Appreciating, conserving and promoting Somerset's diverse geology

Survey of the Use of Traditional Building Stones in Somerset - Maperton, Holton, Horsington,North and South Cheriton
2025-06-26 | Devon
Traditional Building Stone Research – Historic environment services

Yeovil Super Saturday
2025-07-05 | Devon
The Yeovil Town Trail will be officially launched.
Thanks to Yeovil Town Council for supporting the publishing costs of “Yeovil in Stone”.

Wessex OUGS Field Trip
2025-07-27 | Devon
Dryhill Quarry, Sevenoaks Field Trip.
This is an introduction (or refresher) to geological mapping, and will be led by Dr Simon Drake, a former associate lecturer at Birkbeck, University of London.

Tropical reefs, deserts and ice ages: The deep-time (geo)heritage of the English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark (on YouTube!)
2025-09-06 14:00 - 17:00 (Europe/London) | Torquay Museum, 529 Babbacombe Road, Torquay, TQ1 1HG, United Kingdom
There is a trailer for a new mini-series on the English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark, which has just gone live on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-_AAZj1TDY
..and there is also a free public event on Saturday 6th September at 2pm at Torquay Museum (see attached flyer!) where we’ll be premiering the first episode of the series and the museum will be offering guests a behind-the-scenes private tour of the museum stores!
Event link: https://torquaymuseum.org/events/view/special-event-tropical-reefs-deserts-and-ice-ages-the-deep-time-geoheritage-of-the-english-riviera-unesco-geopark

OUGS Wessex - Field Trip Moon's Hill Quarry, Somerset
2025-09-10 | Devon
Moon’s Quarry is a SSSI in Somerset. Tour to include working faces in the recently enlarged Stoke Quarry, which extracts Andesite.
For further details: Moon’s Hill Quarry, Somerset

Wessex OUGS Field Trip
2025-09-25 - 2025-09-28 | Devon
Explore the very diverse geology of the Ynys Môn including the world’s oldest blueschist, pillow lavas, etc.

Mendip Rocks 2025
2025-10-01 - 2025-10-25 | Somerset EarthScience Centre, Moons Hill Quarry, Radstock, ba35ju
Mendip Rocks is an annual festival that hosts a series of geological events during the autumn in October to celebrate the fascinating 450-million-year history of the Mendip Hills. The festival involves the local community in experiencing our beautiful landscape and understanding the story of the Mendips.

​Whatever your level of interest, there are inspiring events for all, including:

Building stones of Wells, Glastonbury, Shepton Mallet and Frome Walks
Menhir Photographic Exhibition celebrating Mendip Hills National Landscape & Geology
Quarry minibus tours – to 3 operational Mendip quarries
Guided walks to Mendip geological sites led by specialists
Geological lecture day hosted at SESC Sat 18th October; A Forum of Fossil, Fieldwork & Female Voices talking about their pioneering work in palaeontology
Family events and art workshops held on Saturday 4th and 25th October at SESC – learn a new skill, stone carving, crochet ammonites or fossil inspired printing.

To find out more about Mendip Rocks and all upcoming events, please look here for new programme or visit https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/mendip-rocks-2025-4600963
​You can also read more about the fascinating geology of the Mendips here.

Celebrating the English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark (Discovery Days)
2025-10-04 14:00 - 17:00 (Europe/Minsk) | St Mathias Church Centre, TQ1 1HQ, United Kingdom
Celebrating Devon’s World-Class Heritage: Discovery Days This year, the Devonshire Association is ‘Celebrating Devon’s World-Class Heritage’ in a project supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund which aims to raise awareness of our county’s UNESCO designated natural and cultural heritage and the Devonshire Association’s role in promoting that heritage over the past 163 years. See this page for details of all the events. The significance of aspects of The English Riviera UNESCO Global Geopark will be explored in an afternoon of talks on Saturday 4th October, at St Matthias Church Centre, Babbacombe Road, Wellswood, Torquay, TQ1 1HW

International Geodiversity Day
2025-10-06 | Devon
The theme for this year’s International Geodiversity Day, to be held on Monday 6th October 2025, will be ‘One Earth, Many Stories’.
For more information visit International Geodiversity Day

SGG Annual Meeting at Ham Hill (Ranger Centre), Monday 6th October
2025-10-06 10:00 - 15:30 (Europe/London) | Private: Ham Hill, Stoke Sub Hamdon, TA14 6RW, United Kingdom
The informal notes from the Meeting are available here

Location and Parking:
There are six public car parks situated across the site and are all accessible off the Ham Hill Road (TA14 6RW). There is disabled parking at the Ranger Centre (TA14 6RW).

Agenda:

•1000-1015 Coffee
•1015-1025 Welcome – Garry Dawson
•1025-1115 Ham Hill Ranger Centre – Geoff Rowland
•1115-1130 Break
•1130-1145 SGG Year – Garry
•1145-1215 Website – Andy Gordon
•1215-1300 Lunch (please bring your own lunch)
•1300-1315 SANHS 175TH Anniversary – The Story of Dr William Buckland – Andy
•1315-1330 SANHS 175TH Anniversary – Ichthyosaurs in Somerset – Dave Williams
•1330-1345 Future SGG – Garry
•1345-1530 Walk around Ham Hill (Sheila Alderman/Geoff Rowland) or Yeovil Town Trail (Andy)

SGG - Visit to Cleeve Abbey and Dunster
2025-10-09 | Devon
As part of the building stones survey, these are the second and third locations that SGG is documenting for English Heritage.

Sidmouth Science Festival
2025-10-11 | Devon
Several events as part of Sidmouth Science Week

GEOFFEST
2025-10-18 10:00 - 15:00 (Europe/London) | United Church, 29 South St, Dorchester, DT1 1BY, United Kingdom
For details see here
SGG will be exhibiting.

Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society Field Trip to Ham Hill
2025-11-01 10:00 - 17:00 (Europe/London) | Private: Ham Hill, Stoke Sub Hamdon, TA14 6RW, United Kingdom
Details are here

DGAG Building Stone Field Trip - Blandford Forum
2025-11-15 10:45 - 13:45 (Europe/London) | ST Peter’s annd St Paul’s Church
This trip will introduce the local geology setting and guide you round the variety of stone used in Blandford’s buildings. There are many fossils visible and we recommend you bring a hand lens. The trip will be a guided walk round the building stone trail (guide booklet available to buy if you wish).
Full details will be issued to those wishing to join this great trip.
Leaders: Kelvin Huff, Sheila Alderman, John Scott
Time: 10:45 am start. 13:45 pm approx. finish
Meet location: St Peter’s and St Paul’s Church at 10:45 am. ST 885 062 ///recent.typical.relegate.
Car Parks: Stour Meadows car park is free (behind Brewery), short walk to meet location above.
Closest Car Park, Marsh and Ham Car Park £2:40 or £3:70 for 3 or 4 hours respectively. Toilets are located here.

Entry Cost: Fieldtrip free to DGAG members. Parking fee options as above.
Booking: email Jonathan Stiby at fieldtrips@dorsetgeologistsassociation.org

The Ussher Society - Geoscience in South-West England 63rd Annual Conference
2026-01-08 - 2026-01-10 | Devon
USSHER 63 Exeter Conference Circular_Jan26

Friday agenda item “Open Workshop Discussion – Geosites in SW England Recording, storing and accessing RIGS/CGS/LGS site Information” will be of interest to SGG (who are attending).

Bath Geological Society - Zoom Meeting on "The Complex Geology of the Somerset Coalfield"
2026-01-08 19:30 - 20:30 (Europe/London) | Zoom
Talk by Andy Gordon, SGG, at the request of Bath Geological Society.

Local Geological Site Clearance - Shepton Mallet
2026-02-05 11:00 - 14:00 (Europe/London) | Devon
An existing LGS (there are 232 in Somerset) is being cleared for better exposure with assistance by Somerset Council

OUGS WESSEX FIELD TRIP to the West Compton/ Shepton Mallet area of Somerset in the vicinity of the Mendip Hills.
2026-02-27 10:30 - 15:00 (Europe/London) | Devon
A walk to study the underlying Geology of the area. There is a disused Railway cutting through the Carboniferous Limestone. Each end of the cutting shows the Triassic and Jurassic unconformity against it, a large fault behind displaces them. There is a walk up a thrust faulted hill which gives very good views of the area.
Some of the walk is on private land which our leader has permission to use with the group. Total distance is 1.5 miles mainly level except the gentle slope up the hill
Our leader Stephen Thompson is a volunteer at the Mendip Earth Science Centre and has lived in the area for many years that has given him insight into the local geology. He will show us samples of the different rock types he has found in the area including “potato stones/ Bristol diamonds”.
If you wish to attend, please contact:
Sheila Alderman OUGS Wessex.
alderman.sm@gmail.com

Barnstaple u3a Geology Group - Talk on the Complex Geology of the Somerset Coalfield
2026-05-08 14:00 - 15:30 (Europe/London) | Fremington Methodist Church, Old School Lane, Fremington, Devon, EX31 3BZ, United Kingdom
Talk being given by Andy Gordon, SGG at the kind invitation of David Dickinson, Barnstaple u3a
