Another four walks published on the Fen Edge Trail

In May 2024 four new Walk Guides were published. Each walk is a good introduction to the geology of the Cambridgeshire Fens, telling the story of tidal marshes in the Bronze Age, ancient river beds (roddons) and River Terrace Gravels of the Nene, Ouse and Cam from the...
Read More

Three more Local Geological Sites designated

Heydon Chalk Pit, Isleham Lime Kilns and Ramsey Heights Brick Kiln and Clay Pits were all designated as LGS in February 2023. This means that the landowners have agreed to maintain (and hopefully enhance) their geodiversity features and that the sites are now recorded...
Read More

‘The Nature of Cambridge’ published

    This new book, written by volunteers from the Cambridge Natural History Society, has now been published (October 2022). Cambridgeshire Geological Society was pleased to be asked to contribute the chapter on the geology and landscape of the city, as a background to...
Read More

Two new LGS

Two new LGS   In October 2022, two new sites were designated as Local Geological Sites. The first, Fowlmere Springs LGS, contains the most extensive collection of chalk springs in the county – the RSPB nature reserve of Fowlmere. The site is famous for its...
Read More

Orwell Clunch Pit now a LGS

Orwell Clunch Pit now a LGS   Orwell Clunch Pit was designated a Local Geological Site in October 2021. The pit is also an SSSI for its chalk grassland flora. It is owned and managed by the Parish Council and is an attractive local ‘greenspace’ with...
Read More

Two new LGS at Burwell

Two new Local Geological Sites designated at Burwell We are very pleased to announce that our latest proposal for designation as  Local Geological Sites (LGS) were recently (October 2020) approved by the County Wildlife and Geological Sites Panel. The two sites, 400m...
Read More

The sea in the Fens

The Fens have been inundated by the sea on various occasions as shown by the marine silts and clays that can be found over large areas, even in the southern fenland of Cambridgeshire. The complex history of freshwater marshes changing to salt marshes and back again,...
Read More

New Local Geological Site: The Great Fen

New Local Geological Site The Great Fen: Holme Fen and Whittlesea Mere LGS We are very pleased to announce that our latest proposal for designation as a Local Geological Site (LGS) was recently (Feb 2020) approved by the County Wildlife and Geological Sites Panel. The...
Read More

Ice Age display, Sedgwick Museum

A superb mammoth tusk is now part of the Sedgwick Museum’s new Ice Age display. Sir John Franklin’s ill-fated expedition to the North-West Passage has often been in the news ever since he left England on the 19th May, 1845 never to return. Successive searches...
Read More

Protecting the landscape heritage of the fens

The fenland has always been a land of mystery. This is particularly true when trying to unravel the complex history of dynamic changes in the landscape, which are directly linked to both sea level and climate. Thanks to an increase in research in recent years, much...
Read More

Promoting interest in the geology of Cambridgeshire, the UK and worldwide

read more

MONTHLY MEETINGS

A programme of 10 monthly meetings, each including a talk, is held every year, running from September to June. These are held on the second Monday of the month at St Andrew’s Centre, Histon. Doors open 7 pm and talks start (unless stated otherwise) at 7.30 pm. Please arrive in good time (displays available for viewing – bring your rock and fossil items along for help with identification).   Refreshments (coffee/tea/biscuits £1) available on arrival. Everyone welcome, free to CGS members, £3 non members.

 

Our programme for Sep 2024 to June 2025 is now available – see Events

NEXT MEETING

Monday 14th October 2024 7pm

The history of building stone use in south Cambridgeshire churches

by Dr Nigel Woodcock Department of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge

A geological survey of about 120 medieval churches in south Cambridgeshire reveals a dominant theme of local fieldstone rubble walls with dressings of local Cretaceous Clunch and imported Jurassic Barnack limestone; the richer the church the greater the volume of costly Barnack. The Cretaceous Ely Sandstone forms rubble walls only near the city. Victorian renovations to the medieval fabric of south Cambs churches used a much wider range of stone from the Lincolnshire Limestone Formation and further afield, made possible by new canal, then rail, networks. St Laurence at Foxton, for example, has fieldstone rubble walls, partly rendered, with medieval dressings of Barnack and Clunch, much repaired with Bath stone in the nineteenth century.

Another four Walk Guides published on the Fen Edge Trail

In May 2024 four new Walk Guides were published. Each walk is a good introduction to the geology of the Cambridgeshire Fens, telling the story of tidal marshes in the Bronze Age, ancient river beds (roddons) and River Terrace Gravels of the Nene, Ouse and Cam from the ‘Ice Age’ and the Jurassic and Cretaceous seas that covered this part of the planet many millions of years ago. The walks also describe how local history has been affected by the landscape and how today’s villages, towns and cities are still closely linked to the origins of their location. All Walk Guides can be downloaded from the Fen Edge Trail website. 

We hope to organise some guided walks on the routes later in 2024 and in 2025.

4 New Walk Guides published on the Fen Edge Trail

December 2022,has seen the publication of 4 new Walk Guides including two with a difference: we have now expanded into the realms of podcasts and YouTube videos! Thanks to Paul S, Paul M (especially for the video) and Jeff for their work on the first three. Also thanks to Peter from the Word Garden who designed the fourth walk and produced the accompanying history podcast.

Sawtry to Wood Walton

Somersham to Earith

Haddenham to Wilburton

Earith: Old Bedford and 100 Foot with the Word Garden

This makes a total of 15 Guides published with at least another 7 due in 2023. An additional 21 are being put together leaving only 6 or so to be started. All Walk Guides can be downloaded from the website and there are also links to the podcast and videos. We hope to have guided walks on these and other Fen Edge Trail walks in 2023.

Previous Events

 

Field Trip Report – Burwell Local Geological Sites

The society organises occasional field trips to view important geological sites within the county and hopefully further afield in post pandemic times. These trips are primarily for our members.

In early summer 2021 we had a popular visit to the Burwell Local Geological Sites and are scheduling some others to East Pit, Cherry Hinton, a walk along the Fen Edge from Swaffham Bulbeck to Reach, a visit to Nine Wells chalk spring and a tour of the building stones of Cambridge city center. These are primarily for the benefit of members: any member wishing to participate should contact us.

A write up for this trip may be found here.

   

Email updates

Sign up for our email updates to hear about future talks, events and news of our projects.

Contact us

cambridgeshire-geological-society-transparent-background

email

Cambridgeshire Landscapes

Cambridgeshire has a fascinating landscape and an interesting geology. See our Landscapes page for more details and download the excellent leaflet ‘The Mapping of Landscapes, Geology and Soils of Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire’ by Timothy Farewell, Peter Friend, Martin Whiteley and Joanna Zawadzk.

Events

Our talks and other events

meet us

Local sites

Chalk cliff East Pit

visit

Links

Hippopotamous, Sedgwick useum

search

Local landscapes

The Fens

discover

Updates

receive

The Fen Edge Trail

Landscape Heritage

Mare Fen, Swavesey

explore

Membership

Become a member

join us

© Cambridgeshire Geological Society