Natural England - England's geology
England's geology
England's geological history is diverse and dynamic.
Around 700 million years of geological history are represented in our rocks and landscapes including:
- a changing climate from tropical to glacial
- repeated sea level rise and fall
- mountain building and erosion
- volcanic eruptions
- the evolution and extinction of countless life forms.
Our landscape today is closely associated with this underlying geology. For example, the Pennines are linked with ancient uplift and mountain building; the rolling hills of the North and South Downs are formed from Upper Cretaceous chalk; and our spectacular coasts are a reflection of rocks that vary from hard and resistant to soft and rapidly eroding.
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