Dronfield Geological Walkabouts

Dronfield owes its character to the local geology. The history, scenery, vegetation, industry and even the weather are all controlled to a greater or lesser extent by the Carboniferous rocks on which Dronfield is built.

The three Geological Walkabouts are an easy and enjoyable way to look at and begin to understand the way that geology influences the township in which we live. The Walkabouts are written by a local geologist, Dr Mike Romano, who has been living in Dronfield for nearly 40 years and was a lecturer in the Geology Department at the University of Sheffield.

The walks are designed for those just wishing to spend an odd hour, a half day or perhaps even longer, visiting geological sites in the area.

Walkabout 1 – Dronfield church of St John the Baptist. This short excursion, of about 1 hour, takes place within and in the grounds of the Parish Church. It is a short excursion, ideal for children to find features mentioned in the text, and serves as a suitable first introduction to rock types and local geology.

Walkabout 2 – This is the longest excursion, and visits localities in North Dronfield/Coal Aston. A car is useful for this excursion, which may be parked at the local garden centres for some of the sites visited, but the tour may also be done in two stages. The excursion takes the visitor through much of the sequence of geological rocks in the area except the youngest (see Geological Walkabout 3).

Walkabout 3 – Frith Wood is the area where the youngest rocks in the area may be seen, together with some archaeological features. The excursion may take an hour or so but as it involves some off-path walking and steep slopes it is not suitable for wheelchair users.

[As is usual in any geological excursion, please observe the following:- Take care when looking at sites alongside roads, avoid standing under vertical quarry faces and do not hammer the exposures!]