Field Trip: Geology of the North Pennines
Leader:
Entry Fee
Members: Free
Visitors: £3.00
Date and Time
18:00
Location
Fawcett Mills Field, Gaisgill, Penrith CA10 3UB
Field Trip Description
The North Pennines is an AONB, and has a varied and interesting geology dominated by rocks of Carboniferous age; this is recognised in the area being designated as a UNESCO European and Global Geopark. The field trip will examine the Carboniferous succession, its famous Pb-Zn and fluorite mineral deposits, the intrusion of the Whin Sill and its contact metamorphism, and the general tectonics of the region. The trip will involve walks of varying round trip distances of up to 8 - 10km and involve some scrambles such as at Cauldron Snout and ascents/descents of ~ 200m. All participants should be able and suitably equipped to tackle such walks. Provisional itinerary:
Day 1: Geology of the Upper Teesdale Valley, visiting Cow Green reservoir, Cauldron Snout, Falcon Clints, and the waterfall caused by the Whin Sill outcrop at High Force. Main features of the region given in the Cow Green Geological Trail.
Day 2: Geology of Weardale area, visiting Killhope lead mining museum, Allenheads, Stanhope, Frosterly, and the sill at Holwick Scars and Low Force. Some of the features to be examined are shown in North Pennines Geology and Landscape.
Day 3: Geology of Cross Fell Inlier area and Eden Valley, visiting Dufton, Knock, High Cup Nick and the Penrith sandstone at Brough. Some of the features of this area are given in Geology and Landscape around Dufton and the Knock Geological Trail
Day 4: Geology of the Lune valley, examining the Silurian on the northern slopes of the Howgill fells, the unconformably overlying Carboniferous Visean succession starting with basements beds, followed by the various limestone units with thin storm beds, and overlying Ash Fell sandstone.
There is a maximum number of participants of 17, with 14 as the minimum for the trip viability. The accommodation is very popular and so it is essential to make a confirmed reservation. Once individual reservations are made and deposit paid, cancellations can only be refunded if the minimum number of participants is reached, and so all participants should arrange travel insurance.
Accommodation: Fawcett Mill Fields , is a converted mill dating back to the 16th Century. The mill is sited in a secluded setting in Raisbeck valley, but is only 3 km from the M6 Junction 38 (Tebay). The accommodation is self-catering (apart from the first night). Accommodation is available in double rooms, twin rooms and one single room. The accommodation cost is estimated to be between £135 - £165 per person for the five days, depending on the number of participants. The evening meal will be provided with the accommodation on the first night. The accommodation has good self-catering facilities and for the remainder of the period people are able to cater individually or on a group basis, or use local venues for meals - participants should make their preference known on booking sheet.
Travel arrangements - there are two options:
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Participants are to arrange their own travel to/from the accommodation venue, aiming to arrive at Fawcett Mills Field at 18:00 on the Sunday. Travel for the field days will be via shared transport. Anyone wishing to offer transport to others or seeking to share transport should make details known to the leader at the time of reservation.
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Rental of a minibus with group travel. Depending on demand a 12 or 17 seater minibus could be rented, and a rough estimate of cost would be between £55 - 75 (inclusive of rental cost and fuel) per person depending on vehicle type and number of passengers. Which of the two options will be used, depends on the preferences of those making reservations and details will be circulated once all reservations and the trip are confirmed.
Deposit: To reserve a place on the trip a £50 per person deposit is required - all cheques to be made payable to WEGA. Once the maximum number of participants is reached, a waiting list of up to 5 people will be maintained in case of any cancellations. Final payment and confirmed accommodation cost by 1st May 2013.
Important Notice: Bath Geological Society Insurance
Each person attending a field meeting does so on the understanding that he/she attends at his/her own risk. The Bath Geological Society has Public Liability Insurance Cover for field and indoor meetings, but Personal Accident Cover and Personal Liability Cover remain the responsibility and personal choice of the participant.
There may be an element of appropriate cover included in house insurance or in travel insurance: although Bath Geological Society activities are not particularly dangerous members are advised to check whether exclusions apply to activities in which they plan to participate in case they wish to arrange further cover. An annual travel insurance may be the best solution for any member who regularly attends field events: this again is a matter of choice.
Please note however that all members participating in overseas events will be required to have travel insurance for the duration of the event: this is so that participants are covered for Medical, Repatriation and Personal Liability expenses. The Personal Accident element remains the personal choice of the member and again members are advised to check exclusions so that they can make an informed decision about the cover they want.