Field Trip Guide With thanks to our sponsors: Contents General Information 03 Our Geo Time Spiral 04 Introduction to the Geology of the English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark 05 Geology Map of the English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark 07 Field Trip Site Map 08 Field Trip Site Information 09 • Babbacombe Cliff Railway 09 • Oddicombe Beach 09 • Kents Cavern 10 • Hope’s Nose 10 • Triangle Point and Meadfoot Beach 11 • Torquay Museum 11 • Chapel Woods 12 • Torre Abbey 12 • Cockington Court and Country Park 13 • Paignton Geoplay Park 13 • Goodrington and Saltern Cove 14 • Berry Head National Nature Reserve 14 • Geopark Boat Cruises 15 Page 2 7th International Conference on UNESCO Global Geoparks | Field Trip Guide General Information Meeting point and Weather in September TOUR NUMBERS tour departure times The weather in the English Riviera in late Geopark Rocks: – T1, T2, T3, T4 All tours will depart from the Riviera September can be changeable and range from International Conference Centre. brilliant sunshine to rain, wind or low mist. Geopark Stories: – T5, T6, T7 However please note that departure Depending on where you have travelled from Overground, Underground and Cruise times for the tours differ. we are sure that some delegates will find it warm whilst others will find our temperature (Torquay Cruise): – T8, T9, T10, T11 Please check your tour departure time really quite cold. in the table below and ensure that you Overground, Underground and Cruise arrive at the conference centre at least Averages for Torbay in September: (Brixham Cruise): – T12, T13, T14, T15 20 minutes before your departure time. Temperature – 15oC, 58 oF Low Temperature – 11oC, 52 oF Culture, Creativity and Community: High Temperature – 18oC, 65 oF – T16, T17, T18 Sunshine – 7 Hours Rainfall – 18 mm Rainfall – 11 days o o TOUR DEPARTURE TIMES Sea temperature – 16 C, 61 F Geopark Geopark Overground, Culture, Clothing and footwear Rocks: Stories: Underground Creativity and For your comfort please ensure that you and Cruise: Community: wear comfortable layered clothing and T1 08:15 T5 08:30 T8 08:45 T16 09:15 bring waterproofs. Footwear should be suitable for walking T2 08:15 T6 09:00 T9 09:15 T17 09:15 and scrambling and therefore must have a decent tread. Anyone wearing smooth soled T3 08:30 T7 08:15 T10 08:45 T18 08:45 shoes or those that are deemed unsuitable T4 08:45 T11 09:00 by the leaders of the trips will be prevented from participating in certain parts of the T12 08:15 field trips. Please arrive at the conference centre at least T13 08:15 Lunch and refreshments 20 minutes before your T14 09:15 A packed lunch will be waiting on the coach departure time. for you and all tours have both a morning T15 08:45 and afternoon refreshments provided. 7th International Conference on UNESCO Global Geoparks | Field Trip Guide Page 3 © D Larkin D © Our Geo Time Spiral © M Border Devonian This is the time when our grey limestone rocks were formed in tropical seas south Devonian coral fossils of the Equator. When creatures that lived there died they sank to the sea floor and layer upon layer they were changed into rock. Carboniferous Folds in the limestone rock In the time when giant dragonflies took to the air our limestone rocks were folded, crumpled and crushed as they were caught in the middle of a collision of continents. © English Riviera Tourism Company Tourism Riviera English © © Oxford University Permian deposits at Preston Beach Quaternary Permian A time when mammoth, All of our red rocks were formed wooly rhinoceroses and during this time in a desert, roughly early man roamed here. were the Saraha desert is today. Human jawbone discovered in Kents Cavern is the oldest evidence of modern humans in north west Europe Page 4 7th International Conference on UNESCO Global Geoparks | Field Trip Guide Introduction to the Geology of the English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark The spectacular geological It begins, in an environment south of the Shunted northwards by plate tectonics, the By the Permian period, the deformed equator, somewhat similar to the Caribbean, limestone, which was later to play such an limestone rocks were landlocked and tale that lies behind this when our oldest rocks were formed on important role in helping to settle the great exposed to erosion in an extreme desert dramatic and beautiful the southern edge of Laurussia in the Rheic “Devonian Controversy”, provides fantastic environment. It is here in the heartland landscape reveals incredible ocean. Rich in fossils, the Marine Devonian physical evidence of the huge geological of Pangaea, that extensional cracks and Limestone reveals a stromatoporoid reef forces at work when it was caught in the fissures rapidly filled with aeolian desert stories about our Earth’s environment and a wealth of life now long midst of the collision between Laurussia sands whilst occasional but violent storms distant past. extinct such as trilobites, goniatites and and Gondwana at the birth of the super caused flash floods and fluvial deposition. crinoids that were occasionally blanketed in continent Pangaea. Despite living in what Groundwater oxidised the iron within the ash by volcanic activity. Recognition of the could be considered a geologically stable sediments explaining the deep red colour fossil fauna found at sites such as Lummaton part of the world, the incredible Variscan of the rocks and of the area’s classically Quarry, by the eminent Victorian geologists, deformation of the limestone, easily visible recognisable rich red soil. Later, movement Sir Henry de la Beche, Adam Sedgwick and in the majority of exposures along the of different suites of fluids - rich in minerals Sir Roderick Murchison, made an important coast, bears witness to, and helps the public - led to the formation of deposits of contribution to the understanding of what understand, the sheer scale and power iron ore in the Brixham area and to the was happening to the Earth around 416-359 of the Earth. formation of internationally rare minerals, million years ago and led to the naming of some new to science, at Hope’s Nose. the Devonian period of geological time. © Chris Proctor © D Larkin © M Border M © Deformed rocks at Berry Head Permian deposits at Marine Devonian Fossils Roundham Head at Hopes Nose 7th International Conference on UNESCO Global Geoparks | Field Trip Guide Page 5 © ERTC Introduction to the Geology of the English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark ... Yet this is by no means During the ice ages, lower sea levels Such a rich geological heritage, sheltered allowed both animals and early man to aspect and subsequent micro-climate have the end of our story. More walk freely across what is now the English influenced the area’s remarkably diverse recently, during the last 2.6 Channel and it is at this point that the marine and terrestrial biodiversity. Specialist million years, having moved importance of Kents Cavern, a nationally plants thrive on the thin, dry limestone Heritage Fishing Fleet Murdoch S © protected Scheduled Ancient Monument soils, rare birds find homes on the cliff close to its present latitude, site, shines. It is here that an incredible ledges and farmland fringes, endangered the area has been subjected record of human activity covering all three bats roost in the caves, whilst underwater to repeated glacial and stages of the Palaeolithic can be found seahorses shelter amongst the sea grass stretching back 500,000 years. Artefacts beds. Additionally, without doubt, it has also interglacial periods. Evidence and evidence meticulously excavated were shaped the areas incredible human history. of the sequences of past nestled amongst long extinct animals which The protective arms of Berry Head, today fundamentally challenged the religious a National Nature Reserve and Hope’s climate change are rich in Rare small blue butterflies teaching and the antiquity of man. Nose, combined with the rich red soils, on kidney vetch the form of raised beaches created ideal conditions for both fishing and along the coastline but are farming communities to develop. In Brixham, © English RivieraTourism Company particularly impressive within fishermen used the locally sourced iron © Mike Langman ochre to help waterproof their sails and over the depths of the extensive time what began as simply a natural harbour, cave systems that were developed into the 2nd largest fishing port carved out by rainwater in the country. The wider bay was used as an anchorage for Nelson’s fleet during the and streams. Napoleonic Wars. Torre Abbey, which has witnessed, survived and been a part of some epic moments of history, was built using Cirl bunting, a rare considerable amounts of stone from the farmland bird very headland it overlooks and was so positioned in the late twelfth century to – Oldest human take advantage of the fertile land and rich The resonance of the Geopark’s Kents Cavern pickings from the sea. Beautiful scenery, truly ancient roots endure in dwelling in Britain clean air and clean waters led to the development of the tourism industry the modern make-up of the and ultimately what was once attractive intricate coast, its architecture to the cavemen is still attractive to local and buildings, its cultural and residents and tourists today. artistic heritage and its sense of region and place. Page 6 7th International Conference on UNESCO Global Geoparks | Field Trip Guide Geology Map of the English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark © English Riviera Tourism Company Tourism Riviera English © PERMIAN © Dan Bolt Permian Breccia at UPPER