The cliffs for about 2 km to the west of Cowbar Nab are capped by glacial till, bedrock being at 40 to 50m O.D. Staithes Beck has cut a deep channel through the till in to the solid strata. On the coast, several landslips and rockfalls can be seen and, in contrast, examples of slow, gradual marine erosion. The marine erosion has been the subject of detailed studies by Agar (1960) and by Durham University in recent years.
Make your way across the beck and follow the Cleveland Way up the steep, stepped path and then eastwards where there is a view of the Old Gut dock (marked 1 on the plan). Pass the path down to the shore at NZ 725 198 and North Warren Cottage (Tile Sheds). (2 cisterns (2) are missed unless one deviates along the coastal path). At NZ 735 197 fork left off the Cleveland Way to go down the track in to the quarries.
View the geomorphology of this area (much of which has now been donated to Tees Valley Wildlife Trust. The scarp line of Saltwick Sandstone is set back from the coast and is paralleled underground by the subcrop of the Cleveland Ironstone Formation (see the geological map). The, therefore, deep embayment is infilled by till that is much landslipped on the seawards side. The Snailah Ponds, still shown on modern maps, are said to have been infilled by material from Boulby Potash Mine development.
Boulby Quarry and the sea cliffs beneath (making use of the tracks down to the shore) are where several 19th century and, more recently, geologists such as Chowns made measured sections. That by Lewis Hunton (1836) is the most notable as he independently recognized the importance of collecting fossils in-situ, and relating the fossils found to the beds in which they occur bolstering the emerging concept of biostratigraphy.
GEOLOGICAL TIMESCALE
Shown below is a representation of the rocks underlying the Tees Valley and Darlington districts in Northeast England. The diagram depicts the relative thickness of the different systems. Absolute ages are given alongside. Click on the different areas to view more details about a particular time period.
Geological column showing the relative thickness and absolute [...]
Rocks of Jurassic age crop out exclusively south of the River Tees, with both Lower and Middle Jurassic successions well represented. The rocks indicate an episode of marine sedimentation, represented by the Lias Group, followed by alternating cycles of deltaic and marine sedimentation represented by the overlying Ravenscar Group.
Marker on the Cleveland Way east of [...]
Grid Reference NZ 7784 192
BGS Sheet 34
OS Sheet 94
Forwarded as RIGS Part of Skinningrove to Staithes Coast 30/09/2003
Site Description
Site Status Part of the Heritage Coast
Description of Geodiversity Costal cliff nab exposure consisting of the Staithes sandstone formation which is the type locality. The foreshore to the west of the coastal defences consists [...]
Grid Reference NZ 655 200
BGS Sheet 34
OS Sheet 94
Forwarded as RIGS Part of Skelton beck 30/09/03
Site Description
Site Status SNCI
Description of Geodiversity Stream bed and river-cliff exposures of Staithes sandstone. Natural waterfall. Change of facies to Cleveland ironstone
Literature References
Site Map
Site Assessment
Access and Safety
Comments
Rating
Safety of access
Along the Cleveland Way to start of section
10
Safety [...]
Grid Reference NZ 622 148
BGS Sheet 34
OS Sheet 94
Forwarded as RIGS Part of Guisborough Forest 30/09/2003
Site Description
Site Status SNCI
Description of Geodiversity North facing escarpment revealing few exposures. Underlying geology is Staithes sandstone, Cleveland ironstone, Whitby mudstone overlain by the Saltwick sandstone formation. Old mine tips now wooded
Literature References Guisborough District Mines – [...]
Grid Reference NZ 690 228
BGS Sheet 34
OS Sheet 94
Forwarded as RIGS Part of Saltburn to Skinningrove Coast 30/09/2003
Site Description
Site Status SNCI
Description of Geodiversity Wave washed platform and cliffs revealing Redcar mudstone formation at the base overlain by Staithes sandstone in the cliffs. Cleveland ironstone in upper part of cliffs, all capped by [...]