Black Country Geological Society

09/06/2026

05/06/2026

Last month a few of our members received awards from

Julie and John were awared the GA Foulerton Award for the work they have done with communications within the society

Graham was awarded the GA President's Medal for his work within the over the last few decades

Well done to everyone that received an award that evening

18/05/2026

Happy Museum Day

Did you know that our society had played a key part in Dudley Museums

Museums are a great way to learn that are available to everyone and they teach us about our past and current issues around the world

Make sure you visit and support your local museum

08/05/2026

HAPPY BIRTHDAY 🎂 to Sir
Thank you for all the work you do in nature conservation and Educating us about the natural wonders of the world

04/05/2026

BCGS at the Perton Library Science Fair - Saturday 9 May, 10.00 – 3.00
Severn Drive, Perton, WV6 7QU

BCGS will have a stand at the Science Fair and we will be promoting ourselves in the usual way with free leaflets, specimens to look at and a display. We've been asked to highlight the local glacial erratics, so the display will be featuring our recent involvement with the Birmingham Glacial Erratics project, and our more recent activities at Wightwick Manor and The Mount Hotel.

Come and visit our stand and enjoy the Science Fair – and don't miss the Perton Glacial Erratic Boulder.

The Perton erratic boulder has been put to good use as an RAF War Memorial and is only a few hundred metres away from Perton library, at the far corner of the Perton Centre car park off Severn Street.

30/04/2026

A brilliant opportunity to hear from Dudley Borough’s Keeper of Geology and UNESCO Global Geopark Coordinatior Graham Worton about the unusual rock formations in the Black Country, and how they came to be created.

Join Graham at Wildside Activity Centre for an illustrated talk exploring the geology of the Black Country on Thursday 21st May at 7pm.

Booking is available via www.wildsideac.co.uk

22/04/2026

HAPPY EARTH DAY!

April 22 is Earth Day 🌎 where we push the promotion for looking after our planet. Geology plays a massive part in that by providing the science to understand the process the planet goes through, resource management, and helping us understand more about climate change

As a society we take part in regular Geoconservation work in our local area - if you would like to join and help out - take a look at our website and our upcoming events

https://bcgs.info/pub/the-society/programme-of-events/

19/04/2026

Monday 20 April (Indoor Meeting): 'How geology made the Potteries'. Speaker: Bernard Besly (Retired Independent Consultant - Keele, Staffordshire).
The importance of geology in the industrial and urban development of North Staffordshire is usually reduced to a truism. Workable clays occurring with hot burning, long-flame coal gave the early potters a unique set of resources, and – in consequence - the pottery towns are developed along the line of their outcrop.
But why did this happen in North Staffordshire rather than the many other coalfield areas that have ample clay and coal? This talk intends to address some of the questions that underlie this set of generalisations. What is so special about the clay? What is “long flame coal” and why was it important for the pottery industry? Did any other geological circumstances lead to dominance of the Stoke area rather than other British Coalfields that also would appear to contain the magical ingredients of coal and clay?

Bernard Besly moved to Keele University in 1976 to do his PhD on the sedimentology of the Etruria Formation. His career was largely spent working as a sedimentologist in the oil industry, initially with Shell and subsequently as a freelance. Throughout this period he has continued to study the Coal Measures and related Formations in the Midlands, occasionally for money but mainly as a hobby.

05/04/2026

Happy Geologist Day!
Comment with your favourite geologist, and what important work they do!

Geology is the study of the evolution, structure, and dynamics of the Earth and its natural minerals and energy resources, through its approximate 4500-Million-year history, using the rock you see every day. Geology has a direct relevance to the needs of society, from engineering to our drinking water, and natural resources. But you also have palaeontology, Volcanology, and Planetary geology for some of the more traditional types. That list is not exhaustive, you can find more types at ww.geolsoc.org.uk.
It’s important that we have geologists, for education, helping us have warnings for natural disasters, and addressing environmental challenges like climate change.

You see the work of geologists every day, So thank you for all the work you do, both professional and as amateurs your work is important.



British Geological Survey
Uni Birmingham Earth Sciences
Lapworth Museum of Geology