Elmstead Pit is a geological

Site of Special Scientific Interest A Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Great Britain, or an Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI) in the Isle of Man and Northern Ireland, is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom and Isle ...

in Elmstead in the

London Borough of Bromley The London Borough of Bromley () is a London Borough, borough in London, England. It is the largest and southeasternmost borough in London, and borders the county of Kent, of which it formed part until 1965. The borough's population in the 2021 ...

. Formerly known as Rock Pits, it is a small area of 0.05 hectare. It is a

Geological Conservation Review The Geological Conservation Review (GCR) is produced by the UK's Joint Nature Conservation Committee. It is designed to identify those sites of national and international importance needed to show all the key scientific elements of the geological ...

site. The pit exposes an important layer of the Oldhaven or Blackheath Beds laid down about 50 million years ago during the

Eocene The Eocene ( ) is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (Ma). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes ...

epoch. It has a rich and diverse selection of fossil fauna from a sub-tidal estuarine environment. Fossils include

mollusc Mollusca is a phylum of protostome, protostomic invertebrate animals, whose members are known as molluscs or mollusks (). Around 76,000 extant taxon, extant species of molluscs are recognized, making it the second-largest animal phylum ...

s, sharks' teeth and fish scales. The geological features help to explain the changes in the disposition of land and sea in the London area during the Eocene. The site is located opposite

Elmstead Woods railway station Elmstead Woods railway station is on the South Eastern Main Line, serving the district of Elmstead in the London Borough of Bromley. It is down the line from and is situated between and stations. It is in Travelcard Zone 4, and the stati ...

, and there is no public access.Elmstead, Hidden London
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References

{{coord, 51.4171, 0.0453, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title Sites of Special Scientific Interest in London Geology of London Geological Conservation Review sites

See also

References