Blackdown Hills National Landscape, England, UKi

Regional Level Types
Blackdown Hills National Landscape	National Landscape
England	Constituent Country
UK	Country

The Blackdown Hills National Landscape is a gently elevated, rural landscape straddling the border between Devon and Somerset in south-west England. Designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1991 and renamed a National Landscape in 2023, it is recognised for its sense of tranquillity, unspoilt character, and strong historic continuity. The area is characterised by rolling plateaux, steep-sided valleys, hedgebanked lanes, scattered farmsteads, and small villages, with land use patterns that have remained largely unchanged since medieval times.

Geologically, the Blackdown Hills are underlain mainly by Triassic sandstones and mudstones, capped in places by Cretaceous Upper Greensand and chert, which form the higher ground and give rise to the area’s distinctive spring lines and deeply incised valleys. These permeable rocks support numerous streams and contribute to the lush, well-watered nature of the landscape.

Fossils

There are 9 fossil localities from the PaleoBioDB database within this region.

These data are provided on an experimental basis and are taken from external databases. Mindat.org has no control currently over the accuracy of these data.

Occurrences	85
Youngest Fossil Listed	47.8 Ma (Eocene)
Oldest Fossil Listed	209 Ma (Late/Upper Triassic)
Stratigraphic Units	Click here to view 8 stratigraphic units.
Stratigraphic Units	Unit No. Occurrences Age Bagshot 1 56 - 33.9 Ma (Paleogene) Chalk - Lower Chalk 2 93.9 - 89.8 Ma (Late/Upper Cretaceous) Upper Greensand - Blackdown Greensand 1 105.3 - 99.6 Ma (Cretaceous) Blackdown Greensand 43 105.3 - 99.6 Ma (Cretaceous) Lower Greensand 5 112.03 - 100.5 Ma (Early/Lower Cretaceous) Blue Lias 1 196.5 - 163.5 Ma (Jurassic) Lias - Blue Lias 19 196.5 - 174.1 Ma (Jurassic) Penarth - Lilstock - Langport 5 208.5 - 201.3 Ma (Mesozoic)
Fossils from Region	Click here to show the list.
Accepted Name Hierarchy Age Drepanocheilus genus Animalia : Mollusca : Gastropoda : Littorinimorpha : Aporrhaidae : Drepanocheilus 113 - 99.6 Ma Cretaceous Pictavia genus Animalia : Mollusca : Gastropoda : Architaenioglossa : Ampullariidae : Pictavia 105.3 - 99.6 Ma Cretaceous Murex genus Animalia : Mollusca : Gastropoda : Neogastropoda : Muricidae : Murex 105.3 - 99.6 Ma Cretaceous Psiloceras genus Animalia : Mollusca : Cephalopoda : Ammonoidea : Psiloceratidae : Psiloceras 201.3 - 196.5 Ma Early Jurassic Psilophyllites genus Animalia : Mollusca : Cephalopoda : Ammonoidea : Psiloceratidae : Psilophyllites 201.3 - 196.5 Ma Early Jurassic Schlotheimia genus Animalia : Mollusca : Cephalopoda : Ammonoidea : Schlotheimiidae : Schlotheimia 201.3 - 196.5 Ma Early Jurassic Nucula (Leionucula) subgenus Animalia : Mollusca : Bivalvia : Nuculida : Nuculidae : Nucula : Nucula (Leionucula) 113 - 99.6 Ma Cretaceous Nucula genus Animalia : Mollusca : Bivalvia : Nuculanida : Nuculanidae : Nucula 113 - 100.5 Ma Early/Lower Cretaceous Glycymeris (Glycymerita) subgenus Animalia : Mollusca : Bivalvia : Arcida : Glycymerididae : Glycymeris : Glycymeris (Glycymerita) 113 - 100.5 Ma Early/Lower Cretaceous Nanonavis genus Animalia : Mollusca : Bivalvia : Arcida : Parallelodontidae : Nanonavis 105.3 - 99.6 Ma Cretaceous Pinna genus Animalia : Mollusca : Bivalvia : Ostreida : Pinnidae : Pinna 105.3 - 99.6 Ma Cretaceous Amphidonte genus Animalia : Mollusca : Bivalvia : Ostreida : Gryphaeidae : Amphidonte 113 - 99.6 Ma Cretaceous Lima genus Animalia : Mollusca : Bivalvia : Limida : Limidae : Lima 208.5 - 201.3 Ma Mesozoic Liostrea genus Animalia : Mollusca : Bivalvia : Ostreida : Gryphaeidae : Liostrea 201.3 - 196.5 Ma Early Jurassic Meleagrinella genus Animalia : Mollusca : Bivalvia : Pectinida : Oxytomidae : Meleagrinella 201.3 - 196.5 Ma Early Jurassic Placunopsis genus Animalia : Mollusca : Bivalvia : Pectinida : Anomiidae : Placunopsis 201.3 - 196.5 Ma Early Jurassic Pterotrigonia genus Animalia : Mollusca : Bivalvia : Trigoniida : Pterotrigoniidae : Pterotrigonia 105.3 - 99.6 Ma Cretaceous Rutitrigonia genus Animalia : Mollusca : Bivalvia : Trigoniida : Rutitrigoniidae : Rutitrigonia 113 - 100.5 Ma Early/Lower Cretaceous Yaadia genus Animalia : Mollusca : Bivalvia : Trigoniida : Steinmanellidae : Yaadia 113 - 100.5 Ma Early/Lower Cretaceous Geltena genus Animalia : Mollusca : Bivalvia : Venerida : Mactridae : Geltena 113 - 99.6 Ma Cretaceous Mutiella genus Animalia : Mollusca : Bivalvia : Lucinida : Lucinidae : Mutiella 105.3 - 99.6 Ma Cretaceous Nicaniella genus Animalia : Mollusca : Bivalvia : Carditida : Astartidae : Nicaniella 113 - 99.6 Ma Cretaceous Thetis genus Animalia : Mollusca : Bivalvia : Lucinida : Mactromyidae : Thetis 105.3 - 99.6 Ma Cretaceous Corbula genus Animalia : Mollusca : Bivalvia : Myida : Corbulidae : Corbula 113 - 99.6 Ma Cretaceous Pholadomya genus Animalia : Mollusca : Bivalvia : Pholadomyidae : Pholadomya 201.3 - 196.5 Ma Early Jurassic Pleuromya genus Animalia : Mollusca : Bivalvia : Myida : Pleuromyidae : Pleuromya 201.3 - 99.6 Ma Mesozoic Psilomya genus Animalia : Mollusca : Bivalvia : Poromyidae : Psilomya 105.3 - 99.6 Ma Cretaceous Spiriferina genus Animalia : Brachiopoda : Rhynchonellata : Spiriferinida : Spiriferinidae : Spiriferina 201.3 - 196.5 Ma Early Jurassic Diademopsis genus Animalia : Echinodermata : Echinoidea : Pedinoida : Pedinidae : Diademopsis 201.3 - 196.5 Ma Early Jurassic Ichthyosauria unranked clade Animalia : Chordata : Reptilia : Ichthyosauria 201.3 - 196.5 Ma Early Jurassic Callistina genus Animalia : Mollusca : Bivalvia : Venerida : Veneridae : Callistina 113 - 99.6 Ma Cretaceous Cucullaea (Idonearca) subgenus Animalia : Mollusca : Bivalvia : Arcida : Cucullaeidae : Cucullaea : Cucullaea (Idonearca) 105.3 - 99.6 Ma Cretaceous Protocardia genus Animalia : Mollusca : Bivalvia : Cardiida : Cardiidae : Protocardia 208.5 - 201.3 Ma Mesozoic Actinoceramus genus Animalia : Mollusca : Bivalvia : Myalinida : Inoceramidae : Actinoceramus 113 - 99.6 Ma Cretaceous Glycymeris (Glycymeris) subgenus Animalia : Mollusca : Bivalvia : Arcida : Glycymerididae : Glycymeris : Glycymeris (Glycymeris) 113 - 100.5 Ma Early/Lower Cretaceous Phocidaster grandis species Animalia : Echinodermata : Asteroidea : Valvatida : Pycinasteridae : Phocidaster : Phocidaster grandis 113 - 100.5 Ma Early/Lower Cretaceous Hysteroceras varicosum species Animalia : Mollusca : Cephalopoda : Ammonitida : Brancoceratidae : Hysteroceras : Hysteroceras varicosum 105.3 - 99.6 Ma Cretaceous Turritella (Torquesia) granulata species Animalia : Mollusca : Gastropoda : Sorbeoconcha : Turritellidae : Torquesia : Turritella (Torquesia) granulata 113 - 99.6 Ma Cretaceous Turritella (Torquesia) faizai species Animalia : Mollusca : Gastropoda : Sorbeoconcha : Turritellidae : Torquesia : Turritella (Torquesia) faizai 113 - 100.5 Ma Early/Lower Cretaceous Turritella ageri species Animalia : Mollusca : Gastropoda : Turritellidae : Turritella : Turritella ageri 113 - 100.5 Ma Early/Lower Cretaceous Turritella sherborni species Animalia : Mollusca : Gastropoda : Turritellidae : Turritella : Turritella sherborni 113 - 100.5 Ma Early/Lower Cretaceous Mathilda ahmadi species Animalia : Mollusca : Gastropoda : Mathildidae : Mathilda : Mathilda ahmadi 113 - 100.5 Ma Early/Lower Cretaceous Praechlamys valoniensis species Animalia : Mollusca : Bivalvia : Pectinida : Pectinidae : Praechlamys : Praechlamys valoniensis 208.5 - 201.3 Ma Mesozoic Ovatathyris ovata species Animalia : Brachiopoda : Rhynchonellata : Terebratulida : Sellithyrididae : Ovatathyris : Ovatathyris ovata 99.6 - 93.5 Ma Late/Upper Cretaceous Burrirhynchia devoniana species Animalia : Brachiopoda : Rhynchonellata : Rhynchonellida : Tetrarhynchiidae : Burrirhynchia : Burrirhynchia devoniana 99.6 - 93.5 Ma Late/Upper Cretaceous Grasirhynchia grasiana species Animalia : Brachiopoda : Rhynchonellata : Rhynchonellida : Rhynchonellidae : Grasirhynchia : Grasirhynchia grasiana 99.6 - 93.5 Ma Late/Upper Cretaceous Orbirhynchia wiesti species Animalia : Brachiopoda : Rhynchonellata : Rhynchonellida : Basiliolidae : Orbirhynchia : Orbirhynchia wiesti 100.5 - 93.9 Ma Late/Upper Cretaceous Orbirhynchia wilmingtonensis species Animalia : Brachiopoda : Rhynchonellata : Rhynchonellida : Basiliolidae : Orbirhynchia : Orbirhynchia wilmingtonensis 99.6 - 93.5 Ma Late/Upper Cretaceous Rectithyris wrightorum species Animalia : Brachiopoda : Rhynchonellata : Terebratulida : Sellithyrididae : Rectithyris : Rectithyris wrightorum 99.6 - 93.5 Ma Late/Upper Cretaceous Arcuatothyris arcuata species Animalia : Brachiopoda : Rhynchonellata : Terebratulida : Cnismatocentridae : Arcuatothyris : Arcuatothyris arcuata 99.6 - 93.5 Ma Late/Upper Cretaceous Terebratulina protostriatula species Animalia : Brachiopoda : Rhynchonellata : Terebratulida : Cancellothyrididae : Terebratulina : Terebratulina protostriatula 99.6 - 93.5 Ma Late/Upper Cretaceous Dereta incerta species Animalia : Brachiopoda : Rhynchonellata : Terebratulida : Terebrataliidae : Dereta : Dereta incerta 99.6 - 93.5 Ma Late/Upper Cretaceous Modiolus (Cyranus) hillanus species Animalia : Mollusca : Bivalvia : Mytilida : Mytilidae : Modiolus : Modiolus (Cyranus) hillanus 208.5 - 196.5 Ma Mesozoic Isocyprina ewaldi species Animalia : Mollusca : Bivalvia : Veneroidei : Arcticidae : Isocyprina : Isocyprina ewaldi 208.5 - 201.3 Ma Mesozoic Pteromya tatei species Animalia : Mollusca : Bivalvia : Pholadida : Ceratomyidae : Pteromya : Pteromya tatei 201.3 - 196.5 Ma Early Jurassic Calcirhynchia calcaria species Animalia : Brachiopoda : Rhynchonellata : Rhynchonellida : Wellerellidae : Calcirhynchia : Calcirhynchia calcaria 201.3 - 196.5 Ma Early Jurassic Protocardia hillana species Animalia : Mollusca : Bivalvia : Cardiida : Cardiidae : Protocardia : Protocardia hillana 105.3 - 99.6 Ma Cretaceous Jablonskipora kidwellae species Animalia : Bryozoa : Gymnolaemata : Cheilostomatida : Chiplonkarinidae : Jablonskipora : Jablonskipora kidwellae 105.3 - 99.6 Ma Cretaceous Diademopsis serialis species Animalia : Echinodermata : Echinoidea : Pedinoida : Pedinidae : Diademopsis : Diademopsis serialis 201.3 - 196.5 Ma Early Jurassic
Fossil Localities	Click to show 9 fossil localities

Other Databases

Wikipedia:	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackdown_Hills
Wikidata ID:	Q4922787
GeoNames ID:	2655503

Localities in this Region

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