Great Scar Limestone Group


The Great Scar Limestone Group is a lithostratigraphical term referring to a succession of generally fossiliferous rock strata which occur in the Pennines in northern England and in the Isle of Man within the Tournaisian and Visean stages of the Carboniferous Period.
It is contained within the Carboniferous Limestone Supergroup.

Basinal successions

Stainmore Trough

The sequence in the Stainmore Trough is thus :
  • Ashfell Sandstone
  • Breakyneck Scar Limestone
  • Red Hill Formation
  • Brownber Formation
  • Scandal Beck Limestone
  • Coldbeck Limestone
On the Alston Block corresponding to the North Pennines, the sequence contains the Melmerby Scar Limestone Formation.

Orton area

In the Orton area, the sequence is:
In south Cumbria, the sequence is:
On the Isle of Man, the following sequence is identified in the Castletown area:
  • Knockcrushen Formation
  • Derbyhaven Formation
  • * Skillicore Member
  • * Sandwick Member
  • * Turkeyland Member