WALKS
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Thatcher Rock |
Coral
Coast and GeoPark
The
route featured in this walk takes you on a unique journey through time.
So special that it's being lined up for international recognition as a
European GeoPark. The 2004 bid just missed out, so a new bid is being
prepared for 2005.
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The
stretch of coast on this walk is regarded as so important, that officials
have applied for it to be given European Geopark status.
The bid just missed out in 2004, when the Torbay team was informed in October
that the area has to be opened up more to the public for the status to be
granted. More activities are now being arranged and a fresh bid is being
prepared for 2005.
The bid is being led by the Torbay Coast and Countryside Trust, which was
set up by the local council to manage the resort's environmentally sensitive
areas.
As part of Torquay's case, the bid team is arguing that the limestone in
this area gives its name to the Devonian Period - the internationally used
term for the geological era of 350 to 400 million years ago.
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| Walls Hill |
And the Devon cup corals living just off the coast of Torquay
are a direct link back to this era. Kents Cavern is also a part of the bid,
as it contains visible evidence of Torquay's development.
The team must also show the relationship between the
geological history and the social history. This relationship is there for
everyone to see, in the form of the coves and beaches in Torquay - in many
respects, the economic lifeblood of the town.
Without the stunning coast and beaches, there would be no tourism industry.
If the European Geopark status is granted, it will increase awareness about
the importance of Torquay's geological history and possibly open doors to
grant aid. Officals would name the area the Coral Coast, if they get the
go-ahead for the status.
There are three other sites in the UK which have the Unesco-backed status:
Marble Arch Caves & Cuilcagh Mountain Park in Northern Ireland, the North
Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and Abberley and Malvern Hills.
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Stage 10 |
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