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GeoSites within Torbay
You will soon be able to click on the sites below for site designations and in depth information.
Click here for a map of the sites within Torbay.
Where are the sites?
Over the next few weeks we will be building this page to show the details of all of the keys sites listed on the Torbay Site Map
- Babbacome Cliffs
Easily visible from Oddicombe Beach, faulting has caused a section of red coloured breccias of the Permian age to drop down next to the pale limestones. Within another section of the cliff the pressures of the Variscan Ororgeny, mountain building era, are evident where the rocks are in fact turned upside down, the dark slates at the bottom of the cliff are actually younger than the limestones at the top!
- Barcombe Mews Quarry, Shorton
Easily accessible this is an ideal site to view the Permian breccias
- Barton Quarry
This site is of key historical importance as a source of rich late Middle Devonian faunas. Limited access.
- Berry Head to Sharkham point
Massively quarried limestone headland, a National Nature Reserve, stands 60 metres (200foot) above sea level guarding the Bay. High sea levels during the Quaternary cut this high level marine platform whilst later extensive marine caves developed. Within the quarry sandstone filled fissures (dykes) cut into the limestone evidence of deposition in the Permian. The site provides an excellent viewpoint from which to view Torbay.
- Black Head and Anstey’s Cove
The only significant outcrop of igneous rock in Torbay is found between Black Head and Anstey’s Cove
- Breakwater Quarry, Brixham
Middle Devonian limestones from the quarry were used to build Brixham Breakwater (Photo of Brixham breakwater looking across to the quarry)
- Brokenbury Quarry, Churston Ferrers
- Brixham Cavern
The Cave was discovered in 1858 and subsequent excavation revealed important vertebrate remains eg mammoth, woolly rhinoceros and cave lion. (Not open to the public)
- Chapel Hill, Torre
Easily viewed and accessible from the road this site demonstrates the relationship between the Devonian limestone and younger Permian breccia
- Churston Cove / Churston Point
- Crystal Cove
Exposure of a post Variscan, north-south fault with a remarkable 25m wide zone of crystalline calcite indicating the presence of a major fluid path way.
- Daddyhole
The rich fauna within the Devonian Daddyhole limestone is well exposed and dessication cracks (which form as the sediments dry out) are evident and uncommon feature in the Torquay. Daddyhole Cove shows alternating sequences of shales and limestones, the units displayed in a large recumbent fold.
- Dyers Quarry
The quarry face and floor are dominated by a rich fauna. The best example in South Devon of fossilised corals in their position of growth and the best section in South Devon of the upper part of the Daddyhole Limestone Formation (Late Eifelian)
- Goodrington Quarry and Road Cutting
Exposure of Middle Devonian (Givetian) Limestone. The site shows a valuable range of geological features.
- Hollicombe Head to Corbyns Head
Easily viewed from Torquay Seafront and Livermead Sands the bight red cliffs expose the sandstones and conglomerates of the Permian. The sandstones indicate deposition in seasonal rivers whilst the conglomerates that of alluvial fan conditions.
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- Hopes Nose: Marine Devonian
A locality with unrivalled exposures in the Torquay Limestone
- Hopes Nose: Mineralogy of SW England
A nationally important site for mineral structures where hydrothermal fluids led to the formation of gold and rare palladium minerals
- Hopes Nose and Thatcher Rock: Quaternary of SW England
Key sites for the study of Quarternary stratigraphy and sea-level change
- Hopes Nose South
Provides an excellent example of Variscan structures of the South West in the form of an overturned F1 fold, verging north-west.
- Kents Cavern
Designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument, Kents Cavern is one of the best known show caves in the country. The caves have undergone considerable research and study and are an incredibly important Quarternary site.
- Long Quarry
Long Quarry is unique in displaying development, growth and form of a stromatoporoid reef.
- Lummaton Quarry
The site where the Lummaton Shell beds within the Devonian limestone led to the naming of the Devonian Period. Arguably the most important single fossiliferous locality of Devonian age in Britainand possibly the world. Known by Sedgwick and Murchison and later described by Davidson and Whidbourne.
- Meadfoot Sea Rd
- New Cut
The exposure at New Cut indicates a near shore, inner shelf environment, a unique locality
- Oddicombe
Here the Oddicombe breccias of Permain age are faulted against the Devonian Limestones of Petitor
- Petitor, Maidencombe
The site exposes section of both the Middle and Upper Devonina with Permain deposits resting unconformably on the Upper Devonian. Marbles quarried from here were very much in demand during the Victorian era.
- Quarry Woods Quarry, Cockington
- Roundham Head
A key site to demonstrate Permian sedimentary environments including palaeowind and directions of fluvial transport
- Saltern Cove LNR: Marine Devonian
One of the most important Upper Devonian localities. Saltern Cove and Waterside Cove are easily accessible and display extensive sections of both Upper and Lower Devonian beds.
- Saltern Cove LNR: Permian Triassic
A key site showing Permain rocks resting directly on top of Lower Devonian a regionally significant unconformity. Fossil burrows found near Waterside are evidence of life within the Permian deserts, perhaps the place for a primitive reptile to hide away from the sun.
- Sharkham Iron Mine
The former mine workings reveal a form of mineralisation that is virtually unique to the region
- Shoalstone
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