Wenlock Limestone
Middle Silurian
Much Wenlock, Shropshire, UK
The Wenlock Edge is a geological feature, an escarpment, adjacent to the town of Much Wenlock, in Shropshire.
It is a classic locality for the Silurian fauna of the Wenlock and Ludlow limestones.
The escarpment is almost 20 miles long and has been quarried for centuries.
Many of the quarries are now disused but they are not necessarily open to the public.
Wren's Nest is a popular locality for small scale collecting but any exposure of the limestone is likely fossiliferous.
Typical Limestone Quarry
Wenlock Limestone
Quarries can be dangerous places for small children and stupid people.
As in most quarries, most everything can be found in the talus.
A Silurian Reef structure
The Wenlock Limestone is famous for the reef structures throughout.
Fossils in Situ
Numerous brachiopods are lying on the surface.
Cephalopod in situ
Gastropods and cephalopods are somewhat harder to find.
Trilobite tail
Over 80 species of trilobite are known from the Wenlock Limestone but they are not abundant.
Poleumita funata, a gastropod
Stromatopora typicus, a stromatoporoid (sponge)
Dawsonoceras annulatum, a cephalopod
A variety of brachiopods
An example of the common fossils
Other common fossils include tabulate and rugose corals, crinoid parts, bryozoans and pieces of trilobite
More Common Fossils of the Wenlock Limestone
Typical Shropshire Weather
When in Shropshire, we always meet up with our friend, Andrew
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