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Earth Science Conservation Review
| Newtownsaville - site of local interest | Tyrone |
| Site number: | 746 | ||
| Locality Type: | Inland exposure, Pit | Status: | local interest |
| Grid Reference: | H500586,H539611 End(s) of linear site | ||
| Google maps: | 54.47386,-7.22873 | ||
| County: | Tyrone | Council area: | Fermanagh & Omagh District Council |
| Period: | Quaternary | ||
| Site Description | |
|---|---|
| Highlights: | |
This area extends for 5km from Corkhill [H500 586] to a point north of Newtownsaville [H539 611] and is characterised by sinuous bifurcating ridges which are generally aligned northeast-southwest and terminate in hummocky moraines around Brackagh. | |
| Description: | |
This area extends for 5km from Corkhill [H500 586] to a point north of Newtownsaville [H539 611] and is characterised by sinuous bifurcating ridges which are generally aligned northeast-southwest and terminate in hummocky moraines around Brackagh. Ridges are long (600-800m), have flat to slightly undulatory long profiles and are undissected, except for dissection at Eskragh by the Eskragh Water. In several places these ridges have been removed by sand and gravel extraction, notably at Dunbiggan [H519 591] and Eskragh [H511 593] where a ridge has been dug out for about 800m. The Eskragh exposure [H509 598] provides a cross-section of the ridge axis. The exposure is 6m high and 15m wide and shows concentrically-bedded gravel beds (30cm-50cm thick) with discontinuous sandy interbeds. Gravel units are composed of clast- and matrix-supported granule to pebble-sized clasts. Beds are separated by transitional and erosional contacts. One side of the exposure shows discontinuous boulder layers while the core of the ridge shows tabular bedded units dipping 25° to 50°. The flanks of the ridge show more homogenous gravels in slumped beds that dip outwards at 45°. Interbeds are composed of sorted medium- to coarse-grained sand and decrease in frequency upwards. | |
| Importance: | |
The site is scientifically important as it contains good examples of sinuous, bifurcating ridges including eskers. | |
| Interpretation: | |
This exposure is interpreted as a subglacial esker deposited from southwest to northeast under full pipe-flow conditions. This is evidenced by the concentric primary bedding, clast dips, interbedded nature and collapsed flanks which are characteristic of the loss of ice support. The one-sided build-up of boulder layers is attributed to asymmetric water flow under full tunnel conditions. | |
| Notes: | |
See also ESCR Key Site 498 - Fintona Hills Complex - Newtownsaville Esker [Sand and Gravel Landscapes Block]. | |
| Keywords | |
|---|---|
| Rocks: | Gravel, Sand |
| Relations: | Glacial feature |
| Geomorph: | esker |
| Paleoenv: | glacial |
| Measurements | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length: | 5km | Width: | Height: | ||
| Depth: | Area: | ||||
| Access | |
|---|---|
| Approach: | This site is located between Corkhill [H500 586] and a point north of Newtownsaville [H539 611]. |
| Uses | |
| Educ. Level: | The site is of educational value to researchers and students of glaciology. |
| Record type: | SLNCI Report | ||
| Entered by: | E M Porter | ||
| Last updated: | 09/10/03 | ||
| Enlander, I., Dempster, M. & Doughty, P., 2026. Newtownsaville - site of local interest, County Tyrone, site details. [In] Earth Science Conservation Review. https://www.habitas.org.uk/escr/site.php?item=746. Accessed on 2026-11-08. |
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