WEA Course Information Sheet 2013-14
Course title: The Geology of Britain’s Coastline: the Older Rocks
Tutor(s): Peter Golding, BSc, FGS
Course reference: C2416875
Venue: Ripley Arts Centre, 24 Sundridge Avenue, Bromley,
BR1 2PX
Fee: £79.00
Start date: 24th September 2013
End date: 3rd December 2013
Day(s)/time(s): Tuesday,
1.30-3.30
Number of sessions: 10
Hours per session: 2
Level: Introductory
Title of qualification to be gained (if any): N/A
Awarding body (if any): N/A
Essential materials:
Hand lens, geological dictionary
Course aims:
This course aims to introduce students to the older geology and geological history of Britain
through its coastline. Every geological period to the end of the Permian will be discussed together
with environments ranging from deserts to tropical forests and ice fields to coral seas. Our rocks
contain evidence of these environments but also of those deep within the Earth created during
continental collision or even before the atmosphere contained significant oxygen.
Course description:
Britain’s coast displays a wonderful range of geology. We will explore our oldest geology from
three billion years ago to the end of the Palaeozoic. This was a time when Britain was
assembled from fragments of Africa and America.
Any prior knowledge or entry requirements?
This is an introductory course and there are no entry requirements.
Course content: what topics will the course cover?
Britain’s magnificent coastline offers an almost continuous window into the geological history of our
islands. Here we can see how our country was assembled from pieces of America and Africa in the
far distant past. At places such as Stonehaven on the Scottish coast we can even touch one of the
faults. These lines of weakness are easily eroded and give rise to islands, bays and estuaries,
whilst the more resistant rocks form cliffs and headlands.
By studying the rocks and fossils round our coast we can find evidence of lakes, long-vanished
oceans, deserts, tropical seas and mountain chains. Occasionally erosion has exposed an ancient
magma chamber that perhaps fed volcanoes on the surface. We will certainly see evidence of past
volcanic activity.
During the course we will “travel” around our coast; not north to south or east to west, but through
time as we select sites to illustrate our islands’ development.
Topics will include:
 An introduction to the coastline and how faults and sedimentary basins have created the
characteristic shape of Britain
 The Pre-Cambrian rocks in North West Scotland and Anglesey
 Evidence for an ancient ocean found in South West Scotland and West Wales
 The remains of Devonian mountains and lakes of North East Scotland and the seas of South
Devon
 The Lizard Peninsular – a fragment of ocean floor in Cornwall
 The Carboniferous – a story of seas, swamps and granites found on the Berwickshire,
Central Scottish and Cornish coasts
 Assembling Pangea – desert Britain from the coasts of East Devon and North East England
 The Palaeozoic ends and the Mesozoic begins
Teaching, learning and assessment methods: tick those to be used 
 Group work
 Individual work
Demonstration
Discussion
Project work
Research
Role play
Written work
Activity outside

Question and answer
Observation
Practical work
class time
 Field trip
Presentation
Other (state)

How will I receive feedback on my learning progress and achievement?
Student learning will be assessed during class discussions and written tests. Feedback will be
given to students at the completion of these tasks and more informal feedback will be given during
practical sessions.
Learning outcomes: these are the intended outcomes and may be revised in discussion with the
class. Students are encouraged to think about and identify their own individual outcomes.
By the end of the course, students should be able to:
1. Describe the geology along particular parts of our coastline
2.
Identify rocks and fossils from those sites
3.
Discuss geological environments where these rocks would have been formed
4.
Outline the geological history of the British Isles to the end of the Permian
Reading and information sources:
Allaby, Michael: A Dictionary of Earth Sciences, Oxford, 2008
Woodcock, Nigel and Strachan, Rob: Geological History of Britain and Ireland, Wiley Blackwell,
2012
www.geolsoc.org.uk
www.bgs.ac.uk/opengeoscience
Suggestions for progression to further study or for using the skills and knowledge gained:
If you would like to continue the story, a course is being considered for us to study the rest of the
geology and present day coastal processes exhibited round our coast.
For further progression The Open University provides a selection of geological courses.
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for Students here http://www.wea.org.uk/courses/information This includes information on fees,
learning support and financial support.
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this academic year. You should have a copy of the learning agreement (the tear-off portion of your
enrolment form), but if not please ask for a copy from your tutor.
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Regions Support Centre, london&southernrsc@wea.org.uk, or Freephone: 0800 328 1060
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