Bramcote Ridge
Physical Information
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A Small Bunter Sandstone Outcrop |
The substrate underlying the Ridge is known as 'Bunter Sandstone Pebble Beds', which is a yellow or buff coloured sedimentary rock, characterised by multi-coloured pebbles embedded in the strata.
These pebbles consist of various types of rock, with quartzite and vein quartz predominating. The term 'Bunter' is of German origin and means 'bright-coloured'.
The Pebble Beds were laid down around 230 million years ago when much of the Midlands was a low-lying desert plain. In the Nottingham area, this rock extends to a depth of about 200ft (60m).
In the main the rock is relatively soft and consequently easily cut, however, where the sandstone is cemented by barite it is hard and far more difficult to work. Many of the outcrops throughout the Nottingham area are comprised of this harder stone. There are three sizeable outcrops on the site.
Erosion over the years has created the present low ridge, lying between the 50m and 75m contours (160ft and 245ft), with a predominately north/north-easterly aspect.
The soil is described as 'well drained and coarse loamy soils over soft sandstone' by The Soil Survey of England and Wales (1983) - Classified as 551b Bridgenorth - with a slightly acid average pH of 5.0 and, due to the minimal disturbance, a deep humus layer.
Due to the topography of the site, virtually all water input is via rainfall, which quickly soaks away into the porous bedrock. The 'quick drainage' means that the site is characteristically low in nutrients, as they are leeched straight down into the ground. This is especially true at the top of the site, but water run-off means that the lower areas are slightly higher in nutrients.
For more information about the habits and vegetation found on the ridge, see the Flora page
Next page - History of the Ridge
