Events & Courses

The Avon Gorge is an exceptionally good place in Britain to see and learn about geology.  For a long time, it was unclear what caused the River Avon to cut through the limestone ridge rather than run south west through Ashton Vale towards Weston-Super-Mare.  We now know that the Avon was formed during the last ice age when the original river channel to the south was blocked, forcing it to cut its way down through an anticline of carboniferous limestone and old red sandstone.

This year’s WRGS field trip will be led by Richard Arthur.  The fieldtrip will consist of a circular walk, probably taking 2.5hrs. We will be starting at the viewpoint, walking down to the Portway, along the Portway, up Bridge Valley Road and back to the original starting point. We will see lots of exposures including dolomitic conglomerates and fossilised crinoids along Bridge Valley Road (which will be shut to road traffic) and faulting amongst others.

More details are available in the flyer.

Venue

Clifton/Avon Gorge

Registration

The cost of the trip is FREE but registration is required. Please e-mail Louisa McAra to reserve your place

Further details

We recommend walking/safety boots as a minimum.

After the field trip we will be travelling back into Clifton and will order food and/or pint at one of the local pubs.