Compton Martin Ochre Mine


Compton Martin Ochre Mine
Compton Martin Ochre Mine (Somerset)
Compton Martin Ochre Mine
Shown within Somerset

Coordinates: 51°18′24″N 2°39′25″W / 51.30667, -2.65698
Site of Special Scientific Interest
Area of Search Avon
Grid Reference ST543566
Interest Geological and Biological
Area 2.1 acres (0.0085 km2; 0.0033 sq mi)
Notification 1988 (1988)
English Nature Website

Compton Martin Ochre Mine (grid reference ST543566) is a 0.85 hectare geological and biological Site of Special Scientific Interest located on the north side of the Mendip Hills, immediately south west of Compton Martin village, Somerset, notified in 1988.

Contents

Geological Interest

Iron Oxide Pigment

It is a Geological Conservation Review site. The site comprises a network of underground tunnels and surface exposures on the eastern fringe of Compton Wood. The site exposes bedded hematitic iron ore (red ochre) in Triassic Dolomitic Conglomerates which was deposited underwater as a layered mass of iron oxide pellets of various types, probably in an ephemeral lake or pond fed by hot springs when the Mendip area was occupied by a desert environment some 220 million years ago during late Triassic times.1

Red ochre is an iron oxide mineral, which was used in paint-making. It is believed that the mine was owned by Mendi Oxide & Ochre Co. Ltd., of Wick.

Biological Interest

Greater Horseshoe Bat

The mines are also used as a hibernation site by Greater Horseshoe Bats (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum). A rare and endangered species, the greater horseshoe bat is protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and is listed in Annex II of the 1992 European Community Habitats Directive.1

Along with Combe Down and Bathampton Down Mines this site forms a key part of the ‘Bath and Bradford-on-Avon Bats’ candidate Special Area of Conservation (cSAC).2

References

  1. ^ a b "Compton Martin Ochre Mine". English Nature. Retrieved on 2006-05-09.
  2. ^ "Chapter 2: The natural enviornment". Local Plan. Bath and North East Somerset. Retrieved on 2008-10-21.

See also

External links

v • d • e
Chew Valley
Villages:
Reservoirs:
Rivers:
SSSIs:
Councils:
Surrounding areas:
v • d • e
Mendip Hills
Settlements:
Rivers and lakes:
Caves and gorges:
Quarries:
SSSIs:
Asham Wood · Axbridge Hill and Fry's Hill · Banwell Caves · Banwell Ochre Caves · Barns Batch Spinney · Blagdon Lake · Bleadon Hill · Brimble Pit and Cross Swallet Basins · Burledge Hill · Burrington Combe · Chancellor's Farm · Cheddar Complex · Cheddar Reservoir · Cheddar Wood · Chew Valley Lake · Cloford Quarry · Compton Martin Ochre Mine · Cook's Wood Quarry · Crook Peak to Shute Shelve Hill · Dolebury Warren · Draycott Sleights · Ebbor Gorge · Emborough Quarries · Harptree Combe · Hobbs Quarry · Holwell Quarries · Kingdown and Middledown · Lamb Leer · Priddy Caves · Priddy Pools · Perch · Rodney Stoke · St. Dunstan's Well Catchment · Sandpit Hole and Bishop's Lot · Shiplate Slait · Viaduct Quarry · Windsor Hill Quarry · Wurt Pit and Devil's Punchbowl
Councils:
Surrounding areas:
v • d • e
Biological Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Avon
Ashton Court • Avon Gorge • Banwell Caves • Biddle Street, Yatton • Bishop's Hill Wood • Blagdon Lake • Bodkin Hazel Wood • Brockley Hall Stables • Brown's Folly • Burledge Sidelands and Meadows • Burrington Combe • Chew Valley Lake • Cleaves Wood • Cleeve Wood, Hanham • Combe Down and Bathampton Down Mines • Compton Martin Ochre Mine • Congrove Field and The Tumps • Dolebury Warren • Ellenborough Park West • Folly Farm • Goblin Combe • Gordano Valley • Harptree Combe • Hawkesbury Meadow • Hinton Charterhouse Field • Horseshoe Bend, Shirehampton • Iford Manor • King's Wood and Urchin Wood • Long Dole Wood and Meadows • Lower Woods • Max Bog • Middle Hope • Midger • Monkswood Valley • Plaster's Green Meadows • Purn Hill • Puxton Moor • Severn Estuary • Shiplate Slait • St. Catherine's Valley • Steep Holm • Tickenham, Nailsea and Kenn Moors • Uphill Cliff • Upton Coombe • Walton Common • Weston Big Wood  • Yanal Bog


Neighbouring areas: Gloucestershire • Somerset • Wiltshire
v • d • e
Geological Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Avon
Aust Cliff • Avon Gorge • Banwell Caves  • Banwell Ochre Caves  • Barnhill Quarry  • Barns Batch Spinney  • Bickley Wood  • Bleadon Hill  • Bourne • Bowlditch Quarry  • Brinkmarsh Quarry  • Brown's Folly  • Buckover Road Cutting  • Burrington Combe  • Cattybrook Brickpit  • Clevedon Shore  • Compton Martin Ochre Mine  • Court Hill  • Cullimore's Quarry  • Damery Road Section  • Dundry Main Road South Quarry  • Gordano Valley  • Ham Green • Hampton Rocks Cutting  • Hartcliff Rocks Quarry • Hawkesbury Quarry  • Hinton Charterhouse Pit  • Hinton Hill, Wellow  • Holly Lane  • Huish Colliery Quarry  • Kenn Church, Kenn Pier & Yew Tree Farm • Kilmersdon Road Quarry  • Lower Woods  • Lulsgate Quarry  • Middle Hope  • Newton St. Loe  • Nightingale Valley  • North Road Quarry, Bath  • Portishead Pier to Black Nore • Quarry Steps, Durdham Down  • Severn Estuary • Slickstones Quarry, Cromhall  • Spring Cove Cliffs  • Stidham Farm  • Tytherington Quarry  • Weston-in-Gordano • Winterbourne Railway Cutting  • Writhlington


Neighbouring areas: Gloucestershire • Somerset • Wiltshire

Wikipedia content modification information:

  • This page was last modified on 21 October 2008, at 19:47.

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