Cromer Ridge
Encyclopedia
Cromer Ridge is a ridge of old glacial moraines (terminal moraine) that stands next to the coast above Cromer
, Norfolk
, England
. Cromer Ridge seems to have been the front line of the ice sheet for some time at the last glaciation, which is shown by the large size of the feature. All the material that was dredged up from the North Sea
was poured out of the glaciers to form a ridge.
Located on the North Norfolk
coast, Cromer Ridge is the highest land of East Anglia
at 302 feet (92 m) and 8.7 miles (14 km) long. It is characterised by its irregular, undulating, intimate and well-wooded topography and by substantial areas of heather in the west. Small, enclosed arable fields, hedgebanks, sunken lane
s and sparse settlement are also characteristic features of the ridge. The crumbling cliffs at the coast are of glacial sands and gravels with some chalk exposures.
, laying down more clayey deposits nearer the coast, and the Lowestoft Till, which crossed the entire county from west to east depositing very chalky (marl
y) till or boulder clay to the north coast, met. This meeting of the two lobes near Cromer led to huge contortions - not only in the glacial deposits themselves, but to the underlying solid geology itself.
Cromer
Cromer is a coastal town and civil parish in north Norfolk, England. The local government authority is North Norfolk District Council, whose headquarters is in Holt Road in the town. The town is situated 23 miles north of the county town, Norwich, and is 4 miles east of Sheringham...
, Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Cromer Ridge seems to have been the front line of the ice sheet for some time at the last glaciation, which is shown by the large size of the feature. All the material that was dredged up from the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
was poured out of the glaciers to form a ridge.
Located on the North Norfolk
North Norfolk
North Norfolk is a local government district in Norfolk, United Kingdom. Its council is based in Cromer. The council headquarters can be found approximately out of the town of Cromer on the Holt Road.-History:...
coast, Cromer Ridge is the highest land of East Anglia
East Anglia
East Anglia is a traditional name for a region of eastern England, named after an ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom, the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Angles took their name from their homeland Angeln, in northern Germany. East Anglia initially consisted of Norfolk and Suffolk, but upon the marriage of...
at 302 feet (92 m) and 8.7 miles (14 km) long. It is characterised by its irregular, undulating, intimate and well-wooded topography and by substantial areas of heather in the west. Small, enclosed arable fields, hedgebanks, sunken lane
Sunken lane
A sunken lane is a road which has over time fallen significantly lower than the land on either side. They are created incrementally by erosion, by water and traffic...
s and sparse settlement are also characteristic features of the ridge. The crumbling cliffs at the coast are of glacial sands and gravels with some chalk exposures.
Formation
Cromer Ridge was formed during the last glacial period, the Devensian Glaciation, when the Cromer Till lobe, normally confined to the north east of NorwichNorwich
Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
, laying down more clayey deposits nearer the coast, and the Lowestoft Till, which crossed the entire county from west to east depositing very chalky (marl
Marl
Marl or marlstone is a calcium carbonate or lime-rich mud or mudstone which contains variable amounts of clays and aragonite. Marl was originally an old term loosely applied to a variety of materials, most of which occur as loose, earthy deposits consisting chiefly of an intimate mixture of clay...
y) till or boulder clay to the north coast, met. This meeting of the two lobes near Cromer led to huge contortions - not only in the glacial deposits themselves, but to the underlying solid geology itself.