Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
FIG
100.
Geology and hillshade map of Area 4, with Landscapes marked.
The New Red Sandstone extends down the western edge of Area 4 and continues
into Areas 2 and 3 (Fig. 100). The most characteristic features of the East Devon Red-
lands are the red soils and buildings, both of which have been made from the New Red
Sandstone. The bedrock is largely Mercia Mudstone, but there are earlier Triassic sand-
stones and coarser pebble beds in the west, because the Triassic rivers tended to deposit
their coarsest material closest to their sources in the hills of the Southwest Region.
The Redlands extend down the valleys of the Exe and the Otter, which drain to the
south coast. Beautiful cliffs of gently eastward-sloping red sediments of Triassic age
are striking features of this part of the coastal scenery, particularly between Ladram
Bay (
a3
) with its sea stacks and Peak Hill (
a4
). These Triassic sediments can be seen
in Figure 101.
