home page   what's new?   email bobtrubs@indigogroup.co.uk to request updates (please mention Rutland Village by Village) or to offer new information   Rutland Village by Village only WWW Village by Village Ashwell Ayston Barleythorpe Barrow Barrowden Beaumont Chase Belmesthorpe Belton-in-Rutland Bisbrooke Braunston-in-Rutland Brooke Burley Caldecott Clipsham Cottesmore Edith Weston Egleton Empingham Essendine Exton Glaston Great Casterton Greetham Gunthorpe Hambleton Horn Ketton Langham Leighfield Little Casterton Lyddington Lyndon Manton Market Overton Martinsthorpe Morcott Normanton North Luffenham Oakham Pickworth Pilton Preston Ridlington Ryhall Seaton South Luffenham Stoke Dry Stretton Teigh Thistleton Thorpe by Water Tickencote Tinwell Tixover Uppingham Wardley Whissendine Whitwell Wing This site sponsored by   Heart of Albion

Interim geology map with not-very-helpful legend. It'll get sorted... Rutland's geology Rutland is a triangle of generally undulating land with its apex to the south. The eastern part includes an outcrop of ironstone, used extensively for building and giving a distinctive character to villages in that area. The excellent limestone from Ketton's quarries has been used locally and for many prestigious buildings, including the Tower of London, Windsor Castle, York Minster and Oxford colleges. The geology of Rutland is a classic example of the Mesozoic era in the East Midlands, primarily composed of a sequence of Jurassic sedimentary rocks that dip gently towards the east. The alternating layers of hard limestones and softer mudstones create a distinct, rolling landscape of scarp and dip slopes, deeply dissected by river valleys like the Gwash, where Rutland Water was formed. Geological Formations The bedrock geology is dominated by the Lias, Inferior Oolite, and Great Oolite groups, spanning the Early to Middle Jurassic periods. No igneous or metamorphic rocks are found at the surface. Lower Jurassic: The Lias Group The oldest rocks exposed at the surface belong to the Lias Group, which consists of mudstones and limestones. Marlstone Rock Formation (Ironstone) A prominent, hard, fossiliferous, ferruginous limestone (locally an ironstone) that weathers to a characteristic golden-orange/brown colour. This formation forms the capping of the west-facing escarpment and has historically been used as a significant local building material, as seen in many buildings in Oakham and Uppingham. Whitby Mudstone Formation This lies above the Marlstone Rock and is a key formation for fossils, including a well-preserved ichthyosaur specimen discovered during the construction of Rutland Water. The mudstones and siltstones can be dark and rich in organic matter. Britain's largest-ever ichthyosaur was recovered during the construction of Rutland Water. Middle Jurassic: The Oolite Groups Overlying the Lias are the Inferior and Great Oolite groups, which are a sequence of limestones, sandstones, and mudstones. Northampton Sand Formation, part of the Inferior Oolite Group, is also ferruginous and weather to warm shades of brown and yellow. They were historically quarried for both iron ore and building stone (known locally as 'Uppingham Stone'). Lincolnshire Limestone Formation: This is the most substantial Middle Jurassic limestone unit in the East Midlands and a major source of building stone and aggregate for the region. The famous Clipsham Stone and Ketton Stone, used in historic buildings across the UK, come from quarries in this formation. The Great Oolite Group is a key geological feature of the area. It is a largely non-marine succession formed from muds and sands deposited in land-marginal areas, showing a repeated cycle of clays, limestones, and clastics. It is known for a famous Cetiosaurus dinosaur specimen found at Great Casterton. How Cetiosaurus might have looked. Blisworth Limestone and Cornbrash Formations: Younger limestones in the sequence found in the east of the county. These formations are highly variable in character and rich in marine fossils like oysters and bivalves. Quaternary deposits Scattered glacial till deposits are mostly on the higher ground in the west of the county. Along with alluvium floors the river valleys they are a legacy of the Anglian glaciation. Economic importance Historically, ironstone extraction was a major industry, but operations ceased in the 1970s. Today, the main mineral extraction is focused on the abundant limestone resources in the eastern half of the county, primarily for aggregate and cement manufacture at the important Ketton Cement Works, as well as for high-quality, locally distinctive building and roofing stone. Ketton Cement Works in the 2020s. Back to top of this page     Back to home page   This website does not gather or store any visitor information. Copyright Bob Trubshaw 2026 No unauthorised copying or reproduction except if all following conditions apply a: Copy is complete (including this copyright statement). b: No changes are made. c: No charge is made. www.hoap.co.uk/rutland

Rutland's history home page what's new? glossary bibliography Rutland's geology Rutland's boundaries Rutland's rivers long, long ago prehistoric Rutland Roman Rutland long ago Anglo-Saxon Rutland Rutland's place-names waterborne transport around the sixth century Rutland's early churches Anglo-Saxon sculpture in Rutland The Matter of Rutland what the Normans did for Rutland Romanesque sculpture in Rutland Rutland's royal forests Rutland in medieval times Rutland's scratch dials Rutland's medieval carvings Rutland's sepulchral effigies Rutland's saltways Rutland in Tudor times Dissolution in Rutland not that long ago Rutland in the 17th century pinfolds and pounds in Rutland dovecotes in Rutland Rutland in the 18th century turnpiking Rutland Rutland's springs and wells changes in Rutland's agriculture since 1800 seems like yesterday Rutland's dialect Rutland's folk customs travellers in Rutland watermills and windmills in Rutland breweries in Rutland gasworks in Rutland ironstone quarrying in Rutland Zeppelins over Rutland redundant telephone exchanges in Rutland Second World War in Rutland WWII airfields and pillboxes in Rutland the making of Rutland Water Rutland Weekend Television free online history resources Victoria County History: Rutland volume one Victoria County History: Rutland volume two free PDFs of Rutland Record issues 1 to 50 old OS maps Historic England Listed buildings database Sepulchral Effigies of Leicestershire and Rutland Open Domesday English Place-Name Society database Wikipedia list of places in Rutland (with links to village entries) Wikipedia list of people from Rutland researching and writing local history getting started free advice from 2005 asking curious questions (YouTube video) local history groups in and around Rutland Belton-in-Rutland History Society Cottesmore History and Archaeology Group Langham Village History Group Lyddington Manor History Society Rutland Local History and Record Society with free PDFs of over forty issues of the Rutland Record Uppingham Local History Study Group you may also be interested in free PDFs written by Bob Trubshaw Earliest Churches in Nottinghamshire How Anglo-Saxons Found Their Way Anglo-Saxon Leicestershire Conversations in Churchyards Little-known Leicestershire and Rutland Bob Trubshaw's YouTube channel Introduction to medieval carvings Anglo-Saxon and Romanesque carvings How Anglo-Saxons found their way Anglo-Saxon shrines at fords Meetings at triangles Rota's Land and Franni's Land Reading Romanesque fonts Church and manor The significances of square headdresses Early churches and waterborne trade Charnwood slate gravestones and C18th trade routes Ironstone quarries of Leicestershire Roman roads in north-east Leicestershire Salt ways in Leicestershire Why Melton Mowbray needed to called 'middle town' Evolving Anglo-Saxon agriculture Nottinghamshire's earliest churches Ploughs not piety? Economic regeneration in the C7th Were Anglo-Saxon weaving huts women-only places? Vale of Belvoir Chronicle Barrowby Until Now website