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| Dorset
and East Devon Coast World Heritage Monitoring |
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| Image Gallery | |
| GCR Site: 204 Hooken Cliff | |
| Interest: Chalk stratigraphy and sedimentology | |
| GCR Block: Cenomanian - Maastrichtian | |
| SSSI: Sidmouth to Beer coast | |
| Site Boundaries: Grid Reference SY 210881 to SY 227878 | |
| Date of Assessment: 28th August 2003 | |
| Date from last assessment: Unknown at this time | |
| Name of surveyor: Chris Pamplin and Richard Edmonds | |
| Statement of Significance: | |
| This site contains some of the most westerly major Upper Cretaceous exposures in England, which are of great stratigraphic importance. They show the intriguing lateral thickness and facies variations of the Cenomanian Limestone, containing an abundant and in part rare fauna. The Neocardioceras Hardground at the top of the Cenomanian yields ammonites that are almost unknown elsewhere in Britain at this horizon. The site beautifully displays the basal Turonian or Beer Stone, a large echinoderm-rich calcarenite lens and also major erosional truncation of the Lower Turonian and Cenomanian. A unique site for its sedimentology and stratigraphically important fossil horizons. | |
| Physical description: | |
| Beer Head is a vertical exposue through the Upper Greensand and Chalk complicated by the Hooken Landslide. A wide pebble beache extends from Branscombe to Beer Head. A much smaller beach runs from Beer Head to Beer and these eastern cliffs are far less accessible. | |
| Health and Safety: | |
| The Chalk cliffs are vertical and even overhanging. Cliff falls are a risk. Access is best on a falling tide. Beware of large swell waves. | |
| Access: | |
| The best access is along the beach from Branscombe. It is possible to walk around Beer Head to Beer on a low spring. | |
| Conservation Objectives, on site: | |
| Maintain exposures and natural erosion rates. | |
| Conservation Objectives, off site: | |
| None | |
| Success indicators: | |
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The strata are exposed |
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| Fixed Point photography: | |
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From
the beach below the Hooken Landslide. |
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| Scientific publications and ongoing research: | |
| The Geological Conservation Review British Upper Cretaceous Stratigraphy published in 2002. | |
| Natural Change: | |
| Large cliff falls have taken place on the south east side of Beer Head. Large amounts of Cenomanian Limestone and Lower Chalk blocks litter the beach. | |
| Man made change: | |
| None | |
| ENSIS unit summary: | |
| Unmapped at this stage | |
| Comments: | |
| A robust site | |
| Other comments: | |
| Sensitivity: | |
| Recommended survey period: | |
| 3 years | |
| Overall Assessment: | |
| Actions: | |
| None | |
| Related GCR Blocks: | |
| 632
East
Cliff to White Cliff (Sidmouth to Beer) GCR Block: Aptian - Albian |
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Comments
and discussion
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