St Osyth Pit is a 0.1-hectare (0.25-acre) geological Site of Special Scientific Interest north of St Osyth in Essex.[1][2] It is a Geological Conservation Review site.[3]

St Osyth Pit
Site of Special Scientific Interest
LocationEssex
Grid referenceTM 119170
InterestGeological
Area0.1 hectares
Notification1987
Location mapMagic Map

The site has a succession of deposits which throw light of the diversion of the River Thames south to its present course during the Anglian Ice Age around 450,000 years ago. The lower level has gravel deposited by the Thames when it flowed through the area before the ice age. This is overlain by sand and very fine gravel deposited by outwash during a brief period when the Thames was blocked by ice.[1]

The site is private land with no public access.

References edit

  1. ^ a b "St Osyth Pit citation" (PDF). Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
  2. ^ "Map of St Osyth Pit". Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England. Retrieved 9 June 2016.
  3. ^ "St Osyth Gravel Pit (Quaternary of the Thames)". Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Retrieved 28 May 2016.

51°48′40″N 1°04′23″E / 51.811°N 1.073°E / 51.811; 1.073