Hertfordshire Geological Society

AGM - at our new Redbourne Parish Centre venue
2026-03-12 19:30 - 21:30 UTC | Redbourne Parish Centre, The Park, Redbourne, Hertfordshire, AL3 7LR, United Kingdom
followed by refreshments and launch of the
The Hertfordshire 50th anniversary book – Mike Lambert & Nick Pierpoint
This meeting is being held in the Conference Room in the Parish Centre as shown on the map below, but be aware that The Park refers to several side roads/cul-de-sac roads.
Full address Redbourne Parish Centre, The Park, Redbourn, near St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL3 7LR.
By Car: Redbourn is easily accessible off the M1 Junction 9 then heading south of the A5183 Redbourn Bypass to the second roundabout at the southern end of High Street, then up High Street bearing left onto Common Road and taking the 3rd turning on the left into The Park.
There is limited parking both in front of the Redbourn Parish Centre and to the rear of the centre on a first come first served basis. Elsewhere in Redbourn there is some on-street parking

Ver Valley Society Walk on the Chalk, Dunstable Downs
2026-03-21 08:00 - 17:00 | Hertfordshire
Herts Geol Society have a limited number of places available on this walk (5 – 6) organised by the Ver Valley Society. It will start at the Dunstable Downs National Trust Centre at 10am and will last until 1pm, when we can get something to eat at the NT Centre.
If you’re interested in joining in on this walk, then please contact Haydon via haydonbailey@outlook.com as he’s taking the bookings on behalf of HGS on a first come first served basis. Be prepared for a wet and very muddy walk; wear wellingtons or waterproof boots and expect muddy trousers!

The Ice-pushed chalk of the Chiltern escarpment between Barkway and Heydon
2026-03-29 10:00 - 16:30 | Silver Ball Transport Café, Reed, Royston London Road, Royston, Hertfordshire, SG8 8BG, United Kingdom
Meet at the Silver Ball transport cafe, which is on the A10 at Reed (SG8 8BD) at 10am for drinks and a bacon sandwich (cash only) and a loo stop. Leave for Barkway Pit at 10.30, stopping at a view point on the way. Visit a small pit at Great Chishill. Pub lunch at the Pheasant, Great Chishill. The day will finish at the Chalk pit at Heydon. The trip will concentrate on looking for evidence of glacis-tectonic structures and will finish around 4.30pm.
For folk who are interested in attending they should register with Mike Howgate mikeeh1086@hotmail.com

49th Percy Evans Lecture: Snowballs in the Desert - A Glacial History of Oman
2026-04-09 19:30 - 21:30 | Redbourne Parish Centre, The Park, Redbourne, Hertfordshire, AL3 7LR, United Kingdom
given by Ross Garden, Reading Geological Society
Ross is kindly standing in for the scheduled speaker Dr Haydon Bailey. Haydon’s talk will now given at a later date.
Abstract
The Earth has experienced repeated major icehouse periods through its history. Across the UK, we have many examples of the Plio-Pliestocene ice age deposits and in Scotland we see evidence of Pre-Cambrian Snowball Earth glaciations. Sowhat might the Sultanate of Oman on the eastern margin of the arid Arabian Peninsula offer?
Oman lies on the Tropic of Cancer and the current climate is hot and arid with midday winter temperatures in the mid 20’s and summer temperatures reaching 40° C and above. The arid climate, together with the relative ease of movement and hospitality of the Omani people provides a geological wonderland. There are many geological delights in Oman, but the area provides a variety of geology resulting from previous glaciations. We can see evidence for Proterozoic marine glaciations together with lacustrine deposits from the Permo-Carboniferous ice ages. The lack of vegetation and long geological history of the area provides good out crops of the glacial formations and allows examination of lateral facies variations that typify these deposits.
But the Oman also contains evidence of the impact of high latitude glaciations on land masses at low latitudes. The Omani Plio-Pliestocene history is characterised by ice driven sea level falls and rises, compressed climatic zones and cooler and wetter periods. As Arabia is situated between Africa and Asia these climatic changes are likely to have impacted the migration of homids out of Africa.

Glacial dropstone in Permian Al Khlata deltaic sandstones, Huqf

49th Percy Evans Lecture: The Geology of the Lower Chess Valley & where does all that water go?
2026-04-09 19:45 - 21:45 | Redbourne Parish Centre, The Park, Redbourne, Hertfordshire, AL3 7LR, United Kingdom
given by Dr. Haydon Bailey, HGS Chairman
now postponed to a later date.

Geology of Stonehenge and the bluestone controversy
2026-05-14 19:45 - 21:45 | Redbourne Parish Centre, The Park, Redbourne, Hertfordshire, AL3 7LR, United Kingdom
talk given by Prof. Peter Worsley, Emeritus Professor of Quaternary Geology, University of Reading

The Chalk Sea Ecosystem Project
2026-06-11 19:45 - 21:45 | Redbourne Parish Centre, The Park, Redbourne, Hertfordshire, AL3 7LR, United Kingdom
talk given by Dr James Witts, Senior Post Doctoral Researcher, Natural History Museum London

Researching the Puddingstone Book
2026-07-09 21:45 | Redbourne Parish Centre, The Park, Redbourne, Hertfordshire, AL3 7LR, United Kingdom
talk given by Gerald Lucy, Essex Rock & Mineral Society & Mike Howgate, AGS & HGS

St Albans’ building stones walk
2026-07-18 | Hertfordshire
with Haydon Bailey, geological advisor to the Chiltern Society.
This is a joint event with the Bucks Geology Group. PLACES LIMITED – BOOKING ESSENTIAL.
For more information and to book you place, please contact Mike Palmer at mpalmer@discoverbucksmuseum.org

The Deep Geology beneath southern England (TBC)
2026-09-10 21:45 | Redbourne Parish Centre, The Park, Redbourne, Hertfordshire, AL3 7LR, United Kingdom
talk given by Dr. Chris Pullen, Director, CP Exploration

Book Presentation - The Meteorites
2026-10-08 19:45 - 21:45 | Redbourne Parish Centre, The Park, Redbourne, Hertfordshire, AL3 7LR, United Kingdom
given by Helen Gordon, Hertfordshire University & Author

Ashridge House and Gardens
2026-10-17 10:00 - 16:30 | Ashridge House, Ashridge, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire, HP4 1NS, United Kingdom
A walk around the house and gardens.
More details to follow.

Alpine peaks and salt intrusions - Geological windows into Earth's mantle
2026-11-12 19:45 - 21:45 | over Zoom
given by Dr. Jonathan Turner, Geologists’ Association Field Guide Editor

The history of geological thought and exploration of the geology of the Himalaya
2026-12-10 19:45 - 21:45 | over Zoom
given by Dr. Danny Clarke-Lowes, Director, Nubian Consulting
