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Cenozoic
65 – 1.8 Million years ago

Any rocks laid down during the Jurassic and Cretaceous period were weathered away during the Cenozoic but we still find remnant flint deposits all over the region and on the beaches. 

Additionally, the Alpine or Alpide Orogeny, another mountain building period began when the continents Africa and India and the small Cimmerian Plate collided (from the south) with Eurasia in the north. 


 

Currently the process still continues in some of the Alpide mountain ranges e.g the Himalayas.  Although the major effects of this phase are found in Europe, Torbay saw much faulting and fracturing of the rocks.  The fault lines criss cross the Bay, faulting shaping the headland of Meadfoot and the Lustleigh-Sticklepath fault emerges in Torquay.  In fact the cliff railway built in 1924 utilises a fault line to its advantage.   



 

 
 
English Riviera Geopark History quick links

Formation of the Earth and Plate Tectonics
Devonian
Naming of the Devonian Period
What happened to the Carboniferous?
Mountain Building, 300 million years ago
Permian
There’s gold in them there hills!  Permian/Triassic
Jurassic and Cretaceous
* Cenozoic
Quaternary
Built Heritage and Industry

>> Onto Quaternary

   
 
An interpretation of Torbay’s coral reef,
based on fossil evidence, artwork by Brin Edwards.
 
 
 
Torbay Coast and Countryside Trust 2007