Greater Manchester RIGS* Group is a group of volunteers with a common interest in preserving Greater Manchester’s diverse geological heritage for future study and education and to raise awareness of the area’s natural rocky landscapes to be appreciated and enjoyed by all.
This wide variety of local rocks, some formed over three hundred million years ago, has yielded important evidence of past life, environments and climates and provided physical resources such as coal, iron and stone for industrial use and to build the urban landscapes we see today.
But many quarries and natural outcrops have already been built on or become disused and overgrown. Thus, we aim to protect and conserve important local geological sites as examples of Greater Manchester’s rich geodiversity. Currently, twenty sites have been evaluated by members to be good examples of local geology and are now protected in the local planning system as Regionally Important Geological Sites (RIGS).
Read more about us, discover the hidden stories written in the rocks and do get in touch if you have any questions or wish to join us.
*RIGS – Regionally Important Geological Sites
