Rock Edge Nature Reserve
LocationHeadington, Oxford, Oxfordshire, England
Coordinates51°45′14″N 1°12′16″W / 51.75389°N 1.20444°W / 51.75389; -1.20444
Established1972[1]
Old limestone quarry workings at Rock Edge Nature Reserve, near the junction of Old Road and Windmill Road

Rock Edge Nature Reserve is a small nature reserve and park in an area that was once a limestone quarry in Headington, east Oxford, England.[2][3][4]

The local geology is made up of an old tropical coral reef, with coral outcrops surrounded by old sand bottom beds, similar to what is found in the waters around the Bahamas today.[1] A small track leads meanders around the old quarry, where fossils of ancient marine creatures can still be found.

Site of Special Scientific Interest

The Rock Edge quarry at the site is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).[1][3][5][6] The site covers 4 acres (1.6 hectares).[7]

The site was formerly known as Crossroads Pit and has also been called Windmill Quarry[8] since it was located just south of the main windmill in Headington.[6] The name Cross Road Quarry has also been used.[9]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Site Name: Rock Edge" (PDF). designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk. UK: Natural England. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
  2. ↑ "Rock Edge Nature Reserve". Wikimapia. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
  3. 1 2 "Countryside and nature reserves – Rock Edge Nature Reserve". UK: Oxford City Council. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
  4. ↑ "Rock Edge Nature Reserve". UK: Daily Info. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
  5. ↑ Frayn, Keith. "Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Headington" (PDF). www.friendsoflyevalley.org.uk. UK: Friends of Lye Valley. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
  6. 1 2 "Rock Edge (Crossroads or Windmill Quarry)". Headington history: The quarries. UK: Headington, Oxford. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
  7. ↑ "Rock Edge (Cross Roads) Quarry, Headington" (PDF). www.headington.org.uk. Oxford Geology Trust. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
  8. ↑ "Windmill Quarry, Headington". Stone in Archaeology Database. University of Southampton Archaeology. Retrieved 16 April 2020.
  9. ↑ "Cross Road Quarry, Headington". Stone in Archaeology Database. University of Southampton Archaeology. Retrieved 16 April 2020.


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