Tarmac has helped preserved fossilised plants that date back millions of years by moving them from a public footpath to avoid them being destroyed under foot.
The ancient plants, predominantly ferns, were relocated from a path around Bayston Hill – a scenic beauty spot near Shrewsbury, in Shropshire, UK. The fossilised ferns were at risk of being trampled by the number of walkers enjoying the area.
Jack Brookes, assistant works manager at Tarmac’s Bayston Hill Quarry, said: “The sheer volume of footfall meant these ferns were in danger of being trampled. Quite a few walkers identified them as worthy of being saved so we moved them away from the path and created a small area where they are safe from pedestrian traffic.”
Now, leading experts are keen to ensure the fossilised ferns, although not rare, are preserved. Dr Thomas Clements, a palaeontologist at the University of Birmingham, investigating how fossils form and how soft-tissues fossilise – known as the science of taphonomy – explains that ferns can be fascinating plants.
“Ferns are a really lovely group of vascular plants that don’t have seeds or flowers and use spores to reproduce,” he said. “They are a very ancient group of plants, having been around for more than 360 million years, making them much much older than the dinosaurs!”
Ian Knott, works manager at Bayston Hill Quarry, said: “We were worried that the ferns were going to be destroyed by the many walkers around the area so we diverted the footpath and erected some screening around them, creating a specific area where they are still visible to interested walkers but can’t be damaged.
“We weren’t sure of their significance but know that they are quite an attraction and popular locally. They’ve obviously been around for a very long time and now they can be preserved for a bit longer.”
