Read about the aspiring UNESCO Cross-Channel Geopark and Geosites in the Dover district.
Did you know that hundreds of thousands of years ago a catastrophic flood swept away the chalk ridge that once connected England and France, carving out the White Cliffs of Dover and creating the island of Britain?
The Kent and French coasts are still connected today by the layer of chalk which runs below the Channel and this chalk extends from the white cliffs here towards London forming the foundation of the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Kent Downs National Landscape is working with the Parc Naturel Regional des Caps et Marais d’Opale, our neighbouring protected landscape in France, to secure UNESCO Cross-Channel Global Geopark status for these very special landscapes. If successful, it would be the first Geopark in the world to span two countries with sea between them.
Geosites are places of geological interest representing the incredible variety found in our landscape, based on their geological, educational or cultural importance. Here in the Dover area we have six amazing Geosites.
UNESCO Global Geoparks are single, unified geographical areas where sites and landscapes of international geological significance are managed with a view to protect them, educate people about them and develop them sustainably.
All geoparks are areas of exceptional geological significance, but what makes them special is that they are community-led partnerships that promote an appreciation of natural and cultural heritage while supporting the sustainable economic development of the area, importantly through geological and eco-tourism.
Find out more about the aspiring Cross-Channel UNESCO Global Geopark on the Kent Downs website.
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