SP2965 : Entrance to former quarry off Wharf Street, Warwick
taken 11 years ago, near to Warwick, Warwickshire, England
Coten End Quarry is a Geological Site of Special Scientific Interest. Natural England's site reference is 15WY5. The 1986 citation reads: "This site provides important exposures of fossiliferous sandstone layers of the Middle Triassic which accumulated about 230 million years ago, as sand dunes in a desert environment. Sandstones of this age in Britain are usually devoid of fossil remains but in this quarry geologists have found rare and important remains of reptiles and amphibians … The fauna from Coten End is unique and varied, representing the broadest range of Middle Triassic reptiles in Britain and the best terrestrial fauna of the mid-Middle Triassic in the world." Vegetation was cleared after ownership changed in January 2010, revealing the sandstone exposures once more. The former quarry is a location for secure self-access storage units, operated by U Store. The western side of the quarry is in SP2865.