated Sites View: Holton Pit". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
  2. ^ "Map of Holton Pit". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
  3. ^ "Holton (Quaternary of East Anglia)". Geological Conservation Review. Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Retrieved 3 May 2017.
  4. ^ "Holton Pit citation" (PDF). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 May 2015. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
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52°20′31″N 1°31′44″E / 52.342°N 1.529°E / 52.342; 1.529