Ellis, N.V. (ed.), Bowen, D.Q., Campbell, S., Knill, J.L., McKirdy, A.P., Prosser, C.D.,Vincent, M.A. & Wilson, R.C.L. 1996. An Introduction to the Geological Conservation Review. GCR Series No. 1, Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Peterborough. The original source material for these web pages has been made available by the JNCC under the Open Government Licence 3.0. Full details in the JNCC Open Data Policy

Contents

The original source material for these web pages has been made available by the JNCC under the Open Government Licence 3.0. Full details in the JNCC Open Data Policy

Title page and preliminaries

Acknowledgements

Foreword

1 The subject and purpose of this volume 2 The need for earth heritage conservation

The international significance of Earth heritage sites Exceptional Earth heritage sites

Earth science research

Environmental forecasting

Earth heritage sites in education and training

The Earth heritage as a cultural and ecological resource

3 An introduction to the geological history of Britain

The importance of sites

Salisbury Crags and Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh

Barton Cliffs, Hampshire

Islay and Jura, the Inner Hebrides

The geology of Britain

Introduction

The origin of rocks

Sedimentary rocks

Igneous rocks

Metamorphic rocks

Geological time

Some geological patterns

Mountain building episodes

Mountain building and plate tectonics

A geological history of Britain

The Precambrian rocks of Britain

The Cambrian, Ordovician and Silurian rocks of Britain

The Devonian and Carboniferous rocks of Britain

The Permian and Triassic rocks of Britain

The Jurassic and Cretaceous rocks of Britain

The Tertiary rocks of Britain

Quaternary sediments and landforms of Britain

Britain after the last ice age

Present-day Britain

The importance of Britain in the development of geology

4 The Geological Conservation Review

Principles of site selection

Aims of the Geological Conservation Review

The first component — international importance

The second component — exceptional features

The third component — representativeness

Geological Conservation Review blocks

Stratigraphy blocks

Palaeontology blocks

Quaternary blocks

Geomorphology blocks

Igneous petrology and structural and metamorphic geology blocks

Mineralogy blocks

Geological Conservation Review networks

Marine Permian Geological Conservation Review Block

Durham Province network: the western edge of an inland sea

Yorkshire Province network

Igneous Rocks of South-west England Geological Conservation Block

Pre-orogenic volcanic network

Cornubian granite batholith network

Post-orogenic volcanic network

Lizard and Start complexes network

Palaeozoic Palaeobotany Geological Conservation Review Block

Silurian network

Devonian network

Lower Carboniferous network

Upper Carboniferous network Permian network

Quaternary Geological Conservation Review networks: English lowland valley rivers

The Coastal Geomorphology of Scotland Geological Conservation

Review Block

Beach complexes of Scotland

Beaches of the Highlands and Islands networks

Beach–dune–machair system

Beach and dune coasts of lowland Scotland networks

Rock coast geomorphology networks

Saltmarsh geomorphology networks

The Geological Conservation Review site series

5 Practical geological conservation review selection methods

Site selection criteria

Minimum number and minimum area of sites

Methods and working practice

Site selection procedures within the Geological Conservation Review

Stage 1: Building and briefing the block team

Stage 2: Literature review and site shortlisting

Stage 3: Field visits and detailed site investigation

Stage 4: Final assessment and preparation of Geological Conservation Review site documents

The study of the Earth — continuing developments

6 Earth Heritage Conservation

Threats to the Earth heritage

Quarrying and Earth heritage conservation: threats and

benefits

The history of Earth heritage conservation in Britain

Earth heritage site protection

The legal framework

Earth heritage conservation in practice

Conservation strategy

Classification of site types

Earth heritage conservation in practice — some examples

Fossil and mineral collecting and conservation

Coastal sites

Conservation of the Barton Geological Conservation Review site

Active quarries

Conservation at Shap Granite Quarry

Disused quarries

Conservation at Ercall Quarry, Shropshire

General considerations at disused quarries Disused quarries as landfill sites

Cave conservation

Road construction

Conservation of Claverley Road Cutting

Site excavation and specimen curation

The excavation in Brighstone Bay, Isle of Wight

Conservation of active geomorphological process sites

Conservation of the River Dee: a mobile meander belt

Mine dumps

Writhlington Rock Store SSSI

Site 'burial'

Publicity and public awareness

Advice on conservation of Earth heritage sites

7 The Geological Conservation Review in the context of the wider earth heritage conservation effort

Earth heritage conservation strategy

Progress and developments in Earth heritage conservation

Maintaining the SSSI series through the mechanism of the Geological Conservation Review

Expanding the RIGS network

Developing conservation techniques Improving documentation

Increasing public awareness

Developing international links

Earth heritage and nature conservation

References and further reading Appendix Figures Glossary

Index