Earth Science Conservation Review
| Carboniferous Subarea-10; North County Down | Down |
| Site Type: | Various |
| Site Status: | |
| Council area: | Ards Borough Council, North Down Borough Council |
| Grid Reference: | J4967,J408805 |
| Google maps: | 54.52988,-5.69835 |
| Rocks | |
|---|---|
| Rock Age: | Carboniferous (Brigantian, Tournasian, Visean) |
| Rock Name: | Castle Espie Limestone Formation, Holywood Group |
| Interest | |
| Other interest: | Marine sediments |
Description:
INTRODUCTION
Two isolated outcrops of Carboniferous beds occur in north County Down, at Cultra, on the SE side of Belfast Lough, and at Castle Espie near the north end of Strangford Lough. The Holywood Group at Cultra comprises two formations of Tournaisian age and the Castle Espie Group is Brigantian. Despite their age differences both groups rest unconformably on Lower Palaeozoic rocks of the Down-Longford massif and clearly represent the deposits of very different sedimentary environments that evolved during quite separate marine transgressions.
For site specific information see; Key Site 290 - Castle Espie Key Site 291 - Cultra-Craigavad.
Two isolated outcrops of Carboniferous beds occur in north County Down, at Cultra, on the SE side of Belfast Lough, and at Castle Espie near the north end of Strangford Lough. The Holywood Group at Cultra comprises two formations of Tournaisian age and the Castle Espie Group is Brigantian. Despite their age differences both groups rest unconformably on Lower Palaeozoic rocks of the Down-Longford massif and clearly represent the deposits of very different sedimentary environments that evolved during quite separate marine transgressions.
For site specific information see; Key Site 290 - Castle Espie Key Site 291 - Cultra-Craigavad.
| Enlander, I., Dempster, M. & Doughty, P., 2024. Carboniferous Subarea-10; North County Down, County Down, site summary. [In] Earth Science Conservation Review. https://www.habitas.org.uk/escr/summary.php?item=1183. Accessed on 2024-12-26 |
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