Bodenham Arboretum lies in the north-eastern section of the Geopark within a pocket of land that is underlain by the most easterly exposures of Silurian and Devonian aged rocks in the Geopark.
Criss-crossing this pocket of land lie many fault lines, indicating that the area has been subjected to at least one, though more likely several, periods of earth movements during its long history. The most significant of these fault lines lies on the eastern edge of this pocket of land; it separates the Silurian and Devonian rocks from the much younger Permian and Triassic aged rocks to the east. To the west the Silurian and Devonian rocks give way to Carboniferous-aged strata.
The lithologies of the various aged rocks found across this whole sequence, in the immediate area, are all sedimentary in nature. There are numerous different sandstones, siltstone, mudstone and occasional layers of limestone and coal. Each of these different rock types and units has a different resistance to both erosion and weathering. This together with the structural complexity of the strata due to the faulting and minor folding of the rocks has played a significant role in the shaping the beautiful hill and valley landscape in and around Bodenham Arboretum.
Explore the Geology and Landscape of Bodenham Arboretum
- The Arboretum Geology Trail (½ mile (0.8km) – leaflet available from the Visitor Centre and as a download.
Explore the bedrock and superficial geology of Bodenham Arboretum on the British Geological Surveys ‘Geology of Britain Viewer’ – click here to be directed to their webpage
