Some members have expressed interest in a weekend trip, so the following has been arranged:
All day Saturday 29 June 2024 and half-day Sunday 30 June 2024
The Girvan-Ballantrea Complex: Ayrshire coast
Excursion leader: Conn Gillen (University of Edinburgh)
Geology
This will be an opportunity to examine and discuss an ophiolite complex – diverse Ordovician age rocks from the mantle and ocean crust, juxtaposed by faulting. Ophiolites are quite rare. Other ophiolites are in Cornwall and Shetland, so the Girvan-Ballantrae area is definitely our nearest! I expect we’ll examine Silurian strata as well. The origins and histories of these rocks are complicated, but our leader, Conn, is familiar with guiding various groups here and has also offered a pre-trip Zoom briefing. Attendees can get involved with the geological intricacies or take a more introductory approach and admire the excellently exposed rocks that we’ll see, such as pillow lavas, layered chert and so-on.
Background information can be found online. There’s an introduction at: https://www.geologynorth.uk/ballantrae-ophiolite-complex/ More detailed references with geological information will follow with confirmation of your booking.
Practicalities
Attendees need to be ready to start on the Saturday and Sunday mornings. Given the distance from Cumbria this means that arrangements need to be made for Friday night and Saturday night accommodation. (Dates and timing have been governed by low tide conditions). Attendees might want to share transport and accommodation and will need to make their own arrangements. Details of some accommodation suggestions will follow on confirmation of booking. The aim is to have about 15 attendees with individual costs of £20 to cover any possible CGS outlays.
A moderate amount of coastal / foreshore walking will be involved. Stout footwear and weather gear will be needed, as for most of our field excursions. Conn will provide more guidance on topics such as fitness, walking distances, parking / meeting spots, loo stops, potential lunch stops, etc in due course. Attendees will need to use their own vehicles (hopefully shared) to get to start points.
At present there’s no fixed plan for meeting up socially on the Friday or Saturday evenings – this might be fun and is something that can be considered nearer the time (or on the spot).
The excursion is expected to end around lunchtime on Sunday 30 June. Attendees may wish to use the afternoon for more exploration of the Ayrshire coast (seal spotting?!) or for their return trip, or they could extend their stay of course.
Booking details
In view of the need to book up accommodation soon, if you are interested in the trip please add your email address via the form together with  payment of £20 to CGS trip account with ref BALLAN Name; Sort code 20 18 47 ; Account No. 90207128 by 2 February 2024. Bookings will be on a first come first served basis. Should the trip not be viable deposits will obviously be returned.
Any non-members who wish to attend, please join the society prior to registering.
Form to Book a Place
Phil Davies, CGS President
Next Events for 2024
The Windermere Supergroup – * Postponed *
Thursday, 16 April, 2026
Leader: Richard Wrigley, WGS
Examination of latest Ordovician to late Silurian rocks unconformably overlying rocks of the Borrowdale Volcanic Group. Total walking distance (moderate) is about 6.5km. In places it maybe wet underfoot. (Participants are recommended to have read GA Cumbria Guide Volume 2, itinerary 2.3).
As there is limited parking at the start, attendees are requested to car share where possible.
Please read the Excursion Information (including Risk Assessment) before booking.
RW Windermere Super Group Excursion Information
Supergene mineralisation in the Lake District
Wednesday, 22 April, 2026
Brian Young (Hon. Res. Fellow, Durham University) will give a talk on ‘Supergene mineralisation in the Lake District – are the Caldbeck Fells a special case?’
Askill Knot to Low Fell
Wednesday, 29 April, 2026
Leader: Phil Davies, CGS
Meet at 10am  NW of ‘Pinfold’: NY 1277 2180. The track heads NW from the rendezvous point: green dots on this map. Limited side-of-road parking at various places along Loweswater shore.
Wonderfully exposed structures in Ordovician age Skiddaw Group strata (Loweswater Formation) north of Loweswater: complex slump folding at Askill Knott; thrusts and folds on the lower slope of Darling Fell; dramatic fold and shear structures in the closure of the major Loweswater anticline viewed from below Low Fell. See The Cumberland Geologist No 4 (thrusts, Darling Fell); and No 5 (Askill Knott and drone photography).
Please read the Excursion Information (including Risk Assessment) before booking.
CGS Excursion Information and Risk Assessment 29 Apr 2026 Loweswater
A random walk in the Caledonian Orogen
Wednesday, 13 May, 2026
Bernard Skillerne de Bristow will give a talk on ‘A random walk in the Caledonian Orogen’
Ingleborough
Wednesday, 3 June, 2026
Leader: Bernard Skillerne de Bristowe
Details TBC
Excursion Information, Hazard and Safety Assessment and Booking Details to follow.
Seathwaite Fell
Wednesday, 17 June, 2026
Leader: David Hasleden, CGS
Billed by the late Clive Boulter as “The best traverse through the best-preserved caldera-fill sedimentary sequence in the world” the excursion will follow Clive’s 2017 joint field trip itinerary through the Seathwaite Fell Formation. The field itinerary can be found on Clive’s website https://englishlakedistrictgeology.org.uk/.
The excursion is around 8k with 540m of ascent and maximum altitude of 630m. The approach is on good mountain paths, but the geological traverse is on pathless open fell, steep in places with some simple scrambling. Meet at Seathwaite Farm at 10am. Parking is available for free on the Seatoller to Seathwaite Road – usually very busy, or for £5 per day (2025) at the farm.
CGS Risk Assessnment Seathwaite Fell 2026
Windermere Supergroup in the Grizebeck, Gawthwaite and Woodland area
Wednesday, 8 July, 2026
Leader: Dave Kelly
Based on new GA Cumbria Guide 2.5
Meeting in the car park of the Greyhound Inn, Grizebeck SD238849.
Excursion Information, Hazard and Safety Assessment and Booking Details to follow.
Sourmilk Gill, Seathwaite
Monday, 27 July, 2026
Leader: John Lackie
A volcanic ‘bomb’ and various Borrowdale Volcanic Group exposures. It entails a moderately strenuous path up the side of the gill. Further information in GA Cumbria Guide 1.2.
Meet at Seathwaite Farm at 10am. Parking is available for free on the Seatoller to Seathwaite Road – usually very busy, or for £5 per day (2025) at the farm.
This will be a joint trip with Cockermouth u3a Geology Group and numbers will be limited so book direct with the leader email hidden; JavaScript is required
Excursion Information and Hazard and Safety Assessment to follow.
Binsey
Wednesday, 5 August, 2026
Leader: Ian Francis
Afternoon excursion to explore the Eycott Volcanic Group on Binsey, and its relationship to the underlying Skiddaw Group. Starting point: 2pm at roadside carparking at Bewaldeth road end, Bassenthwaite NY 23549 35104 (W3W factoring.pulps.salon). The route will take us around the southwestern foot of Binsey to Whittas (NY 21418 36217), returning to start point via Binsey top.
Excursion Information, Hazard and Safety Assessment and Booking Details to follow.
Braystones to St Bees: A walk along the coastal path to view the legacy of glacial readvances.
Saturday, 5 September, 2026
Leader: Jon Merritt
The coastal path allows easy access to view glacial landforms and to study sediments at several localities between Braystones and St Bees. These provide an insight into subglacial and ice-marginal processes that operated during the latter stages of the last glaciation in the region. The excursion is planned to start at c.11.20 am at Braystones Station [NY 0010 0597], joining up with participants who have taken the train from St Bees at c.11.00 am. The first stop will be a degraded cliff section beside the River Ehen at Warborough Nook [NY 0085 0494], a quiet locality good for a picnic. The route then follows the coastal path through Lowside Quarter to Nethertown Beach [NX 9881 0734], where we can examine a raised beach and cliff sections around the promontory. The coastal path is then followed back to St Bees stopping at several small sections and scrapes at the back of some large, but stable, landslips. The excursion ends at the southern end of the St Bees Moraine at Sea Mill [NX 9695 1074] where there is parking for cars only. The route is c.10 km over gently undulating ground, but includes walking on a bouldery shingle beach at Nethertown.
Excursion Information, Hazard and Safety Assessment and Booking Details to follow.