Cromer Ridge

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 among the highest land of East Anglia reaching 335 feet (102 m), and is 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 lanes 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 Norwich, laying down more clayey deposits nearer the coast, and the Lowestoft Till, which crossed the entire county from west to east depositing very chalky (marly) 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.

External links

• BBC Coast