Discover the hidden secrets of Cumbria’s dramatic landscapes with a guided walk to discover exciting facts behind Cumbria’s unstable ancient geological past, or visit a special exhibition in a museum in one of the county’s lovely towns to get your hands on some of their treasures.
Be an Earth history detective and learn how to identify the evidence of former climates stored in the rocks minerals and fossils of Cumbria, for one week, May 4 to 12 2019.
Did you know, for instance, that 450 million years ago parts of the Lake District were bombed….. by volcanic bombs from a great volcano?
GeoWeek is a nationwide initiative that seeks to introduce the public to parts of their local landscape, shaped over millions of years by geological processes, through outdoor activities such as urban, rural or coastal field trips. It runs from May 4 to May 12 and there are several activities to choose from across Cumbria:
- Special rock and mineral exhibitions are taking place at Tullie House Museum, Carlisle and Kendal Museum with local specialists on hand to help with explanations.
- Discover the secrets of the building stone of Kendal in a town guided walk and spot some marine wildlife from 300 million years ago.
- Join a family walk and treasure hunt in Trowbarrow Nature Reserve, Arnside & Silverdale AONB to discover some amazing rocks and fossils.
- For those looking for something a little more adventurous, take part in a guided geo-walk in the Cumbrian mountains. There are three walks on offer: around the Skiddaw Aureole near Blencathra, in the Borrowdale valley, and in the Coniston Coppermines Valley. You’ll get an opportunity to get up close to rock and minerals, learn the story of their formation and explore the impact of the last ice age on the landscape we see today.
To take part, look for local publicity or contact the walk leaders via the Geoweek website: www.geoweek.org.uk.
