New feature - RIGS of the Month

The Avon RIGS group covers the geographical area of the former county of Avon. This includes the City of Bristol, and parts of Somerset and Gloucestershire (now the unitary local authorities of Bath and North East Somerset, North Somerset, South Gloucestershire and the City of Bristol).

Avon region with England

In geological terms, our remit includes well known sites such as:

• Aust Cliff [South Gloucestershire] sediments showing the transition between Triassic and Jurassic, exposures of the Westbury Bone Bed
• Avon Gorge [Bristol] stunning gorge through Carboniferous limestone
• Barnhill Quarry [South Gloucestershire] unconformity between Carboniferous and Triassic, with fossil stromatolites and ripple beds
• Burrington Coombe [North Somerset] section through Devonian sandstones and Carboniferous limestone
• Radstock quarries [BANES] unusual Lower Jurassic lithologies and fossil spiders, ferns and dragonflies
• Sand Bay [North Somerset] intercalated limestones and tuffs, and altered basaltic pillow lava

Sand Bay, near Kewstoke, Weston-Super-Mare. One of only three sites in the UK where Carboniferous limestone is interbedded with volcanic deposits. Photo credit: Charly Stamper

and lots of other less famous but equally fascinating outcrops. Our new feature, RIGS of the Month, will explore all that Avon geology has to offer. We'll be reporting from both from these landmark sites and off the beaten track.

Keep an eye out for the first installment, coming soon!

Charly Stamper