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When ice shaped the land

Exploring Britain’s glacial landscape

It may seem a long time ago that ice sheets spread over the surface of the British Isles, but in geological timescales it was very recent. The evidence of ice sheets advancing from upland regions and depositing material in the lowlands is still to be seen in Britain’s glacial landscape.

The glacial landscape of Snowdonia, Wales

Log in to the University of Sheffield BRTICE Glacial Map V2 website (www.tinyurl.com/ybcrenoz) and click ‘OK’. Zoom in to the British Isles until a map appears showing the limits of the most recent advances of the ice sheets, which occurred between 27,000 and 17,000 years ago (27–17 kya). Known as the Devensian ice advance, the direct impact of ice occurred mainly over the northern and western parts of Britain, although the Midlands and southern England experienced tundra-like conditions.

Zoom further in until the map layer changes to show city names, national parks and a range of coloured lines and shaded areas. Click on one of the straight green lines emerging from southwest Scotland to north Wales and northwest England. An information box opens up explaining that the line represents an ‘erratic pathway’ and describes the feature.

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Previous

The South Downs

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The impact of tourism on Port Isaac