Local Geological Sites (LGS or RIGS) in South Yorkshire

In 1990 English Nature (now Natural England) introduced a scheme to identify Local Geological Sites (LGS) that have both interest and value but were not specifically designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs). The objective was to create a record of such sites which, although not protected by legislation, could still be taken into consideration when evaluating development proposals as part of the planning system. In 1996, a team known as the South Yorkshire RIGS Group received funding to undertake a survey for such sites in three of the four Local Authority areas in South Yorkshire. The outcome of this work was the designation of 80 Regionally Important Geological Sites (RIGS). The acronym ‘RIGS’ has since been superseded by ‘LGS’, although both terms are in common use and are equivalent to each other.

Of the 80 original LGS in South Yorkshire, 26 were located in the Sheffield City area, 19 in the Sheffield part of the Peak District National Park, 23 in Rotherham district and 12 in Barnsley district. A similar survey was undertaken by the same team in the Doncaster district in 1997, which added a further 27 sites, bringing the total to 107. Since that time a small number of LGS have been destroyed by urban development or lost through neglect, but a larger number of new sites have been designated to replace them and also to increase the range and variety of geological features that can be seen.

The geology of South Yorkshire is comprised of a succession of layered sedimentary rocks of Mid to Upper Carboniferous and also Upper Permian ages. The selection of the original set of South Yorkshire LGS was intended to identify and conserve as many outcrop examples of named individual stratigraphic layers as possible. Other features of geological interest, such as geomorphological features, faults, caves, mineral extraction sites and modern fluvial processes etc., were also included.

At the present time, there are 48 designated LGS in the Sheffield City area, 19 in the Sheffield part of the Peak District National Park, 31 in Barnsley district, 26 in Rotherham district and 26 in Doncaster district. Many of these sites are located next to public footpaths or on open-access land, although some are inevitably located on private property. Lists of the publicly-accessible LGS in each of the four Local Authority areas are tabulated below, accompanied by maps showing their general locations.