One Year of Geowalks

A whole year ago I ran my first ever Geowalk to Botallack! This first anniversary has made me look back on how Cornwall Geologist and Cornwall Geowalks has grown over the last year.

I’ve had the idea of running guided geology walks around Cornwall for several years. It was born out of interest shown through my social media platform and people asking if I did any.

My experience has been that most people are interested in geology, whether from a professional or academic perspective, or just a natural curiosity of why the landscape is the way it is when out and about on a walk. The problem is the complexity of the subject, both in terms of identifying the rocks you see and the geological processes that created them.

Geology is such an incredible subject that I have been lucky enough to study, research, and teach for all of my adult life. The most rewarding and enjoyable thing has always been to tell others about it.

This is what Cornwall Geologist is all about. Educating and inspiring people from all walks of life about geology, by highlighting and translating some of the complicated stuff to allow folk to understand and appreciate our planet even more.

Cornwall’s geological story is so diverse and important in our lives. There aren’t many places with such a plethora of rock types and geological processes on show in a relatively small area, and having such a major impact on the landscape around us. It is this amazing place that makes my job quite easy!

This time last year I headed out to run that first Geowalk, I was both excited and very nervous! I’ve been running field trips for years, but this was for a different type of audience – customers who were paying their hard-earned money for a great experience and to learn about the amazing geology we have in Cornwall! So it has to be good.

I chose Botallack (tagged as the ‘Tin Coast’ Geowalk after the area around St Just, Pendeen and Morvah in West Penwith for its mining legacy) for two reasons - it’s one of my personal favourite places in Cornwall, and also because there is so much to talk about! It’s got a great blend of amazing geology (which is also quite complicated!) with its biggest impact on the landscape from the mining history and industrial archaeology.

The Geowalk went really well, and those that have ran since have gone from strength to strength. Customer feedback has been entirely positive. I now run Geowalks at 8 different locations around Cornwall, with several more in the pipeline for this year and next.

Turning this idea into a reality has had its challenges, but I’m really proud of what I’ve created. I have had the pleasure to meet loads of great people of all ages, some braving more challenging conditions on Geowalks!

I hope if you’ve read this and haven’t been on a Geowalk, you are convinced to join one in the future! If you have been on one (or several) thank you so much for supporting Cornwall Geologist as it gets off the ground. I hope to see you again soon and please do pass on what I do to friends and family who might be interested.

Here’s to another year of Cornwall Geowalks!

You can see what Geowalks are available to book now on the website - https://www.cornwallgeologist.co.uk/guided-walks