The Cob House Fisheries sits within a landscape feature known as the Worcester Basin. This is an ancient rift valley which formed back in the latter stages of the Permian Period ((299-251 million years ago).
During the Permian and Triassic periods vast quantities of sedimentary rocks, including breccias, conglomerates, sandstones, siltstones, mudstones and evaporates where deposited in to this basin. This deposited material was transported by wind (aeolian) and by vast rivers and streams. Some material travelled far, carried by the mighty Budleighensis River, other material simply weathered from the sides of the rift valley forming alluvial fans along its edges.
It was during the latter stages of the Triassic Period when the rocks on which the Cob House Fisheries were laid down. The unit of rock is called the Sidmouth Mudstone Formation (part of the Mercia Mudstone Group of rock units) and formed part of the final infill of the Worcester Basin.
The rock consists predominantly of red mudstones which can either be blocky with no structure or be made up of very fine layers (laminations). These two different structures in the mudstone are key indicators to the environment in which they formed; laminated mudstones infers that the mud particles were deposited in shallow temporary lakes that formed in the Worcester Basin; the blocky mudstones imply that they were formed from wind-blown dust deposits.
Some of the mudstones in the area have a high clay content. This clay has been used in the past for brick making and no doubt has lined a fair few ponds.
Explore the Geology and Landscape in and around Bewdley Museum
- Geology and landscape trails in the immediate area are:
- The Geopark Way long distance walking trail passes close by in the parish of Martley – available from Cob House Fisheries
- Martley Geology trails 1, 2 and 3 are close by in the Parish of Martley – available as free downloads (follow links) and from the infomation point in village centre, at the Old Weighbridge opposite shops and pub.
Explore the bedrock and superficial geology of the Cob House Fisheries area on the British Geological Surveys ‘Geology of Britain Viewer’ – click here to be directed to their webpage
