Robeston Wathen Quarries
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| Site of Special Scientific Interest | |
  Location within Wales | |
| Location | Pembrokeshire |
|---|---|
| Grid reference | SN084160 |
| Coordinates | 51°48′36″N 4°46′48″W / 51.810°N 4.780°W |
| Interest | Geological |
| Area | 1.64 ha |
| Notification | 1967 |
Robeston Wathen Quarries is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (or SSSI) in Pembrokeshire, South Wales, immediately to the north of the village of Robeston Wathen. It has been designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest since January 1967 in an attempt to protect its fragile geological elements.[1] The site has an area of 1.64 hectares and is managed by Natural Resources Wales.
This site is designated due to its geological quality: Robeston Wathen Quarries SSSI has one special feature: Caradoc - Ashgill (late Ordovician) sedimentary rocks in disused quarries and a stream bed. In Wales, geological sites range from quarries to rocky outcrops and massive sea-cliffs.[citation needed] 30% of SSSIs in Wales are notified for geological and geomorphological features.[citation needed]
The sedimentary rocks of impure limestones, calcareous mudstones and black mudstones have yielded a variety of fossils which include evidence that the rocks are from the Caradoc – Ashgill stages - around 440 million years ago. The fossils also provide a means of correlation with other similar sites, and are catalogued by National Museum Wales.[2]
