Boulby Quarries

{{Short description|Historical Site of Special Scientific Interest in England}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2016}} {{Use British English|date=February 2023}} {{Infobox protected area | name = Boulby Quarries | iucn_category =  | image = | image_caption =  | map = United Kingdom North Yorkshire | image_map = | map_width = 243 | map_caption = Location within North Yorkshire | relief = 1  | location = [[Redcar and Cleveland]], [[North Yorkshire]], England | nearest_city = | nearest_town = | coordinates = {{coord|54|34|12|N|0|50|48|W|display=inline,title}} | coords_ref =  | length = | length_mi = | length_km = | width = | width_mi = | width_km = | area_ha = 40.3 | area_ref = | elevation = | elevation_avg = | elevation_min = | elevation_max = | dimensions = | designation =  | authorized = | created = | designated = | established = 1989 | named_for = | visitation_num = | visitation_year = | visitation_ref = | governing_body = Natural England | administrator = | operator = | owner =  | website = [https://web.archive.org/web/20070930153612/http://www.natureonthemap.org.uk/map.aspx?map=sssi&feature=1000219%2Csssi%2CHYPERLINK%2CLABEL Map of site] | module = }}

'''Boulby Quarries''' ({{gbmapping|NZ745200}}) is a 40.3 [[hectare]] [[geological Site of Special Scientific Interest]] in [[Redcar and Cleveland]], [[North Yorkshire]], England [[SSSI notification|notified]] in 1989. It is located close to the coast and the village of [[Boulby]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Site map |work=Nature on the map |url=http://www.natureonthemap.org.uk/map.aspx?map=sssi&feature=1000219,sssi,HYPERLINK,LABEL |accessdate=8 December 2007 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930153612/http://www.natureonthemap.org.uk/map.aspx?map=sssi&feature=1000219%2Csssi%2CHYPERLINK%2CLABEL |archivedate=30 September 2007 }}</ref>

In England SSSIs are designated by [[Natural England]] and Boulby Quarries is one of 18 SSSIs in the [[List of Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Cleveland|Cleveland area of search]].<ref>{{cite web | title=SSSI information | work=Natural England | url=http://www.english-nature.org.uk/Special/sssi/ | accessdate=8 December 2007}}</ref> The site is identified as being of national importance in the [[Geological Conservation Review]].

The quarries are wholly within the [[North Yorkshire and Cleveland Heritage Coast]] and partly within the [[North York Moors National Park]] and the historic North Riding of Yorkshire.

The fossil content of Boulby Quarry is particularly important with two [[plesiosaur]] species (''[[Eretmosaurus macroptera]]'' and ''[[Thaumatosaurus zetlandicus]]''), an ichthyosaur ''[[Ichthyosaurus crassimonus]]'' and the only Upper Lias [[pterosaur]] known in Britain, [[Parapsicephalus]] being found at the site. The fossil are found in the ''bifrons'' zone, and although not abundant, it is very different from surrounding fossil sites.<ref>{{cite web | title=Boulby Quarries citation sheet | work=Natural England | url=http://www.english-nature.org.uk/citation/citation_photo/1000219.pdf | accessdate=8 December 2007}}</ref>

==References== <references/>

[[Category:Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Cleveland, England]] [[Category:Sites of Special Scientific Interest notified in 1989]] [[Category:Quarries in North Yorkshire]] [[Category:Loftus, North Yorkshire]]