Wilderness Voyage in Deeptime
The Wilderness Voyage at only 2.4km (1.5 miles) covers a great range of rock types, formed in both terrestrial and marine environments. The Voyage begins in the village of Mitcheldean in West Gloucestershire, situated on the red sandstones of 400 million year old river flood plains and channels. The Voyage then takes you to a quarry exposing rocks, rich in marine fossils, formed in the early Carboniferous when the sea was returning to the area.The route continues along the Wysis Way, climbing to the Wilderness area, with extensive views of the May Hill and the Malvern Hills, crossing bands of many different types of rock in the process. The final stage of the Voyage visits two large quarries, one in Carboniferous sandstones full of fascinating features, the other in Carboniferous limestones.
Voyage map
The colour overlay on the map , depicts the different rocks of the Wilderness – Plump Hill area. Touching these different colours on the map running in the Voyager app, will display the name of the rock, provide images of how the environment may have looked when that rock was forming, the life forms that existed and environmental audio. As much of that content as possible is replicated in the following.
Links to Task Sites for the Wilderness Voyage
1 Church stones
2 Wilderness Quarry
3 Steep rise
4 Stenders Quarry
5 View
6 Wilderness wall
7 Red soil
8 Sandy path
9 Ponds
10 Sandstone Quarry
11 Limestones
Early Carboniferous Earth – land and sea around the time limestone rocks of the Voyage formed.
Late Carboniferous Earth – land and sea around the time the Carboniferous terrestrial rocks of Voyage formed.
Devonian Earth – land and sea around the time the late Devonian terrestrial rocks of the Voyage formed.
The following links are to environmental reconstructions, life forms, atmospheric composition, day length, top predators, climate and other facts relating to the times when the various rock units of the Voyage area were forming. Starting with the youngest rocks.
Coleford Member – outcrops in SW corner of map area, but is not crossed by Voyage route
Around 306 million years old
Environment – north view | Lifeforms | Information
Trenchard Formation
Around 308 million years old
Environment – north view | From above | Lifeforms | Information
Cromhall Sandstone Formation (old name Drybrook Sandstone)
Around 334 million years old
Environment – north view | From above | Environment – south view | Lifeforms | Information
Llanelly Formation (old name Whitehead Limestone)
Around 340 million years old
Environment – north view | From above | Environment – south view | Weather forecast | Lifeforms | Information
Gully Oolite Formation (old name Crease Limestone)
Around 348 million years old
Environment – north view | From above | Environment – south view | Weather forecast | Lifeforms | Information
Black Rock Limestone (old name Lower Dolomite)
Around 350 million years old
Environment – north view | From above | Weather forecast | Lifeforms | Information
Avon Group (old name Lower Limestone Shales)
Around 359 million years old
Environment – north view | From above | Environment – south view | Lifeforms | Information
Tintern Sandstone Group
Around 360 million years old
Environment – north view | Environment – south view | Lifeforms | Information
Quartz Conglomerate
Around 365 million years old
Environment – north view | From above | Environment – east view | Lifeforms | Information
Brownstones
Around 400 million years old
Environment – north view | From above | Weather forecast | Lifeforms | Information