Natural England - England's geology

England's geology

England's geological history is diverse and dynamic.

Limestone pavement

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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