geology

The Mendip Cave Registry shows there are over 2000 registered caves on the Mendip Hills. Caves are linked to many of the 12 ‘special qualities’ of the Mendip Hills AONB; visible geology, evidence of human settlements, archaeology, the limestone aquifer, adventure, so they’re a great way of experiencing Mendip. They also provide a breeding site for the Lesser and Greater Horseshoe bats.

For today's challenge take a garden night walk and explore the wildlife that comes alive at night; from moths, minibeasts, insects to bats and other mammals. Take a torch and see what you discover!

The Mendip Hills is one of the best areas in the country to appreciate the relationships between geology, landscape and natural history. 300 million years of geological history are exposed in natural outcrops and quarries. Quarrying has for more than a century been the single most important industry in the Mendip Hills, affecting the lives of those who live and work in the area. Take a trip back in time to see the quarries and the people that worked in them (Quarry Faces link below). Rocks don't have to be boring.

Todays challenge is to collect some rocks, decorate them and make a story about them.

An exploration of geological time through the rocks and landscapes of the eastern Mendip Hills. A summary of a presentation by Dr Martin Whiteley at the finale of the Mendip Rocks! Festival 2017.

Discover how Burrington Combe was created during periglacial periods over the past 1.2 million years. Today Burrington Combe provides a well-exposed section through the complete Carboniferous Limestone sequence (359 to 259 million years ago).

Discover how over thousands of years streams flowing over the impermeable sandstone rocks of Black Down onto the permeable limestone rocks of Burrington Combe have worn away cracks in the rocks to produce a series of sink holes known as swallets as well as creating caves. Many of these caves were homes to nomadic humans as well as animals over 10,000 years ago. Caves that are sited on the Ham include Foxes Hole, Lionel’s Hole, Milliar’s Cave, and Plumley’s Hole.

Discover the semi-natural habitats of the Mendip Hills that have developed as a consequence of a complex interaction of underlying geology, soils, aspect, climate, and a range of other factors.

Quarry Faces community heritage project has told the story of quarrying in the Mendips, and created an archive of oral history recordings and over 1,000 historic images.

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.

An overview of the geology and rock types of the Mendip Hills

Information on geology related events and projects in the Mendip Hills.