Outstanding Geology

Geology influences everything we do and it provides the raw materials for our civilisation, be they fuels, water supply, metal ores and industrial minerals or building materials. Knowledge of geology is also vital for the design and construction of roads, railways, canals nd airports, as well as to the safe management of waste the world over. But our ‘Geodiversity – the variety of geological forms and processes - also gives rise to spectacular landscapes across all of our AONBs, formed over 700 million years of Earth history.

The timescales involved in understanding Earth heritage are vast. The Earth is thought to be about 4600 million years old. If we think of the age of the Earth as a single day, the oldest rocks in the UK formed around 9pm, but most were formed from 10.30pm onwards. On this scale, people have been around for seconds, but in these few ‘seconds’ we have shaped our geological heritage and worked with and against nature to create today’s landscapes.

Some of the Earth heritage in our AONBs is globally important. In the East Devon and Dorset AONBs, the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site is internationally renowned as one of the birth places of geological science, where the first fossil marine and flying reptiles were discovered nearly 200 years ago. These 95 miles of unspoilt cliffs and beaches trace 185 million years of Earth history - a ‘walk through time’ across the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous Periods. It is a place to be enjoyed, explored and looked after into the future, but most of all it is a place where geology and Earth science can be fun!

The North Pennines AONB was Britain’s first European Geopark and is founder member of the UNESCO Global Geoparks Network. This is in recogniation of the AONB’s outstanding geological heritage, but also recognises local efforts to use Earth heritage to sustainable development, particularly through geotourism and lifelong learning. The Abberley and Malvern Hills Geopark also includes part of the Malvern Hills AONB, another place where geology is being brought to life and made enjoyable for all. Other AONB Partnerships are also working towards UNESCO Geopark status.

AONBs are some of the best places to see geological conservation and geotourism in action. In the North Pennines, children’s geology clubs, geology festivals, geological trails and educational materials are helping to bring geology to life with the emphasis on fun and discovery. In the Tamar Valley a £5 million project is restoring the area’s rich mining heritage and encouraging local community involvement in helping people to discover and enjoy this amazing part of the area’s past. In the Mendips AONB, classic limestone scenery has been conserved by managing scrub and grassland, with the work benefiting people, wildlife and Earth heritage. On the Northumberland Coast, a new publication encourages exploration of the geological heritage of this amazing coastline. Across the AONBs, our spectacular Earth heritage is being actively conserved and used to help people enjoy the countryside and support the local economy.

Geology is about the amazing and dynamic actions of the Earth and the ways in which we have worked our corner of the planet for the resources we need for survival. There are so many stories to tell, of moving continents, vast glaciers, tropical seas, volcanic eruptions, of dinosaurs and the brave people who won the fruits of the Earth. All these stories are being told in our AONBs. Geology Rocks and in our AONBs it’s at its most Rocking!