Gloucestershire Geology Trust

space

space


Incredible Rocks
Huntley Quarry Geology Reserve provides a unique view into the structure of the local landscape, and the change from deeply incised valleys and steep hills, to a flat arable plain.

The main quarry exposes a sequence of sandstones and siltstones containing volcanic glass fragments and volcanic ash, derived from an ancient volcano. The rocks here have been folded and faulted, contorting the layers from horizontal to vertical, and a major fault line which separates the hills and valleys of the Forest of Dean and Welsh Borderland, from the flat arable plain of the Severn Vale.

A second quarry exposes sandstones derived from a desert environment that formed when Britain was part of a huge supercontinent.

The third quarry exposes the rocks from which the distinct topographic feature of May Hill is formed. These rocks are coarse, gritty sandstones formed by erosion of high ground as continental plates collided and forced masses of rock upwards to form a enormous mountain chain. The roots of these mountains are now preserved as the Malvern Hills.



Huntley Quarry Reserve Guide

Free to members. (New members will receive a copy of the reserve guide in their welcome pack).

The Huntley Quarry Geological Reserve and its surrounding woodland is owned and managed by Gloucestershire Geology Trust. The reserve guide explains the unique geology demonstrated in a series of exposures, and how the Blaisdon Fault, which runs through the centre of the reserve, has affected the structure of the rocks. It describes the environments in which these rocks formed, the major earth movements they have been subjected to, the research carried out to determine the age of the rocks, and the ecology and biodiversity of the area.

£2.00



<< Back



Click thumbnail to enlarge
Gloucestershire Geoconservation Trust.  Registered Charity Number: 1115272. © 2016 All Rights Reserved.