About Us

Cumbria GeoConservation Group (CGC) is a voluntary geological conservation group working to record and look after important geological sites.

Membership comprises not only earth scientists and members of wildlife bodies, but also volunteers with other skills such as project management and data handling. New members are always welcome.

The Cumbria GeoConservation Group is an affiliated member of Geoconservation UK and seeks to:

  • identify new Local Geological Sites in Cumbria

  • monitor and review existing sites

  • promote the educational value of earth science field locations not only for essential teaching but for recreational and for research purposes

  • liaise with other county or regional Geoconservation groups in the UK

  • maintain responsible access to valued sites

Currently there are about 280 recorded sites all of which have been evaluated by our members. Site details are logged with Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre (CBDC) and are relayed to Cumbria County Council and planning authorities. CGC operates as a special interest group of Cumbria Wildlife Trust.

Examples of Local Geological Sites suitable for inclusion in the Cumbria GeoConservation system include:

  • rocks and soils exposed in quarries, cuttings, stream sections and coastal localities

  • geomorphological features in the landscape such as areas affected by past glaciation and subsequent deposition, ridges and valleys, moorland and floodplain tracts

  • anthropogenic features including former quarrying, mining, tipping and former industrial sites

The sites we have listed and that are shown on the interactive map are ones that are accessible without seeking permission, are on Open Access land or visible from public rights of way.  By their very nature some of these sites are in remote areas, open fellside or tidally-flooded shores: wear appropriate clothing and use common sense - safety is your responsibility.

Follow the Countryside Code:    Follow the Geological Society guidance

Follow the Geologists Association Code for Rock Coring  and Field Work.

Those sites which we consider are particularly interesting to the general public are  shown as red dots on the map and for some of these sites there is a choice between a non-technical ‘leaflet’ (downloadable as a pdf) with further details, a map and a photograph or a ‘site data sheet’ with more geological information for the amateur geologist.

Fossil & mineral collecting code:

Please be aware that it is illegal in the UK to take minerals or fossils from national parks, heritage sites or Local Geological Sites (LGS). You should never collect specimens from scientifically important sites, such as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) or LGS.

Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre

The Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre at Tullie House Museum, Carlisle keeps wildlife information for the county of Cumbria. Tullie House Museum, in its role as a local natural history museum, has collected and disseminated records of wildlife in Cumbria since its inception in 1893. From the early 1990s the Museum has developed a computerised database of species and habitat records in Cumbria and has taken the central role in providing a local biodiversity data service for the county. This role was restyled as Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre (CBDC) in 2010, a not-for-profit organisation hosted by Tullie House Museum and advised by local stakeholders.
Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre
Cumbria Biodiversity Data CentreThursday, October 15th, 2026 at 11:20pm
There are still places on the CHEGD (waxcap and allies) workshop on Sunday 1st November at Plumgarths. If you have some recording experience, this might be of interest. Find out more and sign up:
https://www.ticketsource.com/cumbria-ecoskills/chegd-fungi-id/e-pmdpqp

An opportunity to find out more about ancient grasslands!
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Cumbria Biodiversity Data Centre
Cumbria Biodiversity Data CentreThursday, October 15th, 2026 at 6:55am
Following up from our last post on the Harlequin ladybird, we thought you might like to see the larval stage which might not be as familiar as the adult. Excellent aphid eaters!
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Cumbria Biodiversity Data CentreThursday, October 1st, 2026 at 1:23am
Over the next month, you might see more ladybirds coming indoors - especially if you live in more urban areas of Cumbria like Carlisle and Kendal. While native ladybirds will over-winter in garden sheds, leaf litter and crevices in woody plants or fences, the non-native Harlequin (Harmonia axyridis) is looking for somewhere a little warmer to spend the winter diapause and will enter houses to congregate in corners. These ladybirds are originally from Asia so need drier and warmer conditions than the native species.

The Harlequin is very variable - hence the name. The two examples shown here were collected at the same time in the same place! Some colour patterns can look very similar to the native species but generally Harlequins have brown legs and undersides while native species tend to have black legs/underside. Harlequins tend to be quite large too compared to the more variable sizes seen in the 45+ native species.

Over-wintering ladybirds won't do any damage and shouldn't pose a problem wherever you find them. But if you do find some in your home and they have brown legs, you can be confident that they are the Harlequin. Do record any ladybirds that you see so we can better understand the key locations of Harlequins across Cumbria and how they might be interacting with the natives.

And if you want to see a plentiful number of Harlequins this month, Mayor's Drive near Bitts Park in Carlisle is usually a good spot.
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Cumbria Biodiversity Data CentreWednesday, September 23rd, 2026 at 4:57am
Cumbria has over 1500 County Wildlife Sites, many on private land. We are working with @CumbriaWildlifeTrust to provide free surveys of these sites so we can understand their condition and help guide landowners to find management advice and support.

Find out more about County Wildlife Sites in general and across Cumbria using these resources - and contact the Cumbria County Wildlife Sites Project if you think you have a site and would welcome a survey.

https://www.cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk/wildlife/county-wildlife-sites
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/local-sites-and-nature-conservation/local-sites-and-nature-conservation
Or the LWS Hub: https://www.localwildlifesites.org/
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Cumbria Biodiversity Data CentreWednesday, September 16th, 2026 at 1:12am
As well as the excellent Plantlife resources and Waxcap Watch, CBDC has two upcoming waxcap training sessions - Thursday 8th October and Sunday 1st November. We're finalising details but do let us know if you would like more information/have priority booking by completing our expressions of interest form:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe5JQ99XCSMMIyUX641NL8EqGz6gXH4C2hItqp9EFL-iFXhKw/viewform?usp=publish-editor
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Cumbria Biodiversity Data CentreMonday, September 14th, 2026 at 5:51am
It is apple season! The apple harvest looks good again this year - albeit with possibly smaller apples than usual. Traditionally managed orchards are good sites for biodiversity but their location and condition in Cumbria are not well understood. If you manage a traditional orchard, tell us about it. Do get in contact if you would be willing to share information about your orchard.
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