Visit & explore

Holwick Drumlins geosite

Holwick drumlins geosite

The oval grassy mounds here at Holwick, and in other places in the AONB and Geopark, tell a story about our changing environment.

During the last ‘Ice Age’, 11,500 years ago, this area was covered by a thick ice sheet. As this ice flowed away from the higher fells it eroded parts of the landscape and dumped debris elsewhere. The material deposited here formed mounds called ‘drumlins’. They consist of clay, sand, gravel and boulders, deposited and sculpted by passing ice and meltwater. The drumlins are streaked out in the direction of the flow of ice and water and show how the ice sheet moved.
It is partly through the study of the Ice Ages and the reaction of glaciers to natural variations in the climate that we can understand our current climate changes.

Please note that access to this land is only via public rights way.

More to explore

Use the link below to view the visit and explore map, and discover walks, trails, activities and more across the North Pennines AONB and UNESCO Global Geopark.