Somerset

:This page is about the county of Somerset in the United Kingdom. For other meanings of Somerset, see Somerset (disambiguation).

Geology, landscape and ecology

:For the full article see Geology of Somerset

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Much of the landscape of Somerset falls into two types, determined by the underlying geology. These landscapes are the limestone karst of the north east and the clay vales and wetlands of the south and west. In the north east the Mendip Hills are high, often bare mountain limestone hills with an extensive network of caves and underground rivers and a number of gorges, famously Cheddar Gorge. The main habitat on these hills is calcareous grassland, with some arable agriculture. To the south of the hills, on the clay substrate, are a number of small valleys which support dairy farming and drain into the Somerset Levels. This expanse of flat land, stretching up to 20 miles inland, is only a few feet above sea level and before it was drained, starting in Saxon times, much of the land was under a shallow brackish sea all year. According to legend Joseph of Arimathea sailed across the levels to Glastonbury, a dry point near the southern edge of the levels. In the far west of the county, running into Devon, is Exmoor, a high Devonian sandstone moor. The highest point in Somerset is Dunkery Beacon on Exmoor, with an altitude of 519 metres (1704 feet).

Related Topics:
Geology - Limestone - Karst - Clay - Vale - Wetlands - Mendip Hills - Mountain limestone - Hill - Cave - River - Gorge - Cheddar Gorge - Habitat - Calcareous grassland - Arable - Agriculture - Dairy farming - Somerset Levels - Mile - Saxon - Joseph of Arimathea - Glastonbury - Devon - Exmoor - Devonian - Sandstone - Moor - Dunkery Beacon

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