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County: Cumbria
Site Name: Bowness Knott
District: Copeland
Status: Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) notified under Section 28 of the Wildlife and
Countryside Act, 1981.
Local Planning Authority: Lake District Special Planning Board
National Grid Reference: NY 111155
Area: 40.63 (ha) 100.40 (ac)
Ordnance Survey Sheet 1:50 000: 89
1:10 000: NY 11 NW, SW
Date Notified (Under 1981 Act): 1985
Date of Last Revision: Ð
Other
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Information:
This is a new site.
This site is adjacent to Ennerdale SSSI.
This site lies within the Lake District National Park.
Reasons for Notification:
Bowness Knott lies on the north-east side of Ennerdale Water and some 14 km east of
Whitehaven. The geological interest of the site in technical terms may be defined as follows:
At Bowness Knott exposures of the Ennerdale Granophyre and adjacent contact
metamorphosed Skiddaw Slates may be readily examined. Hybrid rocks present here are the
result of mixing of the granophyre with magma of a more basic composition. The Ennerdale
Granophyre is one of the largest intrusive bodies in the Lake District of Lower Ordovician age.
In laymanÕs terms, the interest of this site may be expressed more simply, and such a statement
is provided below:
The crags and rock outcrops around Bowness Knott provide excellent exposures of an igneous
rock-type known as the Ennerdale Granophyre which was injected into the crust in a molten
state (as magma) during the early Ordovician Period of geological history about 475 million
years ago. These outcrops are of particular interest as they illustrate the contact of the
granophyre with the surrounding Òcountry rocksÓ. The injection of the granophyre at high
temperature baked the country rocks and the effects of this process can also be studied at
Bowness Knott. This is an important site for study of the Ennerdale Granophyre,
demonstrating many features of geological interest.