Viewpoint (bench) on Mercia Mudstone © Elizabeth Woodger
Within the Mercia Mudstone Group, it is sometimes possible to find a special type of rock known locally as a ‘potato stone’. These are small, hard nodules filled with beautiful crystals of quartz. They formed during the Triassic Period, after an episode of geological uplift, and when mountains were being rapidly eroded.
Some of the most spectacular and far-reaching view points out of the Mendip Hills are found on high ground, such as on Crook Peak, in Blagdon, at Deer Leap or on the top of Cheddar Gorge, where the contrast between high and low is most pronounced. Fortunately, there is usually somewhere good to rest and admire the views after a long, uphill walk!
Image part of the ‘Menhir 2023’ collection by Elizabeth Woodger, through the Moments on Mendip project.