Greylake

Greylake
Site of Special Scientific Interest
Grassy fields with trees
Location within Somerset
Area of Search Somerset
Grid reference ST384336
Coordinates 51°05′54″N 2°52′52″W / 51.09838°N 2.88109°W / 51.09838; -2.88109Coordinates: 51°05′54″N 2°52′52″W / 51.09838°N 2.88109°W / 51.09838; -2.88109
Interest Geological
Area 9.3 hectares (0.093 km2; 0.036 sq mi)
Notification 1987 (1987)
Natural England website

Greylake (grid reference ST384336) is a 9.3 hectare geological Site of Special Scientific Interest near Middlezoy in Somerset, notified in 1987.

This site, on the Somerset Levels, consists of 20 low-lying fields in the north west corner of King's Sedgemoor,[1] and includes the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds Greylake nature reserve which has taken over arable farmland and is now home to lapwings, snipe, curlews, redshanks, yellow wagtails, skylarks and meadow pipits.[2]

This location is the type section for the Pleistocene Burtle Beds, as it is probably the most complete Burtle Beds sequence in Somerset. It demonstrates a sequence of fluvial (or possibly glacial) gravels, marine intertidal silts and marine subtidal. Rich molluscan, ostracod and foraminifera assemblages and a mammalian fauna, including red deer (Cervus elephus), aurochs (Bos primigenius) and fallow deer (Dama dama) have been recorded.[3]

Greylaike was flooded during the winter flooding of 2013–14 on the Somerset Levels.

References

  1. "RSPB Greylake". Attractions in Somerset.
  2. "Greylake". Resereves. RSPB.
  3. English Nature citation sheet for the site (accessed 7 August 2006)

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 1/5/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.