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To promote a wider interest in the science of geology through
organised lectures, field excursions and social activities.
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The Geology of
Somerset
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| It is an
inevitability that any book which recommends joining WEGA will be
reviewed on this website. And if it is written by a long established
friend of the group, as Peter Hardy is, its appearance here is
certain. But this book does not need any special pleading to get our
notice. A vast amount of knowledge about Somerset, geology and the
Geology of Somerset, is available in this book, but its learning is
lightly worn. It is a good natured book and Peter is a superb guide,
pleased to show you all that has taken his fancy during the many years
he has spent in the county, which he obviously loves. His philosophy
is plain: the more you know about the county, the better you will like
it. But to the book. First of all this is not an outcrop guide. You are not shown the way from outcrop to outcrop, although he does do a little of this. The approach is more “Teach yourself Geology using the Rocks of Somerset”. After a short introduction where he initiates us into the Geological way of thinking and a few Geological Laws, he deals with geological topics as he goes around the county. He deals with eleven areas, starting with those which have the oldest rocks and ending with the Levels, which have the youngest. but as each area has a range of rock ages there is a great deal of overlapping. But each area gives an excuse to deal with a topic which it can well illustrate. Thus the chapter on the Quantocks allows him to deal with regional faulting as well as the desert conditions when the rocks were formed. The Mendip section contains a description of the various sorts of limestone and how they formed. And mention is made of the Banwell Bone Cave where great piles of relatively modern bones were stacked up by the Victorian excavators as they had already collected more than enough for their museums. This certainly sounds as if it is worth a visit. Carboniferous sedimentation and the work of Dr. Ed Jarzembowski are discussed in the chapter on the Radstock coalfield. This chapter also discusses the origins of Cotham Marble and discusses the various places it can be found in Somerset. The fissures of the New Red Sandstone are described in the chapter on Taunton Deane. They apparently extend for hundreds of metres and, if one is sufficiently slim, can be followed. The chapter on the Somerset Coast between Hinkley Point and Blue Anchor allows Peter to write about the transition between the Triassic and the Jurassic and the evolution of ammonites. Also on the virtues of properly labelling your fossil collection. The Bath chapter includes a section on the history of geology, especially the part played by William Smith and also how the hot springs which give the town its name, come to be bubbling out of the ground. The Eastern Borders chapter allows discussion of chalk and flint and The Somerset Levels includes a great deal about mud and peat, and why Glastonbury Tor is so conspicuous. The book closes with a very welcome chapter on the building stones of the county. Peter clearly sees the connection between human settlement and the underlying geology. Bath would not be the same if it were not for Bath stone. The other building stones of the county are described, especially Doulting stone and Ham Hill stone. This is a lovely book which covers a wide range of geology and related subjects in an approachable manner, without (for the most part) patronising the reader. For the geological beginner it is ideal and for the more experienced reader there is lots which is new or unexpected. This book should be on the bookshelf (or in the rucksack) of every WEGA member! |
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