477:; within Northumberland, several different sub-groups are recognised according to the source of the material. North of the Cheviot massif, the till is assigned to the Borders Subgroup and to the south to the North Pennine Subgroup whilst that associated with the massif itself is classed as Cheviot Subgroup. Material originating from offshore (in terms of the present position of the coastline) is assigned to the North Sea Coast Subgroup, though the material along the coast from around
243:
comprises, in stratigraphic order i.e. lowermost/oldest first, the Tyne
Limestone Formation, Alston Formation and Stainmore Formation. This succession is formed from mudstones, siltstones, sandstones and limestone. The Tyne Limestone forms a narrow and faulted belt of country south and southeast
375:
sub-swarms is associated with the sill. Those within
Northumberland are referred to as the Holy Island, High Green and St. Oswald's subswarms. The sill provides for characterful topography at Dunstanburgh, Bamburgh, Lindisfarne and neighbouring districts including the
370:
times. As much as 215 cubic kilometres of quartz-dolerite may have been emplaced within lower
Carboniferous bedrock in a sheet which extends to more than 4500 square kilometres of Northumberland and county Durham and which is typically 30m thick. A series of
481:
southwards is of mixed North Sea/Pennine provenance. The
Pennine tills are generally dark grey reflecting the nature of the Carboniferous bedrock from which they largely originate.
264:
extending west to the
Cumbrian border. The overlying Alston Formation extends south from the Scottish border along the coastal strip before turning inland through Alnwick towards
469:
glaciation. There are also a number of areas of glacio-fluvial sands and gravels representing glacially derived material re-worked by rivers. All of this material, till and
380:, offering several good sites for the construction of castles. Further south it provides the extended north-facing scarp on which the Roman emperor Hadrian had his
102:
significantly influenced the development of the county's economy. The county's geology contributes to a series of significant landscape features around which the
320:, extend eastwards to the coast with a gentle regional dip towards the North Sea basin. The upper Coal Measures are absent from Northumberland. Further small
687:
574:
British
Geological Survey 1:50,000 scale geological map series sheets (England and Wales) 1-10 & 12-15, 18-20 & 24-25 and accompanying memoirs.
305:
160:
is characterised by sandstones with subordinate siltstones and mudstones. A small area of these rocks straddles the border to the southwest of
224:
extend in a broken and faulted belt south from
Berwick towards Alnwick then southwest via Rothbury then onward to the county boundary west of
943:
659:
BGS 1:50,000 scale geological map sheets (England and Wales series) sheet 1&2 Berwick-upon-Tweed and Norham & sheet 4 Holy Island
938:
31:. It does not include that southeastern part of the historic county which has since 1974 formed a part of the metropolitan county of
637:
Stone, P. et al 2010 British
Regional Geology: Northern England (5th edn) (Keyworth, Nottingham: British Geological Survey), pp212-3
628:
Stone, P. et al 2010 British
Regional Geology: Northern England (5th edn) (Keyworth, Nottingham: British Geological Survey),pp184-5
680:
321:
94:
dykes and sills and the whole is overlain by unconsolidated sediments from the last ice age and the post-glacial period. The
28:
558:
444:. During Carboniferous times, the Northumberland basin occupied the ground between the Cheviot block to the north and the
802:
103:
902:
948:
673:
297:
272:. Besides a few inliers further north, the main outcrop of the Stainmore Formation stretches from the coast south of
228:. Within the Border Group the Fell Sandstone Formation reaches up to 370m thickness and is locally prominent around
782:
777:
474:
257:
837:
727:
413:
265:
253:
847:
722:
912:
887:
817:
797:
742:
329:
99:
872:
792:
897:
712:
82:. The geology of the rest of the county is characterised largely by a thick sequence of sedimentary rocks of
852:
822:
470:
309:
907:
892:
767:
717:
862:
827:
812:
747:
498:
549:. Terraces are also developed along the course of the Till, Aln, Coquet, Font, Wansbeck and Breamish.
917:
787:
341:
229:
115:
867:
737:
732:
704:
877:
857:
832:
696:
563:
441:
245:
125:
489:
Much of the coast is backed by areas of blown sand, notably at Ross Links south of
Lindisfarne,
416:
subswarm of broadly parallel dykes are recognised as likely emanating from the same source, the
882:
762:
381:
261:
772:
757:
333:
213:
157:
48:
807:
397:
240:
233:
133:
412:
towards the coast. The dyke occasionally achieves a width of 30m. A Blyth subswarm and a
429:
372:
98:
makes a significant impact on Northumberland's character and the former working of the
56:
52:
932:
545:
are evident along the Tyne valley and three terraces are developed along that of the
542:
433:
377:
225:
83:
32:
604:
400:
which running roughly east-southeastwards from the vicinity of the Scottish town of
490:
445:
417:
221:
173:
546:
510:
325:
324:
of the lower Coal Measures extend westwards to the Cumbrian border southwest of
317:
188:
161:
79:
752:
437:
409:
393:
367:
337:
336:
to its south. the Tyne valley outliers gave rise to the very minor Stublick,
281:
91:
60:
514:
494:
466:
363:
356:
344:
313:
269:
121:
95:
538:
478:
405:
396:
age cut the sedimentary rocks of the county. The most significant is the
184:
177:
154:
129:
68:
64:
273:
249:
217:
196:
137:
87:
72:
44:
24:
509:
Raised beach deposits are recorded at Spittal, Berwick-upon-Tweed, at
665:
401:
359:
277:
176:, straddle the border with Scotland. This thick pile (over 1000m) of
75:
172:
Rocks assigned to the Cheviot Volcanic Formation, itself within the
301:
300:
overlie the Stainmore Formation and, from a line roughly between
526:
462:
293:
192:
180:
669:
183:
was erupted during the early Devonian. The sequence includes
136:
and occupy an area either side of the border to the north of
541:, sand, silts and gravel laid down by rivers and streams.
404:
parallels the course of the Coquet, running just north of
646:
British Geological Survey 1:625,000 scale geological map
590:
British Geological Survey 1:625,000 scale geological map
525:
Large parts of Northumberland's uplands are blanketed by
461:
The larger part of the county is mantled by glacial
703:
537:The floors of the main river valleys are formed by
605:"BGS Lexicon of Named Rock Units - Result Details"
681:
236:which reach a height of 440m at Tosson Hill.
8:
195:. The Cheviot Pluton is a mass of Devonian
688:
674:
666:
648:Quaternary Map of the United Kingdom South
292:The sandstones, siltstones, mudstones and
216:extends from to the Scottish border near
420:igneous centre in the west of Scotland.
583:
252:. It also occupies a large area around
16:Overview of geology in Northumberland
7:
432:, the line along which the former
14:
280:and west along the valley of the
268:. It plays host to the intrusive
29:historic county of Northumberland
86:age. These are intruded by both
497:and to the north and south of
428:Northumberland sits above the
1:
559:Geology of the United Kingdom
104:Northumberland National Park
944:Geography of Northumberland
408:and through the village of
298:Pennine Coal Measures Group
132:Period are assigned to the
23:This article describes the
965:
475:Caledonia Glacigenic Group
939:Geology of Northumberland
71:age volcanic rocks and a
41:geology of Northumberland
592:Bedrock Geology UK North
330:Northumberland Coalfield
232:where it also forms the
100:Northumberland Coalfield
471:glacio-fluvial deposits
332:is contiguous with the
124:originating during the
57:extrusive igneous rocks
903:West Midlands (County)
440:, thereby causing the
118:outcrop near Berwick.
473:, is assigned to the
366:was emplaced during
465:from the last i.e.
949:Geology of England
783:Greater Manchester
697:Geology of England
594:5th Edn. NERC 2007
564:Geology of England
442:Caledonian Orogeny
436:closed during the
392:Numerous dykes of
246:Berwick-upon-Tweed
47:includes a mix of
926:
925:
306:Derwent Reservoir
262:Kielder Reservoir
149:Old Red Sandstone
956:
838:Northamptonshire
690:
683:
676:
667:
660:
657:
651:
644:
638:
635:
629:
626:
620:
619:
617:
615:
601:
595:
588:
334:Durham Coalfield
214:Inverclyde Group
158:Stratheden Group
106:was designated.
964:
963:
959:
958:
957:
955:
954:
953:
929:
928:
927:
922:
848:Nottinghamshire
778:Gloucestershire
723:Buckinghamshire
699:
694:
664:
663:
658:
654:
645:
641:
636:
632:
627:
623:
613:
611:
603:
602:
598:
589:
585:
580:
572:
570:Further reading
555:
535:
523:
517:and elsewhere.
507:
487:
459:
454:
426:
398:Acklington Dyke
390:
353:
290:
234:Simonside Hills
230:Rothbury Forest
220:. Rocks of the
210:
205:
170:
151:
146:
134:Riccarton Group
112:
17:
12:
11:
5:
962:
960:
952:
951:
946:
941:
931:
930:
924:
923:
921:
920:
915:
913:Worcestershire
910:
905:
900:
895:
890:
885:
880:
875:
870:
865:
860:
855:
850:
845:
843:Northumberland
840:
835:
830:
825:
820:
818:Leicestershire
815:
810:
805:
800:
795:
790:
785:
780:
775:
770:
765:
760:
755:
750:
745:
740:
735:
730:
728:Cambridgeshire
725:
720:
715:
709:
707:
701:
700:
695:
693:
692:
685:
678:
670:
662:
661:
652:
639:
630:
621:
596:
582:
581:
579:
576:
571:
568:
567:
566:
561:
554:
551:
543:River terraces
534:
531:
522:
519:
506:
503:
486:
483:
458:
457:Glacial legacy
455:
453:
450:
448:to the south.
430:Iapetus Suture
425:
422:
389:
386:
382:eponymous wall
352:
349:
289:
286:
241:Yoredale Group
209:
208:Yoredale Group
206:
204:
201:
169:
166:
150:
147:
145:
142:
111:
108:
80:Cheviot massif
37:
36:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
961:
950:
947:
945:
942:
940:
937:
936:
934:
919:
916:
914:
911:
909:
906:
904:
901:
899:
896:
894:
891:
889:
888:Tyne and Wear
886:
884:
881:
879:
876:
874:
873:Staffordshire
871:
869:
866:
864:
861:
859:
856:
854:
851:
849:
846:
844:
841:
839:
836:
834:
831:
829:
826:
824:
821:
819:
816:
814:
811:
809:
806:
804:
803:Isle of Wight
801:
799:
798:Hertfordshire
796:
794:
793:Herefordshire
791:
789:
786:
784:
781:
779:
776:
774:
771:
769:
766:
764:
761:
759:
756:
754:
751:
749:
746:
744:
743:County Durham
741:
739:
736:
734:
731:
729:
726:
724:
721:
719:
716:
714:
711:
710:
708:
706:
702:
698:
691:
686:
684:
679:
677:
672:
671:
668:
656:
653:
650:1st Edn. 1977
649:
643:
640:
634:
631:
625:
622:
610:
606:
600:
597:
593:
587:
584:
577:
575:
569:
565:
562:
560:
557:
556:
552:
550:
548:
544:
540:
532:
530:
528:
520:
518:
516:
512:
504:
502:
500:
496:
492:
484:
482:
480:
476:
472:
468:
464:
456:
451:
449:
447:
443:
439:
435:
434:Iapetus Ocean
431:
423:
421:
419:
415:
411:
407:
403:
399:
395:
387:
385:
383:
379:
378:Farne Islands
374:
369:
368:early Permian
365:
361:
358:
350:
348:
346:
343:
339:
335:
331:
327:
323:
319:
315:
311:
307:
303:
299:
295:
288:Coal Measures
287:
285:
283:
279:
275:
271:
267:
263:
259:
255:
251:
247:
242:
237:
235:
231:
227:
226:Kielder Water
223:
219:
215:
207:
203:Carboniferous
202:
200:
198:
194:
190:
186:
182:
179:
175:
168:Igneous rocks
167:
165:
163:
159:
156:
148:
143:
141:
139:
135:
131:
128:epoch of the
127:
123:
119:
117:
114:Rocks of the
109:
107:
105:
101:
97:
93:
89:
85:
84:Carboniferous
81:
77:
74:
70:
66:
62:
58:
54:
50:
46:
43:in northeast
42:
35:
34:
33:Tyne and Wear
30:
26:
21:
20:
19:
898:Warwickshire
842:
823:Lincolnshire
713:Bedfordshire
655:
647:
642:
633:
624:
612:. Retrieved
608:
599:
591:
586:
573:
536:
524:
508:
505:Raised beach
491:Druridge Bay
488:
460:
446:Alston Block
427:
391:
354:
291:
238:
222:Border Group
211:
189:agglomerates
174:Reston Group
171:
152:
120:
113:
40:
38:
22:
18:
893:West Sussex
853:Oxfordshire
768:East Sussex
614:17 February
547:River Tweed
513:and around
511:Lindisfarne
326:Haltwhistle
318:Stocksfield
162:The Cheviot
49:sedimentary
933:Categories
863:Shropshire
828:Merseyside
813:Lancashire
753:Derbyshire
578:References
485:Blown sand
452:Quaternary
438:Palaeozoic
414:Sunderland
410:Acklington
394:Palaeogene
388:Palaeogene
357:tholeiitic
345:coalfields
342:Midgeholme
338:Plenmeller
282:South Tyne
258:Bellingham
122:Greywackes
116:Gala Group
92:Palaeogene
61:Palaeozoic
918:Yorkshire
908:Wiltshire
788:Hampshire
718:Berkshire
609:Bgs.ac.uk
515:Budle Bay
495:Lynemouth
467:Devensian
424:Structure
364:Whin Sill
314:Ponteland
270:Whin Sill
266:Greenhead
254:Otterburn
185:rhyolites
178:andesitic
153:The late
96:Whin Sill
78:form the
59:from the
53:intrusive
868:Somerset
738:Cornwall
733:Cheshire
705:Counties
553:See also
539:alluvium
533:Alluvium
479:Beadnell
406:Rothbury
322:outliers
276:towards
155:Devonian
144:Devonian
130:Silurian
110:Silurian
69:Devonian
65:Cenozoic
878:Suffolk
858:Rutland
833:Norfolk
748:Cumbria
384:built.
362:of the
351:Permian
310:Morpeth
296:of the
274:Craster
250:Alnwick
218:Byrness
197:granite
138:Byrness
126:Wenlock
88:Permian
73:granite
45:England
27:of the
25:geology
883:Surrey
763:Dorset
402:Hawick
360:basalt
328:. The
278:Hexham
76:pluton
67:eras.
773:Essex
758:Devon
499:Blyth
493:, at
302:Amble
294:coals
244:from
181:lavas
808:Kent
616:2019
527:peat
521:Peat
463:till
418:Mull
373:dyke
355:The
340:and
316:and
308:via
304:and
260:and
239:The
212:The
193:tuff
191:and
90:and
63:and
55:and
39:The
248:to
935::
607:.
529:.
501:.
347:.
312:,
284:.
256:,
199:.
187:,
164:.
140:.
51:,
689:e
682:t
675:v
618:.
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