Geology Tours in Devon & Dorset, Southwestern England

When: Preference for long weekend tours

Length: A Four-Day visit is proposed but several shorter ones are offered.

Fee Charged: It depends on the number of guests and other variables. My standard fee for 4 nights, Friday to Monday, with a group of from 10 to 16, is £197 for each person. For individuals and smaller groups, the fee will be increased. The fee for 3 nights, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, with bed breakfast and evening meal, is £149/head. Prices do not include lunches or train fairs to destination.

Tour of South Devon & the West Dorset Coast

During this trip we stay at the Woodlands Hotel in Sidmouth for 3 nights. The itinerary takes us over 400 million years of geological history visiting Torbay, Dartmoor, east Devon and West Dorset. On Friday evening is a slide presentation about the geology of the area.

One day dedicated to the Upper Palaeozoic rocks of Devon, Time period: Upper Palaeozoic 400 to 250 million years ago. Location: Torbay, Dartmoor and the surrounding areas finishing on the coast near Dawlish. On this day you will see:

rock looking

Devonian reef sediments containing fossils, in situ and as reef talus

major folding and faulting

an angular unconformity

low grade metamorphic rocks

igneous intrusions of felsic and mafic rock

two types of granite

mafic pillow lavas

poorly sorted breccias

fluvial breccias and sandstones containing many sedimentary structures

wind blown dune deposits showing excellent cross bedding

A second day focuses on East Devon and along the West Dorset Coast, the time period being Mesozoic -- 225 to 90 million years ago. The goal is to link up ideas about plate tectonics with local examples illustrating the journey that Britain has made across the major climatic belts. Study the marine transgressions of the Mesozoic period. Fossil collecting. On this day you will see:

The fluvial deposits of the Budleigh Salterton Pebble Bed
Channel fill, imbrication, Dreikanters
Wind blown sand dune deposits
Blue Lias, sedimentary rhythms
Ammonite graveyard
Fossils of the Lower Lias
The Great Unconformity
Cretaceous rocks, including the condensed Chalk sequence at Beer
Visit The Philpot Museum, Lyme Regis

Another day is dedicated to the following:

Explore the fascinating Devonian, Carboniferous and Permian rocks of Torbay Dartmoor and Start Point.
See an ancient Palaeozoic volcano exhibiting pillow lava formations.
Explore Dartmoor and surrounding area, granites, Aplites ,greisen and Tor formation.
Find out about mineral emplacement, tourmalinization.
Learn about mountain building 300 million years ago
Discover evidence for changing sea levels
Visit Slapton Sands and Hall Sands village
Visit Kent's Cavern, to study Limestone caves and ice age cave occupation

Again, please note that the itinerary can be customized to conform with a visitor's special interests. Just contact me and we can set up exactly what appeals to you. You can confirm details at Chris's own Web site.