From the bog to the sea: the Mull Dyke Swarm, Tuesday 18th August
A talk by Joe Cartwright of OU Earth Sciences
Of the many hundreds of giant dyke swarms known from Earth, Venus and Mars, the Mull Dyke Swarm is arguably the best documented, and certainly the longest studied. At just over 650 km in length, the Mull Swarm is one of the longest on the planet, and its constituent dykes represent an extraordinary intruded volume of over 400 Km3.
Since the 1800s, a veritable honours board full of eminent geologists have studied the extraordinary story of how the dyke swarm was emplaced: Sedgwick,Teall, Bailey, Geikie, Peach, Tyrrell, Richey and Holmes all having literally put the Mull Swarm on the map.
In this talk, I hope to convey the incredible richness of the geological information obtained over many long field seasons in harsh conditions by these pioneers (and their mules!) and contrast that with the more recent armchair efforts of a small group of students equipped only with modest computers using data donated by the petroleum industry.
18th August 2026
6.30 – 7.30 pm
Westwood Room, Oxford University Museum of Natural History (OUMNH)
All welcome – free to attend.
We would kindly ask for a voluntary donation of £3 or more (cash or card) to allow us to continue this lecture series. This will be gratefully received.
Fantastic Fossils at Wantage, Wednesday 19th August
Come and join us to examine and handle fossils from our collections including dinosaur teeth and claws. Or bring your own fossils for us to identify for you.
Activities include:
Object handling: mammoth tooth and tusk; ichthyosaur bone; fossils
Make a dinosaur mask
Dino Dig
Make a 3D dino/fossil decoration
Colouring sheets
Story time: Mary Anning and Dinosaurs
Possibly a fossil trail through the museum galleries
19th August 2026
From 10 to 12, at the Vale and Downland Museum, Church Street, Wantage, OX12 8BL
Children attending must be accompanied by an adult.
Shipton-under-Wychwood village fair, Monday August 31st
Visit the Oxfordshire Geology Trust stall at the Village Fair
31st August 2026
New Beaconsfield Hall, Shipton-under-Wychwood,
All day
Fabulous fossils, Wallingford Museum, Saturday 19th September
Family Fun Activity: Handle fossils from Oxfordshire and around the world, with the Oxfordshire Geology Trust.
Bring along your own fossils for our experts to identify
Make your own dino mask and colour in dinosaur pictures.
Lucky dip (£2) for fossils up to 300 million years old!
19th September 2026
Saturday 19th September, from 11 to 1 in the morning and 2 till 4 in the afternoon, Wallingford Museum, 52 High Street, OX10 0DB.
Book online at www. wallingfordmuseum.org.uk
Admission to this event is included in the museum ticket of £6 per adult, and is free for accompanied children.