Geological Conservation Review Sites

There are two types of designation applied to nature conservation sites, nationally important statutory sites i.e. protected by law, for example Sites of Special Scientific Interest, and non-statutory sites, those which are afforded a degree of protection within the local authority planning system.

Geological Conservation Review (GCR) Sites

Throughout the UK, since 1977, over 3000 Geological Conservation Review (GCR) sites have been identified by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC). They represent the most important national, and in some cases international geological sites, and the majority have been designated as geological Sites of Special Scientific Interest. Based on their scientific value rather than their educational or geological historical importance they were designated using three criteria,:

• sites of international importance
• sites that are scientifically important because they contain exceptional features
• sites that are nationally important because they are representative of a geological feature, event or process, which is fundamental to understanding Britain’s geological history.

Your Dales Rocks Project Area GCR Sites

GCR Geological Conservation Review sites are divided into over 100 different types or blocks, and the Your Dales Rocks Project Area includes 50 sites representing 12 blocks. With 16 sites, Caves is the dominant block followed by the Dinantian of Northern England with 10 sites, and then Karst (7), the three blocks reflecting the importance of limestone geology and geomorphology in the Project Area.

Three sites Dowshaw Delf (Dinantian of Northern England), Gunnerside Gill (Mineralogy of the Pennines) and Arcow Quarry (Wenlock) were identified in the review as candidate GCR sites.

Vale of York Project Area GCR Sites

The 15 GCR sites in the Vale of York Area, are representative of seven GCR blocks.