Spot Lane Quarry

{{Short description|Site of Special Scientific Interest in Kent, England}}

{{Infobox SSSI

|image= Spot Lane Quarry 3.jpg

|image_caption =

|name= Spot Lane Quarry

|aos= Kent

|interest=Geological

|gridref={{gbmappingsmall|TQ 793 541}}

|area= {{convert|0.1|ha|acre|abbr=off}}

|notifydate= 1992

|map=[http://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?startTopic=Designations&activelayer=sssiIndex&query=HYPERLINK%3D%271003252%27 Magic Map]

}}

Spot Lane Quarry is a {{convert|0.1 |ha|acre|abbr=off |adj=on }} geological Site of Special Scientific Interest on the eastern outskirts of Maidstone in Kent.{{cite web|url= https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/SiteDetail.aspx?SiteCode=S1003252&SiteName=SPOT%20&countyCode=&responsiblePerson=&SeaArea=&IFCAArea= |title=Designated Sites View: Spot Lane Quarry | series= Sites of Special Scientific Interest|publisher=Natural England|accessdate = 17 March 2018}}{{cite web|url=http://magic.defra.gov.uk/MagicMap.aspx?startTopic=Designations&activelayer=sssiIndex&query=HYPERLINK%3D%271003252%27 |title=Map of Spot Lane Quarry|series= Sites of Special Scientific Interest|publisher=Natural England|accessdate= 17 March 2018}} It is a Geological Conservation Review site.{{cite web |url= http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=4174&gcr=1206 |title= Spot Lane Quarry (Quaternary of South-East England) |series= Geological Conservation Review |publisher= Joint Nature Conservation Committee |access-date= 12 January 2018 |url-status= live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180112160538/http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=4174&gcr=1206 |archive-date= 12 January 2018 }}{{cite web |url= http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=4174&gcr=1205 |title= Spot Lane Quarry (Mass movement) |series= Geological Conservation Review |publisher= Joint Nature Conservation Committee |access-date= 12 January 2018 |url-status= live |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180112160611/http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=4174&gcr=1205 |archive-date= 12 January 2018 }}

This site exposes loess, probably dating to the glacial Wolstonian Stage between 352,000 and 130,000 years ago. It contains the fossils of land snails, and as loess in Britain is usually unfossiliferous, it is one of the few sites where loess fauna can be studied.{{cite web|url= https://designatedsites.naturalengland.org.uk/PDFsForWeb/Citation/1003252.pdf |title=Spot Lane Quarry citation|series= Sites of Special Scientific Interest|publisher=Natural England|accessdate= 17 March 2018}}

The site is now a public footpath.