Every Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) is nationally designated and protected. They are not theme parks, but precious resources for scientific research and education. In spite of their special status, not all SSSIs are the same. Wicklesham Quarry- the principal site of Wicklesham and Coxwells Pits SSSI- is genuinely UNIQUE, and thousands of geologists and palaeontologists regard it with awe. There is something truly mysterious about it.
The Corallian Ridge (also called the Golden Ridge) extends across southern England from Dorset to Cambridgeshire and was once a coral reef some distance from the shoreline. Faringdon stands on the fossil reef, and most older houses have large pieces of fossilized coral in their beautiful stone walls. For hundreds of years this ancient rock formation has been quarried for stone and gravel along its length- but what was found at Faringdon has never been found anywhere else, either on the Corallian Ridge, or anywhere in the world! Wicklesham is unique - but we still don’t know why.
THE MYSTERY
The SSSI listing by Natural England states: “The gravels, laid down under marine conditions some 110 million years ago, are unique to the Faringdon area, and were deposited in an unusual and very localised near-shore sedimentary environment. They contain a very rich and unusual assemblage of fossil sponges, bryozoa, brachiopods and echinoids, with over 150 different species having been found here; many of these are known to occur only at Faringdon.”
The rest of the listing is equally fascinating. You can read it here: http://www.ecoweek.info/Find_Out_More-/SSSIs/Wicklesham_-_Coxwell_Pits_SSSI.pdf
At Faringdon the SSSI is a ‘type’ site- this means it has given its name to the ‘Faringdon Sponge Gravels’ and ‘Faringdon fossils’, little burrowing animals that evolved here over millions of years in totally unique forms. Wicklesham was the scene of a globally unique evolutionary event! Professor Mark Wilson carried out research at Wicklesham in 1985 and discovered 3 new species and a new genus of these amazing animals. You can read his paper here: https://www.palass.org/sites/default/files/media/publications/palaeontology/volume_29/vol29_part4_pp691-703.pdf
The ’Faringdon Greensands’ are also considered unique. They are 50 metres deep at Wicklesham Quarry; elsewhere the depth is only 8 to 10 metres. A unique set of environmental conditions occurred here, as the sea deposited sand and gravel into an inlet of the huge coral reef over millions of years, long enough for a totally original evolutionary event to occur. How wonderful is THAT?
'Faringdon fossils' were recorded in collections in 1699. This is one of the oldest sites for palaeontology in the country, and was listed as a SSSI in 1950, a year after the 1949 National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act was passed. Among scientists, Wicklesham Quarry SSSI is understood as one of a kind. It is a Geological Conservation Review site. The Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) classifies SSSIs as either ‘exposure’ sites or ‘integrity’ sites. Integrity sites require complete protection, because of their limited extent. We believe Wicklesham Quarry is an ‘integrity site’ and no permanent alteration should be made to any part of it.
Professor Wilson has written that Wicklesham Quarry should be afforded “the highest protection that is possible”. Permanent buildings would prevent access to the base of the quarry and put an end to scientific research of the Faringdon Greensands, at THE ONLY SITE where they exist. The base of the quarry-at just over 29 acres – is the only site in the world where these unique fossil creatures can be extracted. The walls cannot be used for fossil extraction – by law.
HOW COULD ANYONE THINK OF DESTROYING THE SITE OF A UNIQUE EVOLUTIONARY EVENT?
To see the Planning Application and register your comments before 27 July, follow the link: https://data.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/java/support/Main.jsp?MODULE=ApplicationDetails&REF=P23/V1476/O#exactline