Day Field Meeting: Smestow Valley and Wightwick Bank – Led by Andrew Harrison and Julie Schroder
October 11, 2026 @ 10:30 am – 4:00 pm
Following a recent BCGS geo-conservation effort, a quarried passage provides an excellent exposure of the Early Triassic Wildmoor Sandstone (Olenikian-Anisian). Deposited in the Staffordshire basin, these well sorted fluvial sandstones display excellent sedimentological features revealing the depositional setting. The phot (left) shows a depression behind the face of the quarried Wildmoor Sandstone exposing a fill of Quaternary till.
To get a flavour for the geology to be visited please take a look at a 2-minute video of the cutting that was made during the geo-conservation activity at this location. https://youtu.be/0lLNtNE9NNA
The morning will involve 30 minutes of walking in the Smestow Valley Nature Reserve where we will discuss the geomorphology, biodiversity and local history before visiting a geological exposure to examine the Wildmoor Sandstone. Note there are some small glacial erratics to be found near the exposure.
In the afternoon we will visit the Mount Hotel and Wightwick Manor to see the recently ‘re-discovered’ glacial erratics from Charles Benjamin Mander’s late 19th century ‘bouldery’ and learn about their connection with the Wightwick Manor erratics. (There will be a substitute in the unlikely event that the Mount Hotel is unavailable.) This will be followed by a visit to see the formal display and other erratics at Wightwick Manor, with time to visit their cafe to round off the day’s activities. Finish c.4.00 pm. For more details on the afternoon visits please refer to articles published in recent BGSS newsletters.
To register for this trip please email Julie Harrald [email protected]