The Geology of Somerset

About this book

From the peat of the Somerset Levels to the ancient volcanic rocks at the core of the Mendip Hills, Somerset owes its great diversity of landscape to the extraordinary range of rocks which underpins it.

In this book, Peter Hardy offers the reader a comprehensive account of the geology of the county. He divides Somerset into eleven distinct regions, including its extensive seaboard; the uplands of the Quantocks, the Brendons, Exmoor, the Mendip Hills and the Blackdown Hills; the lowlands of the Somerset Levels and the Vale of Taunton Deane; the Radstock Coalfield, the Bath area and the county’s eastern and southern reaches.

Equal attention is given to rocks, fossils and landscape, including such highlights as Cheddar Gorge and the extensive cave systems of Mendip, and to the distinctive building stones which each region yields. The result is a thoroughly accessible account of this geologically remarkable county, ideal for the interested layperson.

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Biography

Peter Hardy came to Somerset in 1971. He lived for seven years in Taunton, for twenty years in Bath and currently resides in the village of Ubley in the shadow of the Mendip Hills. He has devoted his professional life to teaching adults and for many years has been employed by Bristol University.