Geology

The remains of mine workings can be seen across much of central and western Mendip, especially around Shipham, Charterhouse, Priddy and Stockhill Forest. Iron, lead, zinc and ochre have all been mined at various times and places across Mendip. The old mine workings are often characterised by areas of 'gruffy' ground, a local name for uneven hummocky landscape created during mining operations. On eastern Mendip, coal mining was more important.

Discover the long history of mining on the Mendip Hills stretching back over 2000 years to Iron Age times.

Discover how spoil heaps produced by the lead mining industry provide a particularly distinctive Mendip habitat.

Field study centre, providing a range of learning experiences for schools and students of all ages, through classroom activities and practical fieldwork in working and non-operational quarry sites.

Find out about the ways in which we use quarried stone and discover how stone in some form enters our lives probably a hundred times even before we leave the house each day.

Information on the many types of rocks that make up the Mendip Hills.

Find out how caves are formed by the particular geology of the Mendip Hills.

A timechart setting out the geological timescale by period, era and eon.

Information on the processes of continental drift and mountain building that shaped the Mendips.