Fieldtrip - Visit to Roche Rock (11am) & Imerys British Lithium pilot plant (1pm - 2pm)

Times and meeting points: Meet at Cornwall Services and consider consolidating into fewer cars, ready to leave at 11 am. Pay parking at Cornwall Services as required. https://www.cornwall-services.com/, up to 4 hours free, £5 for 6 hours.

Drive to Roche Rock, https://www.mindat.org/loc-1225.html,  parking is on the roadside beside the gate facing towards Roche. Visit the spectacular quartz tourmaline rocks, then at 12.30 drive straight to Imerys British Lithium for 1 00 pm Roche Road, St Austell, Cornwall PL26 8ZH - please take care when entering and leaving the car park due to the road works and heavy plant in the area. There is quite limited parking and ask that people car share as much as possible.

What to wear: We would request that those who have steel toe cap boots please come with them on ready to go, if not, we will need boot sizes to be provided at least a week in advance (email Beatrice). We will provide high vis tabards, hard hats, eye and ear protection. please advise in advance any mobility issues.

Participants: maximum 20 people, ideally over 16 but we can welcome younger people on request

Please register (ESSENTIAL) by email (by 26th February) to Beatrice Kerno (beatricekerno@yahoo.co.uk) with names of attendees, PPE requirements (see what to wear above), contact telephone numbers and an emergency contact number for each participant

Fieldtrip – in the footsteps of William Smith, in the countryside around Bath,
Saturday and Sunday 5 and 6 April 2025

Leader: Professor Alan R Butcher, (https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-r-butcher-b2538919/?originalSubdomain=uk) who lives in the same area near Bath where William Smith lived and worked and has researched the local geology and history associated with one of geology’s most famous characters.

Times and meeting point: 11.00 am Saturday 5 April,  Finish approx. 4.30 pm Sunday 6 April. Join for just one day if that suits..

Aim: to explore some of the geology that inspired and helped William Smith to make his famous geological map of the Britain, the first detailed geology map of any country, and visit some of the historical locations in the area where he lived near Bath.   

Food: bring packed lunch

What to wear: be ready with warm weatherproof clothing, walking boots, wellies, or stout shoes and sunhat/sun cream and a hard hat. .

Participants with all levels of geological knowledge are welcome,  under 16s need to be accompanied by an adult on the day time trips and there are no arrangements to supervise young people for the overnight stay so over 18s only for that please.

RGSC members – free, non-members - £5 per day, please bring in a sealed labelled envelope. (Why not join, membership is just £15),

Please register by email to Beatrice Kerno (beatricekerno@yahoo.co.uk) with names of attendees, contact telephone numbers and an emergency contact number for each participant, and if you would like to borrow a hard hat. The deadline for registration is 15 February (at the AGM).

Directions to meeting points: tbc for registered participants

Accommodation: own arrangements  in the Bath, Bradford-on-Avon, Hinton Charterhouse, Tucking Mill (nr Bath), Laverton, Norton St Philip, Iford Manor (Iford) areas. We will see if we can make a group booking for Dinner on Saturday. Here are some suggestions of local hotels advertising rooms available at the beginning of April:

Several people have booked at the Travelodge in Beckington BA11 6SF, £100/2 nights 

Field Trips for 2025

Please let us know if you have particular requests or would be interested to lead a fieldtrip or happy to lend a hand with the organisation of fieldtrips. We had excellent attendance at all the trips last year and we are more limited by the ability to organise than by potential participants!  

Email: royalgeolsoccornwall@gmail.com                  

For all field trips please register by email to Beatrice Kerno (beatricekerno@yahoo.co.uk) with names of attendees, contact telephone numbers and an emergency contact number for each participant.                                                                                                                         

This fieldtrip was over subscribed in November 2024 and we are planning to run a repeat in 2025, date tbc.

Visit to GEL (Geothermal Engineering Ltd), United Downs, TR16 5HY, Deepest and Hottest Onshore Well and first Geothermal Power Plant in the UK  Jane  Charman and Claudia Malam will host up to 35 people (members priority) and give a presentation on the geothermal project stages, research and notable geology. We will be able to see the well and new power plant from the viewing station. (visit will take about 2- 2.5 hours)

• Agenda
  • Refreshments, browse the wall posters and watch project videos
  • Presentation – Geothermal project stages at United Downs, research projects and notable geology
  • Q & A session
  • See the power plant from the viewing platform
  • Final Q & A
• Site visits are free of charge

*** Please register with Beatrice Kerno, beatricekerno@yahoo.co.uk, in order to attend. Please provide your name, phone number and an emergency contact phone number, as usual for fieldtrips. Much of the event will be indoors but we will go up some steps to the viewing station which is exposed to the weather.

Directions to the GEL office:
The United Downs Industrial Estate only has one road into it.   Enter the United Downs Ind. Est.   Go past CFS and In Steel on the left.
•Just past In Steel you will see a large GEL sign, this is the GEL HGV entrance. Drive past this entrance and immediately turn left between the GEL site and County Tyres.
•As you drive down the side of County Tyres you will see a set of gates in front of you, this is the GEL HGV exit.
•Just as you turn to go behind County Tyres you will see an open set of gates with a “Gate B” sign. Please park vehicles just outside of the site, ensuring gates to premises (GEL and other businesses) are not blocked.
•Proceed through the open gates on foot and press the intercom button on the keypad by the inner gates.
•Be aware the gates will open outwards towards you so don’t get too close.
You will be met at the office door by one of the GEL team.
If you have any trouble finding us, call the number above.
What Three Words: https://what3words.com/huts.stardom.domain
Note: The site can only accommodate cars and small minibuses for those who are unable to walk from the kerbside.

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