Natural England - Protection for the Dinosaur Footprints Frozen in Time in Oxfordshire
Protection for the Dinosaur Footprints Frozen in Time in Oxfordshire
19 January 2010
Ardley Trackways SSSI is the first site designated by Natural England solely for its geological interest
Notification of the first ever Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) to be designated by Natural England specifically for its nationally important geological features was announced today.
The Ardley Trackways SSSI, near Bicester in Oxfordshire, is unusual because it has been designated solely on account of its geological interest - dinosaur footprints and tracks were found there in 1998. There is now a four month period for public responses, following which the Natural England Board will decide whether to confirm the designation.
Alan Law, Natural England regional director for the South East, says: “Geological sites of this quality and importance are few and far between and we are delighted to give this important window on our past the protection it so clearly deserves.”
“As a Site of Special Scientific Interest, these unique dinosaur footprints now join the ranks of England’s most important wildlife and geological conservation sites. It is important that we continue to look after internationally valuable resources of this type and protect such fascinating insights into our ancient past. We have a statutory role to protect sites for a number of conservation interests, and Ardley Trackways fully met the criteria. This designation is a first for us for several reasons. Since Natural England came into being in October 2006, this is the first SSSI to be designated solely on geological interest. It is also the first SSSI we have designated in the South East region, and it is just the third to be designated by Natural England in the whole country.”
“We are required, by law, to ensure that valuable resources like the conservation features of Ardley Trackways SSSI are maintained for the future as this is an internationally valuable resource, for research and study and for the insight it gives us into Britain’s past. We are also very conscious of the support of our local partners for this site and we appreciate the values shown by this partnership relationship and the positive negotiations we have had between the interested parties,” he says.
Martin Layer Planning and Estates Manager for quarry operator and SSSI owner Smiths Bletchington says: “As a mineral operator we work closely with Natural England and fully recognise the value of the geology and fossils exposed through our quarry operations for research and education. The trackways at Ardley were only discovered because of quarrying and if further footprints exist they will only come to light as we continue to quarry the limestone to produce essential construction aggregates. We are looking forward to working with Natural England and the Natural History Museum at Oxford to see whether we can add new chapters to this unique and fascinating dinosaur story here in Oxfordshire.”
Ardley Trackways contains an array of fossilised trackways formed 165 million years ago by a herd of Jurassic dinosaurs moving along an ancient shoreline that extended from the present-day north Norfolk coast, south-west to Oxfordshire and then east through London and north Kent. Footprints have been found from both large, four-footed, vegetarian sauropod dinosaurs and upright-walking, carnivorous theropods. The trackways were formed on a mudflat at a considerable distance from vegetated land, possible comparable to areas of the Florida Keys. The area where the dinosaurs left their footprints is now alongside the M40 motorway.
Such extensive and relatively complete dinosaur trackways are otherwise unknown in England and are rare internationally. Research conducted over the last decade has revealed important information about these dinosaurs and even shed light on the speed at which the creatures were travelling. This evidence is significant not just at a national level, but also at an international level. It is now important to protect the trackways from exposure to the elements and damage from erosion and this decision to designate the site will help secure its unique features for future generations to study and enjoy.
Natural England is pleased to be working closely with the site owners and operators to ensure that the trackways are carefully preserved and made accessible for scientific study. Ardley Trackways SSSI is notified under section 28 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 substituted by Schedule 9 to the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. The site is designated as of special interest for its nationally important geological features.
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For further information please contact John Rennie from the Natural England communications team on 07500 990874 or on john.rennie@naturalengland.org.uk
Notes to Editors
About Ardley Trackways
There are 1,226 geological SSSIs in total in England and Ardley Trackways is the first purely geological site to have been designated by Natural England since it was formed in 2006.
Ardley Trackways SSSI consists of a series of working quarries near the village of Ardley, about 4km northwest of Bicester in Oxfordshire.
The quarries contain a succession of limestones, marls, clays and occasional sands that reach approximately 14 metres in thickness. The bedding plane containing the trackways lies close to the top of the Shipton Member of the White Limestone Formation where it has formed the floor of the quarry. The general trend of the trackways is on a bearing north-north-east – south-south-west although a few trend north-east – south-west. The Shipton Member of the White Limestone Formation is Bathonian (Middle Jurassic) in age and was deposited within a belt of near-shore lagoons on the north-western margin of the London Platform.
Fossils are frequent in many of the rocks. They include a variety of different bivalves that lived on and below the seafloor, sea urchins including both grazers and sediment feeders, large accumulations of high-spired, massive gastropods that were probably suspension feeders, and brachiopods which were also suspension feeders. Occasional corals are also present, as are very rare ammonites and nautiloids.
The fossils and sediments suggest deposition in shallow, low energy, lagoons in a subtropical climate. These lagoons lay close to the shore of the London Landmass, and there is evidence that the bed on which the dinosaur trackways are preserved was very close to, if not part, of the coast of the London Landmass. The White Limestone Formation is divided into three subunits, the Shipton, Ardley and Bladon Members. Of these units, the Shipton and Bladon members contain the largest proportions of land derived sediments, and may have been deposited nearer the shore than the Ardley Member. At three levels within the White Limestone Formation there are indications that the seafloor became relatively firm to hard (surfaces bored by bivalves). These are considered to have been formed during periods when there was a relative drop in sea-level, and there is evidence that at these times the sea-floor was periodically exposed above sea-level. One of these horizons lies at the top of the ‘excavata bed’ near the top of the Shipton Member. In those areas previously quarried, the top of this bed constitutes the quarry floor. It is on this surface that the dinosaur trackways are preserved, providing evidence that this bed was emergent or nearly emergent at that time, and that the area was very close to if not part of the coast of the London Landmass.
About Natural England
Natural England is the government’s independent advisor on the natural environment. Established in 2006 our work is focused on enhancing England’s wildlife and landscapes and maximising the benefits they bring to the public.
We establish and care for England’s main wildlife and geological sites, ensuring that over 4,000 Sites of Special Scientific Interest and National Nature Reserves are looked after and improved.
We work to ensure that England’s landscapes are effectively protected, designating England’s National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Marine Conservation Zones, and advising widely on their conservation.
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