At the Crete conference of the European Geopark Network in October the Abberley and Malvern Hills Geopark was accepted as the seventeenth European Geopark. It now joins Marble Arch Caves and North Pennines as United Kingdom members. The Partnership that put together the application and now takes the project forward is made up of the Abberley Hills Preservation Society, English Nature, the Forestry Commission, Gloucestershire Geoconservation Trust, Herefordshire and Worcestershire Earth Heritage Trust, Scenesetters and University College Worcester.

Limestone beds,
Park Wood

A huge infrastructure already exists helping visitors realise what a very special area they are in with Precambrian to Jurassic periods represented over the 1250 square kilometres of the Geopark. Parts of four counties are represented all linked by the structural influences of the Malvern Axis with the Rivers Severn and Teme providing excellent Quaternary features. All of this is to be displayed and experienced in the expanding facility at the Forestry Commission's Visitor Centre in the Wyre Forest. There are plans to incorporate a Geopark seismology station.

Tank Quarry

The outstanding Earth heritage of the area is represented by 13 SSSIs and 62 RIGS with more site recording and geoconservation underway. There is an established and growing geotourism programme based on the 15 geology and landscape trails and guides currently available and planned, and Rock and Fossil Roadshows are popular events with the general public and schools. The Geopark Partnership now sets out to work with the authorities and landowners to bring geology to as many people as possible.
EM>Dr Peter Oliver, Director, Herefordshire and Worcestershire Earth Heritage Trust.