Worcestershire Geology

Worcestershire Geological Succession

Geological Time

Geological time is divided into eons, eras, periods, epochs and ages, with eons representing the largest stretches of time (500 million years or more). Each eon is subdivided into eras, which in turn are divided into periods etc… This nomenclature ends with ‘ages’, which represent the smallest increments of geological time, on the order of a few hundred thousand years.

Rocks of similar age can grouped together and placed into a geological succession, where they lie in between rock units of greater and lesser age. As geology varies across distances, these geological successions are only relevant to a specific geographical area. Geologists can get some idea of what processes were taking place in Worcestershire over millions of years, by looking at what types of rocks were forming at different times in the geological succession. The most useful subdivisions of geological time are periods, epochs and ages, as rocks dated to these resolutions can give both general and detailed information on the ancient environment.

In this geological succession, periods and epochs are used to describe the older geological succession (Precambrian – Jurassic) that is seen in Worcestershire. The most recent geological period (the Quaternary) is described in terms of period and age, as the detail preserved within these young rocks and sediments allows for more detailed interpretation

Site Examples:

Abberley Hall East (Valley of the Rocks)

Beckford Gravel Pit

Broad Down Quarry

Broadway Quarry

Brockhill Court Quarry

Callow Hill Quarry

Dales Hall Quarry

Dingle Quarry

Earnslaw Quarry

Hagley Hall Quarry

Hangman’s Hill Quarry

Hollybush Quarries

Knightsford Bridge Quarry

Leach Green Quarry

Leigh Quarry

Barnt Green Road Quarry

Warren Lane Quarry

Longley Green Quarry

Martley Rock

Shavers End Quarry

Sling Gravel Pit

Suckley Quarries

Tarmac Quarries

Westminster Bank Quarry

Whiteleaved Oak Quarry

Witnell’s End Quarries

Woodbury Quarry

Reproduced with the permission of the British Geological Survey © NERC. All Rights Reserved. Based upon information in the BGS Lexicon and the BGS memoir ‘Geology of the country around Worcester, 1:50,000 scale sheet 199‘, with the permission of the British Geological Survey